Louisburg tops Bunn on an emotional night

By Geoff Neville
Correspondent
LOUISBURG — On a night that saw one of Louisburg’s all-time greats honored at halftime, the Warriors added even more memories to their football history with a 28-20 victory over backyard rival Bunn.
The conquest was the first for Louisburg over its chief Franklin County foe since 2003 — and only the Warriors’ second against Bunn in their last 12 tries.
Between halves, Louisburg renamed its football facility “Patterson Field” in memory of James Robert “Crow” Patterson, a Louisburg graduate who was killed along with his Marshall University teammates in a 1970 plane crash.
After Patterson’s mother, Marguerite Pleasants, unveiled a commemorative “Crow’s Rock,” members of the Louisburg team gathered around and rubbed the shrine for good luck before sprinting back to the field to begin the second half.
At the time, Louisburg led
6-0 on Greg Small’s 47-yard run with 5:15 remaining in the second quarter.
The Warriors (2-1) increased their lead to 12-0 in the third period on a 1-yard dive by Hakeem Strickland.
But Bunn (3-1) quickly climbed back into the game when Scottie Harrison took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown.
The Wildcats then ran for a two-point conversion to pull within 12-8.
Both teams picked up the pace on offense in the second half.
Bunn eventually tied the score at 20-20 with a touchdown with 1:31 to go in the game. It stayed that way when the Warriors stopped Bunn’s running attempt for a two-point conversion.
Louisburg fought back as Deandre Blacknall returned Bunn’s kickoff to midfield.
The Warriors went ahead for good on Small’s 33-yard burst into the end zone with 36 seconds remaining. The two-point conversion gave Louisburg an eight-point cushion.
As the clock wound down, Bunn moved the ball inside Louisburg territory, but the Warriors eventually stopped the Wildcats on downs to close out the victory.

    BNN    LOU
Rushes-yards    50-144    41-252
Comp-Att-yards    1-3-24    1-2-33
BNN    0    0    14    6    —    20
LOU    0    6    6    16    —    28
SCORING SUMMARY
LOU—G.Small 48 run; LOU—H.Strickland 1 run (R.Stern pass failed); BNN—S.Harrison 79 kickoff return (J.Rodgers run); BNN—J.Rodgers 3 run (L.Stanley pass failed); LOU—G.Small 33 pass from R.Stern (J.Blacknall pass from R.Stern); BNN—J.Rodgers 2 run (J.Rodgers run failed); LOU—G.Small 33 run (H.Strickland run)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: BNN—D.Davis 1-1, R.Dunston 13-64, S.Harrison 3-2, J.Rodgers 23-80, L.Stanley 10-(-3); LOU—J.Blacknall 2-13, R.Gobourne 3-26, E.Hunt 2-32, G.Small 16-113, H.Strickland 18-68.
Passing: BNN—L.Stanley 1-3-24-0; LOU—R.Stern 1-2-33-1.
Receiving: BNN—R.Preston 3-24; LOU—G.Small 1-32, H.Strickland 1-33.