For the seventh time in the last eight years, the Reidsville Rams are taking the "Football Capital of North Carolina" back to the state championship game.
Top-seeded Reidsville rolled past longtime Nemisis Shelby in the 2A West regional final on Friday by a 49-14 score.
With 29 recognized N.C. High School Athletic Association championships between them, Reidsville (17) and Shelby (12) are football royalty, and the last time neither one made a state title was 2012, a streak that won't be ending this year.
Seventh-seeded Shelby (11-4) had won 11 straight games after an 0-3 start to reach the 2A West final, but was snowed under by the quick-strike passing assault of quarterback Al Lee and his five touchdown passes.
Lee threw two to big tight end Kendre Harrison (four catches, 80 yards) in the first half and two to Que'Shyne Flippen (six catches, 89 yards) in the second half, with a second-quarter toss to Dionte Neal. For the game, Lee was 22-of-29 passing for 319 yards. Cam'Ron Jones added five catches for 109 yards.
Pair that with the Rams' Johnniyus Sharpe forcing two interceptions and Aidan Mansfield recovering a muffed punt, and it was a long night for the Golden Lions.
Shelby's two scores came on Lan Farmer touchdown passes, one on a deep strike to Izay Bridges, who broke a tackle and was off to the races, and another late to Eli Falls, who got his feet inbounds and tiptoed in the corner.
Awaiting Reidsville (14-1) at 3 p.m. on Saturday at N.C. State's Carter-Finley Stadium is undefeated Clinton. Both teams were the top seeds in their respective halves of the bracket.
Scoring Summary
Reidsville: 1Q — 25-yard TD pass to Kendre Harrison from Al Lee, XP good (Reidsville leads 7-0, 8:59)
Reidsville: 1Q — 2-yard TD run by Aidan Mansfield, XP good (Reidsville leads 14-0, 4:42)
Reidsville: 2Q — 6-yard TD pass to Dionte Neal from Al Lee (Reidsville leads 21-0, 10:27)
Reidsville: 2Q — 32-yard TD pass to Kendre Harrison from Al Lee, XP good (Reidsville leads 28-0, 44.5)
Shelby: 3Q — 42-yard TD pass to Izay Bridges from Lan Farmer, XP good (Reidsville leads 28-7, 10:17)
Reidsville: 3Q — 32-yard TD pass to Que'Shyne Flippen from Al Lee, XP good (Reidsville leads 35-7, 9:01)
Reidsville: 3Q — 1-yard TD run by Paul Widerman, XP good (Reidsville leads 42-7, 32.1)
Shelby: 4Q — 6-yard TD pass to Eli Falls from Lan Farmer, XP good (Reidsville leads 42-14, 9:55)
Reidsville: 4Q — 40-yard TD pass to Que'Shyne Flippen from Al Lee, XP good (Reidsville leads 49-14, 3:59)