WEB CAST
Tim Thorb hauled in his second touchdown of the night from Vince Jefferies to put Garner up for good at 34-27 with just over a minute left in the game to propel the Trojans to the 4-AA State Championship game with a victory over Jack Britt.
Garner (15-0) struck first as Demetrius Fairley scored from two-yards out to make it 7-0 Trojans. But the Bucs answered right back late in the first quarter as Mark McCrae fired to Jalen McDaniel, but after a failed extra point, it was 7-6 Trojans.
Jack Britt (11-3) scored on their next drive after a Garner turnover as Kenny Jenkins caught his first touchdown pass of the night to make it 12-7 Bucs after the two-point try was missed.
The Trojans answered right back and were able to answer the call thanks to a holding penalty on Jack Britt to keep the drive alive. On the sixth play after the penalty, Jefferies hit Thorb in the back of the end zone for a 14-12 lead for Garner that they carried to the locker room.
After Garner went three and out to begin the second half, it was the Trojan defense that came up big pick-six with Jarvis Shelton running it back 61-yards for the score and a 21-12 Trojan lead.
Britt came storming back, though on a 11 play drive that was aided by a roughing the passer call on Garner and was capped by a Lindon Watkins touchdown run to make it 21-19 Garner midway through the third quarter.
Once again, the men of Troy responded as Jefferies gunned another touchdown pass, this time to Fairley and a 27-19 Garner lead. Britt right back down the field and scored to tie the game on a touchdown run from Watkins on third and goal from the one and after a successful two-point try, it was 27 all.
For the next three minutes, both defenses came up with stop after stop before Jefferies hit Thorb for the second time and the game winner as Garner came up with the 34-27 win.
The Trojans will now advance to the 2011 4-AA State Championship next week against Greensboro Page. Kick-off from BB&T Field on the campus of Wake Forest University is slated for 3:00.
Tickets are currently on sale in the main office at Garner High.
Look out Winston-Salem, here come the Trojans
