Vickery Creek and Little Mill get ready to take the field with a trip to the county championship on the line. Photos: FCMS-Athletics.com

Vickery Creek’s Explosiveness Breaks Through

Vickery Creek showed its big-play ability early against a Little Mill team determined to control the game on the ground and keep the Vipers within reach.

Both of Vickery Creek’s first-half touchdowns came via the run game, but they developed in very different ways.

The Vipers converted one opportunity after working their way into the red zone. The other demonstrated just how quickly their offense could turn a seemingly contained play into a touchdown. What initially appeared to be a scrum near the line of scrimmage suddenly broke open, with the Vickery Creek runner emerging from the pile and racing away for a long score.

Those two touchdowns gave Vickery Creek a 14-6 halftime advantage, but Little Mill was very much in the game.

The Mustangs countered with a methodical rushing attack that allowed them to sustain drives and control stretches of the first half. Little Mill continued to find success on the ground, but struggled to get its passing game going enough to give the Vickery Creek defense another dimension to defend.

Still, the approach kept the Mustangs within one possession at the break and gave the No. 7 seed an opportunity to continue its postseason run.

Vickery Creek made sure that opportunity didn't last long.

The Vipers scored 20 unanswered points after halftime while keeping Little Mill off the scoreboard, turning an eight-point game into a 34-6 semifinal victory.

The final margin was convincing, but it didn't tell the entire story. Little Mill had made it a competitive, physical game for a half before Vickery Creek's explosiveness eventually proved too much.

Liberty Answers Every North Forsyth Challenge

There would be no second-half separation for Liberty.

The Patriots and North Forsyth entered halftime tied 6-6, and early in the third quarter it was the Wildcats who made the first move.

North Forsyth scored to take a 14-6 lead, putting the tournament's No. 1 seed behind by eight and seemingly shifting the momentum firmly to the Wildcats.

Liberty needed an answer. It came in a hurry.

The Patriots connected on a long touchdown pass to pull within two, then converted the two-point attempt to tie the game at 14-14.

Liberty's next scoring possession looked much different.

Rather than another quick strike, the Patriots put together a long march toward the end zone. The drive was eventually capped by another touchdown pass, giving Liberty a 20-14 advantage and putting North Forsyth in a position where it needed an answer of its own.

The Wildcats nearly provided one.

North Forsyth responded with a lengthy drive, moving into Liberty territory and keeping the pressure squarely on the Patriots. Eventually, the game came down to a fourth-down play.

This time, Liberty's defense made the stop.

The Patriots took over and never gave North Forsyth another opportunity, running out the remaining clock to secure the 20-14 victory and a trip to the championship game.

For the county's No. 1 seed, it was anything but an easy semifinal. North Forsyth took an eight-point second-half lead, grabbed the momentum and then drove into Liberty territory with an opportunity to answer the Patriots' go-ahead score.

Each time, Liberty responded.

North Forsyth and Liberty battle under the lights at West Forsyth in their FCMS semifinal matchup. Photos: FCMS-Athletics.com

One Game Remains

Eight teams began the postseason. Four remained Tuesday night.

Now there are two.

No. 1 Liberty vs. No. 3 Vickery Creek.

Liberty reaches the championship after being pushed to the limit by North Forsyth, overcoming an eight-point second-half deficit and responding when its season was on the line.

Vickery Creek arrives after showing its explosiveness against Little Mill, turning a one-possession game at halftime into a convincing semifinal victory.

And these two teams know each other well.

Their first meeting produced one of the most thrilling games of the regular season, with Liberty escaping with a 20-19 victory over Vickery Creek. Now they will meet again — this time with a county championship on the line.

One point separated them the first time.

Two teams. One game. One county championship.

No. 1 Liberty. No. 3 Vickery Creek. One more meeting to decide it all.