Hickory upsets Wilmington for second straight season
Wilmington (19) vs. Hickory (35)
Written: Oct 02, 2010
 By ED FARRELL
ncsports@ncnewsonline.com
What’s up with Hickory High and homecomings, particularly when Wilmington is the opponent?
A year ago, the Hornets harvested a 21-14 win in New Wilmington to spoil the Greyhounds’ homecoming. Last night at Hornet Stadium, Hickory had a homecoming to remember.
Michael Grata collected 121 second-half rushing yards, including a 60-yard scoring sprint, and Marlon Pegues produced an 82-yard interception return as the Hornets hustled 28 points en route to a 35-19 District 10, Region 3-AA win.
“This was really the first game that we’ve been a true underdog, where people thought we were going to get blown out, and that’s the way I’d rather come into a game; I’d rather come in as the underdog, the darkhorse,” Grata related.
When Wilmington culminated an eight-play, 65-yard, 3:32 drive with Josh Tekac’s 21-yard touchdown toss to Ryan Crawford, the Greyhounds had a seemingly safe 19-7 lead less than four minutes into the third period. But like last year when Hickory hurdled a two-score deficit for its win, the Hornets had the ’Greyhounds in the crosshairs.
Hickory headmaster Bill Brest opted to scrap a somewhat stilted I-formation that produced 58 first-half yards and installed a spread/shotgun formation.
On Hickory’s initial second-half play from scrimmage, Grata burst 60 yards, sprung by blocks from fullback Mike Palumbo and pulling guard Ross Brenneman. That drew Hickory within 19-14 with 8:07 left in the quarter.
“I’m more comfortable in the shotgun, I won’t lie. ... Some think of me as a running quarterback; I think of me more as a running back,” explained a grinning Grata, who gained 129 yards overall on 16 carries.
Wilmington’s Gunnar Donati, after a 31-yard return, fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Hickory’s Del-Warren Myers was credited with the recovery at the Greyhounds’ 48-yard line. Grata gained 38 yards on an 11-play, 52-yard, 5:29 series, which ended with a fourth-and-goal, 4-yard score.
During the drive, Brest used all three of his second-half timeouts, the last of which occurred before the TD. Grata, initially under center, shifted to the shotgun, then optioned right. Tyler Montgomery’s PAT put the Hornets ahead for good, 21-19 with 2:28 left in the quarter.
“It was all my O-line, honest to God. They opened the holes for me,” a gracious Grata said of guards Morgan Englebaugh and Brenneman, center Hayden Rohrbacher and tackles Matt Bell and Reese Swatsworth.
Wilmington’s wheels began to deflate on its ensuing series. Despite driving to Hickory’s 33 in a handful of plays, the Greyhounds hurt themselves with another turnover. Tekac, pressured by Calvin Pryts, had his fourth-and-7 pass pilfered by Pegues.
Skirting the near sideline and picking up Pryts’ block, Pegues produced his second 80-plus-yard Stingers’ score. Pegues also returned Tekac’s first-period punt 86 yards for the Hornets’ lone first-half score.
Trailing 28-19, the Greyhounds commenced the fourth frame by driving to Hickory’s 36. But a third-and-11 pass play from Nick Vasko to Zack Llewellyn resulted in Wilmington’s third turnover. Seven plays later, on fourth-and-6 from the Greyhounds’ 27, Brest called for a reverse. Grata pitched to Pegues, running right, who then handed to Andrew Smith, streaking left. The latter sped 27 yards with 7:39 remaining.
Montgomery — a soccer squad recruit owing to concussed kicker Mark Bianco — began placekicking just three days earlier but tacked on a final placement to cap a perfect 5-for-5 effort.
The win snapped a two-game skid for Hickory (2-1 conference, 3-2 overall), but Brest said celebrating the win over Wilmington will end by the time most folks will be eating today’s lunch.
“I think our kids understand not to let up. Twelve o’clock we’ll be focusing on Karns City, a big road game,” Brest related. “I think our kids have bought in what we’re trying to get accomplished here.
“I think (Grata’s 60-yard run) was the turning point in the game,” Brest reflected. “I think the turnovers they had helped us out, and Mike ran physical. That was the key. Mike, we knew, we said he had to have a breakout game, and he had one.”
Wilmington (3-1, 4-1) was led by Sutton Whiting’s game-high 24-carry, 196-yard rushing performance that included 1- and 78-yard second-stanza scoring sprints. The Greyhounds had the total-yardage advantage (399-237) but the trio of turnovers and twice as many penalties and lost yards helped Hickory.
Gracious GreyGreyhounds’ coach Terry Verrelli, who has 250 wins at the helm as well as a state championship on his résumé, talked of the loss and how it will impact his club.
“That’s the test. ... They’re young, but they want to win. They don’t like this feeling. They’ll come back and work hard. There’s just some things we need to work on; we made a lot of mistakes.
“But those kind of things happen, and bottom line, Hickory outplayed us. They did a great job. We’re going to regroup, go back and get better, that’s what we’ve gotta do.”
“To me, they’re the premier program,” Brest praised. “They’ll be there in November. I know they’ll be in the playoffs, no doubt about it.
“But that’s gotta be our mantra: ‘Don’t let up,’ and I think the kids have the mind-set, and the coaches, too, that we’ll take care of business,” Brest continued, reiterating a preseason refrain, “Every week a season. Our goal is to be one-and-oh next Friday night.”
WILMINGTON HICKORY
14 First downs 10
266 Net Rushing 225
13 Passes Attempted 9
7 Passes Completed 3
1 Passes Intercepted 0
133 Yards Passing 12
399 Total Yards 237
3-3 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
5-45 Penalties-Yards 2-15
WILMINGTON 0 13 6 0 — 19
HICKORY 7 0 21 7 —35
Scoring plays
HICKORY — Marlon Pegues, 86 punt return (Tyler Montgomery kick)
WILMINGTON — Sutton Whiting, 1 run (Harrison Sturm kick)
WILMINGTON — Whiting, 78 run (run failed)
WILMINGTON — Crawford, 21 pass from Tekac (pass failed)
HICKORY — Michael Grata, 60 run (Montgomery kick)
HICKORY — Grata, 4 run (Montgomery kick)
HICKORY — Pegues, 82 interception return (Montgomery kick)
HICKORY — Smith, 27 run (Montgomery kick)
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