J.J. Cowan goes into the end zone for the Hawks in the fourth round.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Triton played a much more competitive game in a 42-7 loss at Northern Nash in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 3-A football playoffs on Friday night than the final score would indicate.
The Hawks (8-6) trailed 7-0 at halftime and were within 14-7 going into the fourth quarter.
“We battled the flu all week and weren’t able to finish tonight,” said Triton coach Ben Penny. “Ran out of gas. For three and a half quarters, they gave it their all.”
A 15-yard scoring pass from Jalen Evans to J.J. Cowan with 2:25 left in the third quarter got the Hawks on the board and Carter Daughtry kicked the extra point, but the Knights (14-0) scored 28 unanswered points in the fourth quarter,
Northern Nash, the top seed in the East bracket, will host third-seeded Seventy-First (14-0), a 38-13 winner over Terry Sanford, in the region final.
Triton, the No. 28 seed in the East, advanced to the fourth round for the first time in program history with road victories over No. 5 C.B. Aycock (53-28), No. 21 Wilson Hunt (35-16) and No. 20 Jacksonville (37-35).
“I can’t say enough about these kids,” Penny said. “The 21 seniors left this program in much better shape than they found it.”
Penny thanked the seniors individually after their final game for the Hawks.
“What they did for this community, I cannot put into words,” Penny said. “The rallies, police escorts, support shown from the fans — it has been incredible. They will talk about it the rest of their lives.”
The Hawks take the field for the final time in 2022.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Ross Stevens makes a stop on the Northern Nash quarterback.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Jalen Evans and J.J. Cowan (5) combine to tackle a Knights receiver for no gain.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Keno Jones goes to the air for the host Knights on Friday night.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Camauri McDougald (3) makes a tackle for Triton.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
J.J. Cowan carries on Triton’s scoring drive.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Quarterback Jalen Evans looks for running room at Northern Nash.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Randall King scores after a catch for the Knights.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Elijah Stewart-Williams gets a postgame hug from Coach Ben Penny.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
