It was the battle of the Pirates at Marion Kirby Stadium on Friday night, as sixth-ranked Greensboro Page hosted the eleventh-ranked Pirates of Lumberton in the first round of the 4-AA East NCHSAA football playoffs. Going into the game, many who had seen our hometown Pirates this season were confident. It wasn’t until the second quarter, however, when both teams had the butterflies of the big stage under control that Page began to dominate.
Things didn’t look well for Page as Lumberton started the first drive of the game on their own 20-yard line and drove down the field into the Page red zone. That’s when things got interesting.
Lumberton quarterback Braylan Grice threw a pass from the Page 15 that was intercepted by Diondre Overton. The interception was the first of a total of four turnovers that all happened in less than a minute of play. After Overton’s interception, on the opening play for the home Pirates, junior running back Javon Leake fumbled, and Lumberton’s Aubrey Savannah recovered. Grice returned the ball to Page on a fumble on the first play after getting the ball back, and, finally, Page’s Will Jones’ first pass was intercepted by Bryce Swindell.
Lumberton went 3 and out on the drive after the turnovers, and when Page got the ball, they looked more like the Page Pirates we’ve seen all season. Javon Leake had two big rushes, and Jones completed passes for 15 and 24 yards. Leake ran the ball 22 yards for the opening score with three minutes left in the first quarter.
Lumberton answered the score by Page mostly because of Troy Mitchell’s running. Mitchell’s largest gain of the night came on that drive –for 65 yards– and would’ve scored if not for the efforts of Diondre Overton to tackle him out of bounds. Two plays later, quarterback Braylan Grice ran the ball 5 yards for the score.
The Pirates were knotted at seven going into the second quarter, but that was the last time Lumberton would be close to leading the game.
Page scored four touchdowns in the second quarter – three on offense and one from a Grice fumble that was recovered by Chrishon Goddard and returned for six points on defense.
After Lumberton’s only second-quarter touchdown, Will Jones led an impressive drive that started with 1:38 to go in the first half and ended with 21 seconds remaining. Jones completed passes for substantial gains to Ronald Polite and Miles Faison, and then capped off the drive by running 10 yards to the far sideline for the score.
Greensboro’s Pirates were up big at half, 34-13.
Page scored on the first play in both the third and fourth quarters. In the third, Javon Leake bolted 65 yards for the score, and in the fourth, heavily-scouted Diondre Overton pulled in a 31-yard pass from Jones for a touchdown.
Two Page offensive players had career nights: Will Jones rushed for 3 touchdowns and over 100 yards, and Javon Leake ran for over 200 yards.
“When Will does that, it opens up the offense a lot,” Leake said of his quarterback’s performance. “If I’m running, with him running, too, it’s unstoppable.”
The Page defense had the last score of the night on a 55-yard interception return by Jared Nicholson.
“I believe that our defense is one of the best in the state,” said senior free safety Jeremy Level, who helped the Page defense with an interception. “This year we’re locked and loaded and ready to go.”
The final score was 62-20 in favor of Page, and they will be headed to Wake Forest, N.C., next Friday night to take on an unbeaten Wake Forest team.
“I’m looking for the touchdown every play,” Page Quarterback Will Jones said on his career night. “I’m looking forward to playing a great (Wake Forest) defense. I’ve looked at their numbers and I’m excited to put some numbers on the board, ‘and get that dub,'” Jones added on playing the powerhouse this coming week.
“First of all we have to watch them on film, then figure out a game-plan,” Page Head Coach Kevin Gillespie said about the big matchup next week. “We’ve got to focus on eliminating the costly mistakes that could cost us a win against a team like Wake Forest.”
The Page Pirates will board the ship to Wake Forest and cast off Friday afternoon, with many positives on both sides of the ball and the experience of a big playoff win under their belts.
Scoring Plays
(PAG)-TD Javon Leake 22 run (Harrison Kiser kick)
(LUM)-TD Braylan Grice 5 run (Will Osman kick)
(PAG)-TD Will Jones 20 run (Kiser kick)
(PAG)-TD Chrishon Goddard 30 fumble recovery (Kiser kick)
(PAG)-TD Ronald Polite 39 pass from Jones (Pass Failed)
(LUM)-TD Troy Mitchell 6 run (Kick Failed)
(PAG)-TD Jones 10 run (Kiser kick)
(PAG)-TD Leake 65 run (Kiser kick)
(PAG)-TD Jones 47 run (Kiser kick)
(LUM)-TD Grice 2 run (Osman kick)
(PAG)-TD Diondre Overton 31 pass from Jones (Kiser kick)
(PAG)-TD Jared Nicholson 55 Interception return (Kiser kick)
Offensive Leaders
(PAG) Javon Leake: 15 car for 205 yards, 2TD; 2 rec for 27 yards
(PAG) Will Jones: 11-22 for 223 yards, 1 TD; 6 car for 127 yards, 3 TD
(PAG) Ronald Polite 4 rec for 96 yards, TD
(PAG) Diondre Overton 2 rec for 46 yards, TD; INT