ROCKINGHAM — As six Southeastern Conference teams were wrapping up their preparations for the regular-season finale, things were all but etched in stone.
Richmond Senior or Scotland would be the conference champions. Pinecrest would be the third team out of the SEC and Lumberton would need a victory over Purnell Swett to try to sneak into the playoffs.
This was before everything changed Friday afternoon. Pinecrest was cited for failing to maintain the paperwork regarding the eight-quarter rule by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Pinecrest was forced to forfeit all eight of its victories at that point in the season. In addition, it was fined $5,000 — $500 for each incident.
This meant Pinecrest went from having an 8-2 overall record and a 2-2 mark in the SEC Friday morning to 0-10 and 0-4 as the team traveled to Raeford for its game with Hoke.
The Lumberton-Purnell Swett clash took on additional meaning as it became a battle for third place in the conference. The winner would advance to the playoffs and the loser would more than likely be on the outside looking in.
LUMBERTON 49, PURNELL SWETT 7
PEMBROKE — The “Backyard Brawl” had more meaning this season because the winner would finish third in the Southeastern Conference and more importantly would automatically qualify for the state playoffs.
Purnell Swett scored the contest’s initial touchdown but was shut out the rest of the way as Lumberton pulled out a 49-7 victory. The Pirates were able to finish with a 6-5 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the SEC to advance to the postseason. The Rams wrap up their season at 3-8 and 2-3.
Troy Mitchell was the difference in the contest. The Lumberton running back rushed for 209 yards and four touchdowns. Mitchell scored on runs of 1, 4, 13 and 22 yards as the Pirates earned their first playoff berth since 2012.
“It’s another step for our program and our community,” Lumberton coach Mike Setzer said to The Robesonian. “We have life next week. There’s nothing better than that.”
Cameron Oxendine accounted for Purnell Swett’s lone touchdown on a 10-yard run.
“We started out strong,” Purnell Swett coach Jon Sherman said to The Robesonian. “I thought it would be a back-and-forth game, but some plays didn’t happen for us. It’s a growth measure for our young kids and I couldn’t be happier with how our seniors fought this year.”
PINECREST 35, HOKE 20
RAEFORD — It was supposed to be a relatively easy game for Pinecrest, a final tune-up before the state playoffs.
Hours before kickoff, Pinecrest received word from the NCHSAA it would have to forfeit all eight of its wins and miss the postseason for failure to maintain the paperwork on its eight-quarter players.
Despite the disappointment of having his season end prematurely, quarterback Christian Ledbetter rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another as Pinecrest slipped past Hoke 35-20.
“This is a great group of young men,” Pinecrest coach Chris Metzger said to The Pilot. “The mental and physical toughness they showed tonight was just awesome. They are my heroes.”
Jacob Rushing scored on a 70-yard run and Nykeem Shaw added a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for Hoke. Kevin Thorpe connected with Andre Pegues for a 65-yard touchdown pass to account for the Bucks’ other score.
The Patriots officially end their season with a 1-10 overall record and a 1-4 mark in the SEC. The Bucks finish winless in 11 games.
Reach managing editor Shawn Stinson at 910-817-2671 and follow him on Twitter @scgolfer.