State championship notebook: Advance tickets for sale at South Point

Fans can save a dollar by buying their tickets for South Point’s state championship game early.

Tickets for Saturday’s game against South Johnston cost $9 in advance, and 1,000 tickets are available at the school this week. Tickets at the gate will cost $10.

Each ticket is valid for both of Saturday’s games at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. The 2AA game between Reidsville (15-0) and (7) Newton-Conover (14-1) will begin at 11 a.m. The 3AA game between South Point (13-2) and South Johnston (14-1) will follow at 2:30 p.m.

The West champions are considered the home teams in each state title game this weekend. South Point fans are instructed to use Gate 6 at Kenan Stadium.

The opponent

South Johnston (14-1) has won 12 in a row, including a 33-32 triple-overtime win against Southern Nash for the 3AA East title last week.

The Trojans operate a spread offense led by quarterback Patrick Dunigan (2,956 passing yards, 34 TDs) and Shrine Bowl-bound wide receiver Dee Williams (92 catches, 1,487 yards, 24 TDs). Williams caught nine passes for 104 yards last week, including a TD in the third overtime.

Prior to this season, South Johnston had won only one playoff game, and that victory came in the 1984 Division II playoffs, a second-tier system created for the conference runners-up who didn’t make the Division I playoffs and therefore couldn’t compete for the state title.

Basketball game moved

South Point’s Big South 3A Conference basketball opener against Kings Mountain has been moved up two days to Wednesday. South Point is the home team.

Another to the list?

South Point is looking for its fourth state title and first since 2003. The school shared the 1971 Western N.C. High School Activities Association title before joining the N.C. High School Athletic Association. South Point later won 3A titles in 1979 and 2003.

The Red Raiders are trying to become the 11th team in Gaston County to win a state title.

STATE CHAMPIONS FROM GASTON COUNTY

1925 — Gastonia (Open classification)

1934 — Cherryville (WNCHSAA Western)

1946 — Highland (NCHSAC)

1963 — Mount Holly (2A Piedmont)

1967 — Mount Holly (2A Western)

1971 — South Point (co-WNCHSAA)

1974 — Ashbrook (4A)

1979 — South Point (3A)

2002 — Ashbrook (3AA)

2003 — South Point (3A)

STATE FINALS RECORDS

2-0-1 — South Point

2-0 — Ashbrook

2-1 — Mount Holly

1-0 — Cherryville

1-1 — Gastonia

1-3 — Highland

0-0 — Cramerton

0-0 — East Gaston

0-0 — Forestview

0-0 — Lowell Holbrook

0-0 — Stanley

0-1 — Belmont Reid

0-1 — Belmont

0-1 — North Gaston

0-2 — Bessemer City

Records compiled by Richard Walker.

You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.