Here's how Shelby football stunned rival Burns to claim league title
Shelby football had every opportunity to quit after falling behind 21-0 to rival Burns. The Golden Lions are mighty happy they didn't.
Lawndale - In a dramatic finish, Shelby football pulled off a stunning upset against league rival Burns, claiming the Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A title with a thrilling 36-35 victory in double overtime. Head coach Mike Wilbanks is known for his motivational mantra of treating each game like a marathon, not a sprint, and he appears to have witnessed the effectiveness of that mindset firsthand during Friday's showdown.
Facing a 21-0 deficit at the end of the third quarter, Shelby refused to concede defeat. Coach Wilbanks' team dug deep and managed to claw their way back into contention. On the first play of overtime, Jonas Woods scored a 10-yard touchdown run, putting Shelby ahead 28-21. Burns answered with a 2-yard touchdown from Christian Dawkins, evening the score at 28. However, Burns' momentum was short-lived as they lost possession on a fumble, handing Shelby the ball at their own 20-yard line with under a minute left.
A crucial interception by Charlie Ratchford gave Shelby the ball back, and they capitalized on the momentum. With only seconds remaining on the clock, the Golden Lions attempted a game-winning field goal, which unfortunately was blocked as time expired, sending the game into overtime. Shelby's Killeus Hunt's tackle on Burns' Zavion Stroud proved to be the turning point, allowing Scott to slow him down, after which Hunt chased him down.
The second half of overtime saw Burns finally take the lead with two touchdowns, one by Christian Dawkins and another by Jorrian Ussery, making the score 28-28. Shelby came back stronger, scoring a 10-yard touchdown run by Wood, followed by a game-winning touchdown by Woods. Coach Wilbanks emphasized the team's never-say-die attitude, stating, "These guys just never said die, they never quit."
With their regular season record at 9-1, Shelby is likely to secure a top-2 seed in the upcoming NCHSAA 3A West playoffs. Burns' 7-3 season, with their only losses to Cleveland County opponents, will likely earn them a top-5 seed in the NCHSAA 4A West playoffs.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
