South Meck stuns Hough in the last seconds of Semi-Final.

South Meck 24 — 20 Hough

South Meck…wow, boys. Well done.

We told you South Meck was hungry this season, right?? Well, they just won a thrilling game and punched their ticket to the last dance in North Carolina. Hungry indeed.

Hough came into this match as the defending state champions and one of North Carolina’s most experienced teams. With talent all over the field, Hough had been a wrecking ball all season. Their only loss was a close one to Charlotte Catholic two weeks ago, but outside of that they had steamrolled opponents.

And they had already handled South Meck once—a 34-14 result earlier in the season.

But this was a different night, a different game, and South Meck had other plans.

They came into Friday night’s showdown with fire, intensity, and an absolute refusal to back down.

Head Coach Rick Norvell had his boys fired up and ready to rock, saying they “weren’t going to accept anything but a W. They had a ‘refuse to lose’ mentality.”

Here are some highlights from the match:

First Half

South Meck struck first, with Jameson Beatty slotting a penalty kick to get them on the board. Hough answered right back, hammering with their forward pack before punching in a try to take the lead.

Then South Meck turned up the heat. They won a lineout, and Jameson Beatty saw an opening—he dummied a pass to the outside, kept it himself and bolted through Hough’s defense and into the try zone for a score.

Minutes later, Beatty sent a gorgeous deep kick that forced a Hough knock-on inside their own 22. Off the resulting scrum, South Meck spun the ball wide to Mac Howell, who finished the job for another try, extending South Meck’s lead.

Hough kept it close before halftime, with Max Colson slotting a penalty kick to bring the game within a score. At the break, South Meck led 17-10.

Second Half

Right out of the gate, Hough came out swinging.

Kai Campbell, their thundering 8-man, took a scrum ball off the back and rumbled through tacklers en route to the try zone. The conversion was good. Tie game. 17-17.

And then the match turned into an absolute slugfest.

For the next 25 minutes, both teams went to war. There were no breaks, no weak links, no easy meters. Every time it looked like a ball-carrier might break through…nope…BOOM…another big hit.

After a long stretch of bruising, physical play, Hough finally broke the deadlock. A series of penalties in their favor gave Max Colson a chance to put points on the board. He calmly slotted a penalty kick, giving Hough a 20-17 lead.

The clock was running out.

Final Moments

South Meck was down three. Time had expired. This was it—one last chance.

They won a lineout and rumbled forward behind Aiden Gallant, their tireless prop, who churned his legs for extra meters. The ball spun wide to fullback Jackson Wilson, who tore down the sideline. Somehow, even as a Hough defender smashed him into touch, he managed to keep the ball in play.

They were so close now—right on Hough’s try line.

The ruck formed. The ball was there. Quinn Miller saw his moment.

"Alright boys, let's end this thing." (I assume that’s what he said)

Miller crashed forward through contact and grounded the ball.

Try.

The final whistle blew — and South Meck is headed to the State Final!

South Meck 24, Hough 20.

Players of the Match:

• Quinn Miller, South Meck’s mustachioed commander of the forward pack, did what he has been doing all season: crushing people with his physicality and brute strength, and leading his teammates by example. Fitting that he scored the game winner.

• Jackson Wilson, South Meck’s speed-demon fullback, made great kicks, tackles and runs all game. That last run that led to the final try was stunning. What an athletic and heads up play to keep the ball in play. If he doesn’t do that, South Meck doesn’t win this one.

• Aiden Gallant - A total workhorse at the prop position. His work-rate in this match was remarkable.

• Jameson Beatty - Playing 10 in this game, Beatty was the heartbeat of South Meck’s attack. He’s a really tough dude to tackle, but it was his decision making and kicking game that stood out in this game.

• Porter Kuebler, Hough’s scrum-half, had a great game, utilizing his box-kicking skills relentlessly, and guiding the Hough attack up and down the field.

• Kai Campbell, Hough’s 8-man, was a force on the field. He scored two tries and made dominant defensive plays throughout the match.

• Max Colson, Hough’s fly-half, slotted s multiple kicks and made great decisions throughout the game.

Coaches’ Quotes:

On Saturday, South Meck will meet Charlotte Catholic in the North Carolina State Final.

Cheers and good luck to both of them! We’ll be following along.