Surprises, rain highlight first-round games

 So what have we learned after the first round of the NCHSAA playoffs - I mean other than some coaches and administrators believe football must have been designed to be played indoors - or at least in perfect weather. How else to explain the deluge of postponements across the state because of rain

Yes, rain.

Southwest coach Phil Padgett and his colleague at Topsail, Bryan Davis, were both incredulous when I called shortly after noon Friday to ask if their games had been postponed.

"It's football season, isn't it" Padgett said.

Unfortunately for Padgett while the Stallions played, they didn't win. In one of the big surprises of the first round, seventh-seeded Southwest lost to 7-5 and No. 10 seed North Brunswick 21-14 in overtime.

Told there had already been several postponements in the area and across the state, Davis had one question.

"Who are those pansies"

Topsail played on - and won big, rolling to a 35-0 victory while holding Pamlico without a first down in the first half and 105 yards total offense.

It was one of the most impressive victories for local teams in a first round that was noticeably absent of victories, period.

Along with Topsail, only second-seeded Northside and top-seeded Jones Senior advanced - two teams that look like they could go far in the playoffs, if not win the state title when all is said and done.

In a game postponed until Monday, Northside downed Whiteville xx-xx in the opening round of the 2-A playoffs while Jones Senior defeated Lejeune 46-13 behind quarterback Covair Frost, whose father died of an apparent heart attack one day earlier.

In an incredible performance on what had to be an emotional night for Frost, the senior threw for three touchdowns as well as three two-point conversions. He also ran for a touchdown and another two-point conversion.

Southwest's loss wasn't the only surprise Friday night.

While East Duplin figured to face a tough challenge in South Brunswick, the Panthers had won three straight games coming into the game while the Cougars had lost two of their last three, including a season-ending 38-7 loss to a strong Pender squad.

East Duplin rallied twice from a 14-point deficit but came up short, falling 41-32 in what was an emotional loss for the Panthers - one player in particular.

Senior Ellis Trevaugh was so overcome by emotion in front of the team bench, on his knees with his head bowed to the turf, that he had to be helped as if he were injured to the team huddle.

Just a reminder that these games matter - a lot.

While coaches usually keep their emotions in check, a loss like this eats at them as they second-guess decisions made - or not made. East Duplin coach Brian Aldridge lamented his call on a two-point conversion that would have tied it at 32-32 had it not failed.

"I made the wrong call," he said.

Should have tried the outside, Aldridge said, inside of going inside. And now the season is over after the Panthers allowed a season-high tying 41 points to a team that had scored that many points only twice this year.

It's a harsh reality of the playoffs: Lose and you're through.

"We'd have liked to have done more," he said. "All you can do is have a chance. That's what I told our kids. We did have a chance, and we just didn't get it done at the end. That's the unfortunate thing. We put the equipment away and get ready for next year."

While nothing can ease the pain of losing, Aldridge might take some solace in the postgame comments of South Brunswick coach Gordon Walters about Aldridge and the program he's built.

"It's a program that we try to emulate at South Brunswick, a very classy program and doing things the right way," Walters said. "All the credit goes to everybody on the field. There were no losers tonight."

The Panthers would beg to differ.