Asa Spaulding

2010 North Carolina High School 4A Football Champion

BY JOE JOHNSON

jjohnson@heraldsun.com; 419-6667

WINSTON-SALEM -- Hillside's run to the 4-A state championship ended like it began -- with a dominating victory. The Hornets completed their season with a perfect 16-0 mark after beating Davie County 40-0 on Saturday at BB&T Field.

Hillside's top seniors put on command performances.

Quarterback Vad Lee went 14 of 25 for 264 yards and three touchdown passes. Running back Jamaal Williams rushed for touchdowns of 32 and 11 yards and finished with 83 yards on 10 carries and he caught three passes for 24 yards. And wide receiver Aquez Williams finished with four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. Safety Myer Krah led the defense with 11 tackles, while defensive lineman Anthony Talley and linebacker Wesley Dowdy got eight tackles each.

"It's pretty special," said Lee, who was named the MVP of the game. "The last team (in the PAC-6) to do it was Northern. And the last time Hillside won it was in 1943. Bringing it home feels great. This whole community was behind us. We're just happy."

The Hornets jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead after taking the opening kickoff. After Lee threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Willis and the Hornets held on defense, Hillside struck again on the first play as Lee found Shawn Malloy for a 57-yard touchdown pass.

"The first two touchdowns were electric," Lee said. "That was fun. We haven't had the chance to have No. 11 (Shawn Malloy) and No. 7 (Aquez Willis) in the game together (very much). It's just pick and choose between Shawn and 'Quez. I know they'll get open."

Lee said getting the ball first after Davie County won the coin flip and deferred its choice until the second half played right into the Hornets' hands.

"We always want the ball first," Lee said. "Our motto is that we want to score on the first drive and get a head start early."

Hillside's defense also got in on the scoring in the first quarter. Defensive lineman Ronald Thompson, Hillside's Outstanding Defensive Player, intercepted a pass from Carson Herndon that was tipped into the air by a teammate and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.

Williams kept the offense rolling in the second quarter. His 32-yard touchdown run came after Hillside held Davie County deep in its own end and managed only a five-yard punt.

"I was laughing when I scored my first touchdown because it felt like I was in the middle of a dream," said Williams, who was named the game's Outstanding Offensive Player from Hillside. "I never saw myself doing the things I'm doing right now. I'm proud of all my offensive linemen and doing everything they did to get me in the end zone."

The Hornets' domination of Davie County was complete. Not only did Hillside get a shutout, its fourth of the season, it also held the War Eagles to 245 offensive yards, though 196 came in the second half.

"We were happy that we blew them out at halftime," Dowdy said. "It was a great way to go out. "We just went out there and tried to have fun. That's how we won and we got a shutout. We've been playing good all year and we went out with a bang."

Davie County entered the game as the lowest remaining seed in the 4-A playoffs after getting upset wins in its previous four games. But there would be no upset this time. The War Eagles had no answer for Hillside's speed on the outside nor for the Hornets' strength in the middle.

"We knew they were a good team," Davie County coach Doug Illing said. "We got behind so quick, it took us out of our game plan and what we wanted to do."

After building the 40-0 lead at the half, the only remaining drama occurred in the final minute of the game as the Hornets kept Davie County from scoring. Hillside gave the ball over on downs after taking a knee four straight times near midfield. Davie County was able to get to the Hillside 4 but on its final play, wide receiver Joe Watson was stopped short of the end zone on and time ran out.

Hillside 40, Davie County 0

Davie County 0 0 0 0-- 0

Hillside 20 20 0 0--40

H--Aquez Willis 40 pass from Vad Lee (pass failed) H--Shawn Malloy 57 pass from Lee (Jamaal William pass from Lee) H--Ronald Thompson 30 interception return (Fredrick Adujua kick) H--Williams 32 run (Devondray Watson pass from Lee) H--Williams 11 run (kick failed) H--Jarrell Jones 11 pass fro Lee (pass failed) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing--Davie County: Jacob Barber 21-134, Stephon Smoot 16-76, Alex Newman 3-12, Carson Herndon 9-(minus-13). Hillside: Jamaal Williams 10-83, Vad Lee 10-25, Aquez Willis 1-10, Khris Francis 2-3, Daquan Scott 1-0, Brandon China 4-(minus-1).

Passing--Davie County: Herndon 6-14-36-2. Hillside: Lee 14-25-264-2.

Receiving--Davie County: Joe Watson 3-10, Darius Watson 1-8, P.J. Neely 1-5, Smoot 1-3. Hillside: Willis 4-118, Shawn Malloy 3-83, Williams 3-24, Donovan Edwards 1-13, Jarrell Jones 1-11, Khris Francis 1-11, Devondray Watson 1-4.

Records--Davie County 9-7, Hillside 16-0.

Final National Ranking of 100 High Schools in America

Team City State Record Pvs.

1 South Panola Batesville MS 15-0 1

National Champion. Mississippi Class 6A State Champion: The Tigers ascended to the top of the rankings at the end of August and were able to hold off a late charge from several teams from power states to claim the title.

2 St. Thomas Aquinas Ft Lauderdale FL 15-0 3

Florida Class 5A State Champion: The Raiders could give any team in the country fits with its physical defense and balanced offense. It cleaned house in its class.

3 St. Edward Lakewood OH 15-0 2

Ohio Division I State Champion: The Eagles played the most difficult schedule in the nation and navigated it without a blemish.

4 De La Salle Concord CA 14-0 12

California Open Division Champion: The Spartans left no doubt as to which team was the best in California this year, rolling Pac-5 champion Servite in the Open Division Bowl. A win over Nevada champion Bishop Gorman ends the year as the best out-of-state win.

5 Northwestern Rock Hill SC 15-0 4

South Carolina Class 4A Division II State Champions: National Player of the Year favorite Justin Worley led the Trojans to a state title beating Greenwood, 42-10. Worley threw for over 5,000 yards and 64 touchdowns this year, beating five ranked teams in the process.

6 Don Bosco Prep Ramsey NJ 12-0 8

New Jersey Non-Public Group IV State Champion: A season after winning a national championship, Don Bosco will end in the Top 10. The Iron Men downed rival Bergen Catholic, 37-27 for the state crown.

7 Pearland Pearland TX 16-0 37

Texas Class 5A Division I State Champion: Not enough respect was paid to Pearland (which was the No. 44 team in the Texas preseason rankings) until it had to beat Katy and Trinity to win the state title. A fantastic run to the school's first state title.

8 Trinity Euless TX 15-1 5

Trinity fought hard and was on the cusp of a claim for a national title. The team was so good that Pearland only made two mistakes in the Texas 5ADI finals and it almost cost it the game. Trinity was by-far best one-loss team in the country.

9 Butler Matthews NC 16-0 7

North Carolina Class 4AA State Champion: One of the best years in Butler history ended with a state title. With the number and quality of returning juniors and sophomores, there could be two more state titles very soon.

10 Bingham South Jordan UT 13-0 14

Utah Class 5A State Champion: The Miners rolled through Utah this season. With a team loaded with Division I talent, this Bingham squad could have played with any team in any state.

11 Wheaton Warrenville South Wheaton IL 14-0 10

Illinois Class 7A State Champion: The Tigers finish the year as the top team in Illinois, defeating Lake Zurich in the title game.

12 Daphne Daphne AL 15-0 16

Alabama Class 6A State Champion: Under the radar for much of the season, Daphne made an impressive run through the state tournament and ended with a 7-6 win over Hoover.

13 Hamilton Chandler AZ 15-0 15

Arizona Class 5A Division I State Champion: The Huskies began and ended the season as the top team in Arizona.

14 Miami Central Miami FL 15-1 21

Florida Class 6A State Champion: The Rockets used an amazing championship performance by Devonta Freeman to win the first state title in Central history. The team ends the year No. 2 in Florida.

15 Hoover Hoover AL 14-1 18

Hoover played a fantastic schedule and proved to be one of the elite programs in the nation. A solid season ended with a 7-6 loss in the Alabama Class 6A state finals.

16 Mullen Denver CO 14-0 19

Colorado Class 5A State Champion: The Mustangs had one of the best defenses in the nation and it flexed its muscles all year, only allowing 89 total points against it.

17 Acadiana Lafayette LA 10-5* 22

Louisiana Class 5A State Champion: The Wreckin' Rams were one of the hottest teams in the country come December. It had to forfeit four games so the 10-5 record is decieving; it should be 13-1.

18 Phoebus Hampton VA 15-0 20

Virginia Division V State Champion: The Phantoms used a dominating defense to take home another state title. The team only allowed 80 points all season.

19 Coppell Coppell TX 13-1 23

The Cowboys had one of the best teams in the country and nearly knocked off Trinity in what may be one of the best high school football games of all time.

20 West Monroe West Monroe LA 14-1 24

The Rebels came up just short against Acadiana in the state final, losing 21-14. The season was still a good one and the team proved to be a Top 25 team.

21 Dr. Phillips Orlando FL 14-1 6

One of the most talented teams in Florida made it to the state finals before falling to Miami Central. It was still a Top 25 season for the Panthers.

22 Meridian Meridian MS 14-1 34

One of the better defenses in the country was worn down by one of the best teams in the country. Meridian lost to South Panola in the Mississippi Class 6A state final.

23 Jefferson Tampa FL 14-0 35

Florida Class 3A State Champion: The Dragons high-flying pass offense set plenty of Florida state records on its way to the title and a Top 25 national ranking.

24 Katy Katy TX 13-1 45

Katy was oh-so-close in its loss to Pearland in the Region 3 final. With Pearland winning the state title, it boosts the stock of Katy back into the Top 25 nationally.

25 Harrison Farmington Hills MI 13-0 26

Michigan Division 2 State Champion: Harrison was a latecomer onto the scene but made a solid run through the playoffs, downing Lowell in the state final, 38-28. And to settle any debate, it has a win over the Division I state winner, Lake Orion, on its resume as well.

26 Folsom Folsom CA 14-1 47

California Division II Bowl Champion: Folsom was able to avenge its early season loss to Grant and then beat Serra in the Bowl game.

27 Bishop Gorman Las Vegas NV 13-2 36

Nevada Class 4A State Champion: The Gaels had a very solid season led by underclassmen. The state title was expected and it delivered.

28 Palo Alto Palo Alto CA 15-0 NR

California Division I Champion: Paly helped steal a ton of respect for NorCal by defeating Corona Centennial in the mud. The team had several quality wins in the regular season and playoffs but downing the Huskies was the signature win it needed.

29 Cocoa Cocoa FL 14-0 38

Florida Class 2A State Champion: Playing without its marquee player, Chevelle Buie, for the last two weeks of the season, Cocoa proved more than it did when playing with him. Consecutive wins at Madison County and against Glades Central legitimized this program.

30 Centennial Corona CA 14-1 13

The Huskies fell in the Division I Bowl game in a monsoon. The offense was never able to get in sync and it cost the team a chance to argue for the best team in California.

31 Servite Anaheim CA 14-1 9

After a grinding run to a Pac-5 title, the Friars came up against one of the best teams nationally in its Open Division loss to De La Salle.

32 Manatee Bradenton FL 13-1 43

The Hurricane season ended with a disappointing loss in its Class 5A semifinal to St. Thomas Aquinas. Injuries derailed what could have been, but the season was still very good for a team that entered with a lot of question marks.

33 Ursuline Youngstown OH 15-0 29

Ohio Division V State Champion: Led by Ohio Mr. Football Akise Teague, Ursuline won its third-straight state title.

34 Stony Point Round Rock TX 14-1 31

The Tigers season ended in the Texas Class 5A Division I semifinals with a loss to Trinity. Its playoff run was impressive but fell just short.

35 Franklinton Franklinton LA 14-1 42

Louisiana Class 4A State Champion: The Demons needed overtime to down Edna Karr in the state final but it got the job done. The team ends the year No. 3 in Louisiana and inside the Top 50 nationally.

36 Goose Creek Goose Creek SC 13-1 27

A very good season ended in defeat to Northwestern. Goose Creek finishes the year as the No. 2 team in a good South Carolina state ranking.

37 Wayne Huber Heights OH 11-4 30

Braxton Miller was the season for Wayne, but the defense steadily improved as the season went on and it nearly won an Ohio Division I state title.

38 Mission Viejo Mission Viejo CA 13-1 25

A season of promise fell short in the Pac-5 final against Servite. The Diablos had a very solid season and were rewarded with a Top 50 ranking.

39 Chaparral Scottsdale AZ 14-0 32

Arizona Class 5A Division II State Champion: The Firebirds ended the year with a state title and some argument to the No. 1 spot in Arizona. With the young talent on the team, it will likely ascend to that spot to begin next season.

40 Byrnes Duncan SC 12-3 39

South Carolina Class 4A Division I State Champion: Byrnes took quite a while to get healthy and get rolling. Once both of those pieces fell into place, the Rebels rolled to another state title.

41 Dorman Roebuck SC 14-1 40

The Cavaliers showed a lot of grit this season, playing through injuries and adversity. It lost in the state final to its biggest rival, Byrnes.

42 Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach SC 14-1 41

South Carolina Class 3A State Champion: Everett Golson was the name of the game for this team. The team's only loss was to Byrnes and it was able to get a win over Upstate power South Pointe in the final to steal respect for the South state teams.

43 Brookwood Snellville GA 14-1 63

Georgia Class AAAAA State Champion: The Peach State was not as top heavy as it has been in recent years. More very good teams stood out than usual and Brookwood proved to be the best of a good bunch.

44 Hillside Durham NC 16-0 50

North Carolina Class 4A State Champion: Vad Lee and the Hornets proved to be among the best teams in the nation. It was a banner year for North Carolina football.

45 Oaks Christian Westlake Village CA 12-2 51

Oaks Christian moved up its league to improve the schedule that had been the knock against it for several years. Winning its section title proved it to be a legit program and not just a beater of inferior teams.

46 Steele Cibolo TX 14-2 80

Texas Class 5A Division II State Champion: Malcolm Brown led the Knights to a state title. The team began the year No. 30 in the nation and fought back from a 1-2 start to win the championship.

47 Guyer Denton TX 13-3 33

Guyer played one of the more difficult schedules in Texas and made it to the Class 5A Division II final before losing to Malcolm Brown and Cibolo Steele.

48 Bentonville Bentonville AR 13-0 44

Arkansas Class 7A State Champion: The biggest class winner in Arkansas was not the clear-cut leader of the pack all season. As it marched through the playoffs, it became clear it was the best in state.

49 East Grand Rapids Grand Rapids MI 14-0 46

Michigan Division 3 State Champion: East Grand Rapids finished its season with a hard-fought victory over Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 35-27.

50 Lake Travis Austin TX 13-2 74

Texas Class 4A Division I State Champion: Injuries cost the team a game early but ultimately made it better as young players stepped up. Lake Travis is a four-peat winner in Texas.

51 Grant Sacramento CA 13-1 60

Injuries derailed a potential CIF Bowl game with a loss to Folsom in the section final.

52 Bishop Alemany Mission Hills CA 12-1 56

Alemany had a solid season, downing Oaks Christian to start the year, and was just one game away from the Pac 5 final, losing to Servite.

53 Glenville Academic Campus Cleveland OH 11-1 53

The season started with promise and controversy with wins over Warren Central and Dwyer. However, the Tarblooders could not get out of the region, losing in round two to St. Edward.

54 Northwestern Miami FL 9-3 68

A season of intrigue saw the team fire-then-rehire its coach, fall to Miami Central twice, lose and then avenge its loss to Miami Columbus. Whew.

55 St. Thomas More Lafayette LA 13-1 58

Louisiana Class 5A was a fight to the end. St. Thomas More had a quality season with a few good wins. In the end, it ran into a buzzsaw in Acadiana.

56 Columbus Miami FL 11-1 83

The Explorers were too deep of a team to leave out of the national rankings despite a first round playoff exit.

57 Greenwood Greenwood SC 13-2 48

The team's two losses were to Class 4A Division I runner-up Dorman, and in the state final to Northwestern.

58 Westlake Westlake Village CA 12-2 52

Westlake had dreams of a CIF Bowl bid this season. Close losses to St. Bonaventure and Oaks Christian robbed it of those chances, but it made for a solid season nonetheless.

59 Bergen Catholic Oradell NJ 10-2 57

Bergen Catholic steadily improved as the season went on under first-year head coach Nunzio Campanile. The future is bright for the squad, whose only two losses were to Don Bosco.

60 Hilliard Davidson Hilliard OH 13-1 54

The defending Ohio Division I champ lost in the state semifinals to Wayne.

61 Central Pickerington OH 11-1 55

Central made noise early in the year with a win over Virginia power Oscar Smith. The season came to an end with a loss in the regional finals to Hilliard Davidson.

62 Junipero Serra Gardena CA 14-1 28

A trip to the California Division II Bowl ended up as a disappointment as the Saints fell to Folsom - which was one of the best offensive teams nationally.

63 Lincoln Tallahassee FL 11-4 NR

Florida Class 4A State Champion: Lincoln rolled up early season losses while it battled injuries. Once it got healthy, it took names, including Armwood, which it defeated to win the state title.

64 Armwood Seffner FL 14-1 11

The Hawks fell just short in the state final against Lincoln. The team may have lacked the focus it needed once it got past Dwyer to finish the season.

65 Dwyer West Palm Beach FL 12-2 17

Dwyer had a fantastic season that ended just short as it lost in its Class 4A semifinal on a last second field goal. The ultimate goal was not accomplished, but showing that this team was resiliant enough to move past an early season officiating blunder speaks volumes.

66 Allen Allen TX 10-2 59

Even in a rebuilding season, Allen gave Euless Trinity all it wanted in a second round game before falling. 2011 could be a special season with plenty of returning players that gained valuable experience.

67 Trinity Louisville KY 15-1 61

Kentucky Class 6A State Champion: A young Trinity team figures to be in the mix for the next two state titles and higher national rankings as its sophomore class develops.

68 Aledo Aledo TX 16-0 NR

Texas Class 4A Division II State Champion: Jonathan Gray is too good of a player to have his undefeated team not in the national rankings.

69 Union Tulsa OK 13-1 77

Oklahoma Class 6A State Champion: Union battled injuries all season but fought back to win the state title - its third straight.

70 Evangel Christian Shreveport LA 12-2 78

Louisiana Class 2A State Champion: The tide is turning in small-class Louisiana. For the second straight year, Evangel has downed John Curtis to take home the state title.

71 St. Augustine St Augustine FL 14-1 NR

St. Augustine nearly knocked off Jefferson in the playoffs, losing by one-point. The week before, it showed it was for real, beating Pensacola and its defense.

72 Sandy Creek Tyrone GA 15-0 79

Georgia Class AAA State Champion: Sandy Creek is a back-to-back state champion - the first time in state history that a team won two different classes in consecutive years. Class AAA was the best in state this year and Sandy Creek came out on top.

73 North Allegheny Wexford PA 15-1 72

Pennsylvania Quad A State Champion: Winning the WPIAL and a PIAA state title in the same season while fighting injuries to its offense proved that defense wins titles.

74 Rockhurst Kansas City MO 14-0 64

Missouri Class 6 State Champion: Rockhurst defeated then-No. 100 Hazelwood Central on a second-half field goal, 10-7.

75 St. Bonaventure Ventura CA 11-2 73

St. Bonaventure enjoyed a successful season that saw it tie for its regular season league title with Westlake and Oaks Christian.

76 Wayzata Plymouth MN 11-0 65

Minnesota Class 5A State Champion: Wayzata defeated Rosemount, 31-14, to earn the title.

77 North Augusta North Augusta SC 12-2 66

A successful season ended with only losses to Class 4A Division II finalists, Northwestern and Greenwood.

78 Centennial Peoria AZ 12-2 70

The Coyotes fell in the state final to Chaparral. A solid season keeps the team as the No. 3 team in the state.

79 Alcoa Alcoa TN 15-0 71

Tennessee Class 3A State Champion: Gary Rankin's team ran through the competition this season. With three players eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark, it was tough to slow the Tornadoes down.

80 West Point West Point MS 15-1 76

Mississippi Class 5A State Champion: West Point ran the ball all the way to a title.

81 Davidson Mobile AL 13-2 69

Davidson proved Alabama to have more quality depth. It made a run through the playoffs before falling to eventual state champion, Daphne. A very good team to come out of the Mobile area.

82 South Pointe Rock Hill SC 13-2 67

The top college prospect in the country, Jadaveon Clowney, nearly carried the Stallions to a state title. The team's only losses were to Myrtle Beach in the final, and to Class 4A Division II winner Northwestern to start the year.

83 Good Counsel Olney MD 10-2 75

What could have been a special season ended with a decisive win to earn the WCAC title and a marginal national ranking.

84 Fishers Fishers IN 14-1 85

Indiana Class 5A State Champion: Fishers downed Lawrence Central, 38-19, to earn its first state title.

86 Battlefield Haymarket VA 13-2 NR

Virginia Division VI State Champion: The No. 2 team in Virginia downed Lake Braddock and Hermitage in the last two weeks to claim a state title.

87 North Shore Houston TX 12-2 81

North Shore had two losses, both to Katy, and had a solid season.

88 Dowling W Des Moines IA 14-0 87

Iowa Class 4A State Champion: Dowling went back-and-forth as the top team in Iowa all season before ultimately winning its state title in overtime.

89 Ferris Spokane WA 14-0 NR

Washington Class 4A State Champion: Ferris was able to beat four of the Top 10 teams in Washington, including perennial power Skyline, to win states.

90 Wichita Heights Wichita KS 13-0 89

Kansas Class 6A State Champion: Wichita Heights won in convincing fashion - 48-14 over Olathe North - for the state title.

91 Central Catholic Allentown PA 16-0 NR

Pennsylvania Class AAA State Champion: Junior quarterback Brandon Nosovitch was one of the best players in his class this season and it showed as he led the Vikings to a state title.

92 St. Louis Honolulu HI 11-1 91

Hawaii Division I State Champion: Fast as always, St. Louis is the major beneficiary of Kahuku's forfeiture of its season.

93 Jenks Jenks OK 13-1 92

A nearly perfect season ended with defeat in the Class 6A final. This is the first class in 15 years not to leave Jenks with a state title.

94 Peach County Fort Valley GA 13-1 93

Peach County was believed to be the best in the state of Georgia at one point. It was unable to dethrone Sandy Creek in the semifinals but remained one of the best teams nationally.

95 West Rowan Mount Ulla NC 15-0 94

North Carolina Class 3A State Champion: West Rowan continued the nation's longest win streak (46 games) in winning a state title.

96 Shiloh Christian Springdale AR 14-1 NR

Arkansas Class 4A State Champion: Shell shocking loss to Trinity aside, it is hard to aruge that Shiloh did not end the season among one of the best 100 teams in America.

97 Maine South Park Ridge IL 12-2 95

Illinois Class 8A State Champion Class 8A in Illinois was not all it is usually cracked up to be. After a slow start to the season, Maine South settled in and took home another title.

98 Madison Central Madison MS 12-2 96

The No. 4 team in Mississippi ends the year in the rankings. The state was better overall than most seasons and this ranking shows that.

99 Buford Buford GA 13-1 NR

Georgia Class AA State Champion: Wins over Gainesville, Cook, and Calhoun combined with Class AA being the third best in the state pushes its champion into the final rankings.

100 Everett Everett MA 12-0 98

Massachussetts Division I Super Bowl Champion: Everett went through all of the top teams in its state to prove it was the best.