Alexander Central 30 Statesville 27
Taylorsville: Kickers have hit last-second field goals to win games many time in football history but has a kicker ever won the game after not even being on-site when the game started ?
Alexander Central kicker Aiden Daigle lined a 38-yard winning field goal over the crossbar and the Cougars stunned Statesville Friday night. Daigle was not even in Alexander County when the game started. We’ll get back to that*
Statesville took the lead when Manuel Glaideen hit Tramel Dye with a 24-yard touchdown at the 7:13 mark of the opening quarter, the visiting Greyhounds led 7-0.
AC fullback Jaquis Parks scored twice from 3 and 10 yards to give the Cougars a 14-7 lead at the half. He would another score from 9 yards early in the third quarter and it looked like the Blue and Gold might be in control at 20-7,
The visitors from Iredell County would come back to tie the game with 2:14 left in the third.
Parks ran past the Statesville defenders from 75-yads into the north end zone giving ACHS a 27-70 advantage.
Statesville would tie the game with 5:12 remaining when Marquis Parker hit Na’jeh Stackhouse from 25 yards.
Alexander Central took over and moved slowly down the field seemingly determined to keep the ball on the ground and not lose instead of winning. A roughing the passer call would doom the visitors. It extended the final drive for the Cougars setting up the game winning kick.
*Cougar kicker Aiden Daigle was in goal earlier in the night when the ACHS Soccer team beat Hibriten 5-2 in Lenoir. He and fellow kicker Austin Merritt were transported back to Taylorsville following the match. They arrived at Cougar Stadium during halftime. They hurried into the field house, dressed, ran onto the field and told Coach Chris Marshall they were ready ! Daigle kicked two extra-points in the second half before sending a laser over the cross bar with 1 second remaining to win the game for the Cougars.
Jaquis Parks
Statesville (1-3) was flagged 13 times for 97 yards including the roughing the passer call that kept the stage prepared for Daigle to be a hero.