This was certainly an emotional moment for the Jacksonville football team.<\/p>\n
Players and coaches were joined by family and friends in the end zone as the Cardinals consoled each other following Saturday\u2019s 31-21 defeat to Middle Creek in the NCHSAA 6-A East Regional final.<\/p>\n
The top-seeded Cardinals (12-1) had hoped to advance to the state championship game for the first time since 2018, but for the second consecutive season, fell one game short of playing on the state\u2019s biggest stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is definitely not going to be a fun one to remember, watching the looks on people\u2019s faces, but being a part of a brotherhood is being there for the highs and lows,\u201d senior linebacker Jackson Henry said. \u201cI feel the closest moments in a brotherhood come in the lows, and we are experiencing that tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it was a season full of highs for Jacksonville. The Cardinals of the Big Carolina 6-A\/7-A Conference played in their fifth regional final under coach Beau Williams, finished the regular season undefeated for the first time since 1982 and won an outright conference title for the first time since 1990.<\/p>\n
However, the Cardinals ran into the third-seeded Mustangs (11-2), who advance to their first state title game after losing in the regional final in 2013, 2025 and 2016. Middle Creek, second behind 7-A Cardinal Gibbons in the Triangle Six 6-A\/7-A Conference, opened in 2002.<\/p>\n
The Mustangs play Watauga (14-0) for the state title Friday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Watauga won 43-42 over second-seeded Northern Guilford on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a good year. We just didn\u2019t finish the way we wanted,\u201d Jacksonville coach Beau Williams said. \u201cIt happens to everyone … but it\u2019s my fault. It\u2019s on me. This team fought and never quit. I\u2019m proud of them because they worked and worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
And the Cardinals proved doubters wrong by returning to the regional final.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone at the start of the season thought we would lose three games in the regular season, but the team kept building and building, and the brotherhood got stronger and stronger,\u201d senior linebacker Avery Apicella said. \u201cI\u2019ll never forget the hard that we put in for each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know we wish we could have gone farther, but it was good to make history and get back here after a lot of people doubted us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry agreed that with each win, the Cardinals grew more as a team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started rough with the attitudes and with the trust we had in each other,\u201d he said. \u201cThroughout the season, we kept building it up and that love kept growing as well. We kept growing in Christ. Having faith in him ultimately led us to have faith and trust in each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cardinals continued to believe, despite the game growing out of reach.<\/p>\n
Trailing 31-21, Jacksonville got the ball back at Middle Creek\u2019s 21-yard line after stopping the Mustangs on fourth-and-1 with 2 minutes, 40 seconds left. The Jacksonville possession ended with a fourth-down interception in the waning moments, but the Cardinals continued not to quit.<\/p>\n
Jacksonville pulled to within 31-21 with 9:08 left senior Anthony Washington\u2019s 21-yard touchdown pass to junior SaRonn Thompson.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kids played hard and kept battling,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n
Middle Creek extended its lead to 31-14 early in the fourth on quarterback Lex Sevilla\u2019s 31-yard touchdown run.<\/p>\n
The Mustangs, only led 17-14 at halftime, but quickly gained momentum in the second half as they stripped and gain control of the ball at the Cardinals\u2019 24 on the third-quarter kickoff.<\/p>\n
Moments later, Sevilla hit Tracy Harrington for an 18-yard score to make it 24-14.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat changed the momentum,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n
Jacksonville fought to stay with Middle Creek in the first half.<\/p>\n
Senior Yondez Baker\u2019s 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Thompson\u2019s two-point conversion catch tied the game at 14-14 with 9:59 left in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Junior Amari Pearson\u2019s 3-yard run brought the Cardinals within 7-6 with 3:01 left in the first quarter following the first of two interceptions by sophomore Sammie Rogers.<\/p>\n
Sevilla completed eight of 15 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 84 yards on 17 carries.<\/p>\n
Harrington had six catches for 84 yards for the Mustangs, who outgained the Cardinals 280-177, including 184-67 in the first half.<\/p>\n
Not the way the Cardinals would have wanted to end.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully the younger guys can look up and do better,\u201d Henry said. \u201cHopefully they will remember our mistakes and build them off them to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n