ROCKY MOUNT — South Granville’s hopes of extending its season past the second round of the 2A playoffs died as the Nash Central Bulldogs stole a close game from the Vikings.

The final score was 13-6 at Friday’s game.

On paper, both teams favored the run. It ended up as a matter of which team’s defense could keep the running game in check or force turnovers.

Nash Central took the opening kick at its 45-yard line and started to move the ball. But when the Bulldogs dropped back to pass, Ian Lipsey batted the ball in the air for the Vikings. Antoine Doyle Jr. hustled to get under the ball for an interception near the middle of the field.

The Vikings put the ball in Micah Wilkerson’s hands and on third down and 2 yards to go, he picked up a first down.

Sha’king Allah picked up 6 yards on the next carry, but Nash Central’s defense would stop the Vikings on a fourth down and 4.

South Granville’s defense was just as stingy and forced Nash Central into a punt. The ball sailed over the punter’s head and the Vikings had good field position at the Bulldog 22-yard line.

The field position didn’t end up mattering. Nash Central’s defense stopped the Vikings short on another key first down attempt inside the red zone, and the first quarter ended without either team scoring. 

In the second period, the Bulldogs pounded away at the Vikings’ defense with their running game. They managed to put together a 65-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. 

Javaris Jones found a gaping hole in the middle and waltzed in for a touchdown. The extra point barely inched over the uprights to give Nash Central a 7-0 lead.

The Bulldogs forced the Vikings to punt on the next series. Then, with little time left on the clock, Nash Central tried a Hail Mary pass that Jarrod Lyons intercepted as the horn sounded for halftime.

The Vikings had been held to just 20 yards of offense in the first half. They needed a big boost to start the second. 

That came on a 24-yard kick return by Wilkerson.

Feeling the momentum beginning to swing, the Vikings handed the ball off to Wilkerson, who ripped off a 7-yard run. Khawan Bobbitt followed with a 10-yard carry and a first down.

With the Vikings on the move, Charlie Vestal bounced outside for an 18-yard gain and a first down. Wilkerson took the next hand-off and rumbled 23 yards for a touchdown.

The Viking’s try at a 2-point conversion was stopped just short of the goal, and the Vikings trailed 7-6 midway through the third quarter.

South Granville’s defensive leaders Nehemiah Hunter, Jayden Crabtree, Doyle and Bobbitt squashed Nash Central’s next drive and forced a punt. The punter handled the snap and tried to get the ball away, but Jamari Ray, a 5-foot-2 freshman, came around the edge untouched to block the kick.

The Vikings took over at the Bulldog’s 38-yard line and looked poised to score again. 

South Granville continued to go to Wilkerson with the run. He carried the ball inside the 3-yard line, but the Bulldogs defense sniffed out the ball on fourth down, taking over at the 2-yard line.

The Bulldogs quickly moved away from the end zone with big running plays to the outside.

South Granville’s defense finally slowed the Bulldogs, who faced a fourth-and-6 play at the 21-yard line.

The Vikings, keying on the run, could only watch as the Bulldogs pulled off a trick play for a touchdown. After a couple of quick hand-offs, the wide receiver tossed the ball to a wide open receiver for the touchdown.

Nash Central didn’t convert the extra point, but lead 13-6 with less than a quarter left in the game.

The teams traded possessions with time rolling off the clock. South Granville had the ball at its own 35-yard line and started to march toward the end zone. On third down, Bobbitt broke free for a 40-yard run down inside the 10-yard line — but an apparent holding call took away the big gain.

After the penalty, the Vikings were looking at a third-and-6 play. A questionable intentional grounding call against the Vikings put South Granville in a tougher fourth-and-21 hole. They were unable to complete a pass that would have given them a first down, and the Bulldogs took over on downs with less than two minutes left.

Nash Central kept the ball on the ground as time expired, defeating South Granville 13-6 to advanced to the third round of the playoffs with a 13-6 win over South Granville. The Bulldogs travel to Princeton to face the No. 1 seeded Bulldogs in the 2A playoffs.

South Granville, faced one of its toughest schedules in recent memory, ended the season with a 5-7 record.

Statistics

(Passing) Charlie Vestal 1-11, 11.

(Receiving) Micah Wilkerson (1-11).

(Rushing) Khawan Bobbitt (11-39), Sha’king Allah (2-9), Charlie Vestal (2-24) and Micah Wilkerson (19-73).

(Tackles) Jarrod Lyons (7), Noah Kilgore (2), Khawan Bobbitt (14), Jamar Hicks (1), Antoine Doyle Jr. (24), Mayon Myers (4), Micah Morton (6), Brycen White (8), Jaydon Crabtree (10), Nehemiah Hunter (15), Caleb Blackwell (1) and Ian Lipsey (4).

(Interceptions) Jarrod Lyons (1) and Antoine Doyle Jr. (1).

(Blocked punt) Jamari Ray (1).