ACA advances to conference championship

Lions take down Cabarrus, 30-14, in Pioneer Football League semifinal

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 30, 2021

Two seasons into its existence, the Asheville Christian Academy football program will be playing for a conference title.

The Lions, which finished 1-5 in its inaugural 2020 season, earned a trip to the Pioneer Football League Championship with a 30-14 home victory over the Cabarrus Stallions, Oct. 30.

ACA finished the 2021 campaign with an overall 4-5 record. The teams entered Saturday’s PFL matchup against Cabarrus with an identical 2-1 conference record.

Head coach Rick Spurling and the Lions never trailed against the Stallions, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead by way of an errant snap over the head of the visiting punter that went into the end zone. The Lions offense sputtered in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but a big reception by senior Myles Tate set up a 17-yard rushing touchdown by junior quarterback Javier Rice on the subsequent play.

Rice would score his second rushing touchdown of the game early in the second quarter, and a successful 2-point conversion gave ACA a 17-0 advantage going into the half.

The opening possession of the third quarter was a short one for the Lions, but the defense responded by forcing Cabarrus to punt after three plays. Tate, who was an impact player on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for ACA, took a direct snap into the end zone for a touchdown to put his team up, 24-0.

The Stallions responded with a 43-yard touchdown run later in the quarter, but an athletic reception in the end zone by junior wide receiver Jacob Price gave the Lions an insurmountable lead.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, players from ACA dumped a cooler of ice water on their head coach, as the team celebrated its chance to play for a PFL title.

The Lions will travel to Tigerville, S.C., Saturday, Nov. 6, when they will face Georgia Force Christian (6-2) in the championship game at North Greenville University. ACA fell, 50-30, to the Blue Knights when the teams met in Sugar Hill, Georgia earlier this month.

A gallery of photos from ACA’s semifinal victory over the Cabarrus Stallions can be found at the top of the page.