Ayden-Grifton’s Deshaun Cox made a one-handed catch in the fourth quarter of the Chargers’ win over Chocowinity Southside Monday. Photo by William ‘Bud’ Hardy / Neuse News

By Junious Smith III

AYDEN — One of the longest games in Ayden-Grifton football history had a positive ending for the Chargers.

Ayden-Grifton shut out Chocowinity Southside for the second straight season with a 20-0 victory Monday in a game suspended Friday due to lightning. The teams picked the action up with 5:09 remaining in the second quarter, and it took a second-half kickoff return touchdown by Michael Webb to energize the Chargers.

“We had a big special teams play (and) our defense played really solid the whole time,” Chargers coach Paul Cornwell said. “Offensively, we’ve still got a lot of things to work on but I thought it was a team win.”

The teams couldn’t move the ball in the second quarter, combining for 38 total yards, but Webb nearly doubled the total on the second-half kickoff. The senior picked the ball up at his own 28 after a short kick, eluded a few Seahawks and raced in the end zone for the 72-yard touchdown.

“We needed that to spark the team,” Webb said. “It was a pretty ugly game—Friday, we came out sluggish, but we knew that we’re a team (and) we’ve got to finish. We just needed that one spark to light the match.”

After the teams traded possessions, Ayden-Grifton’s Deshaun Cox stepped in front of a Hundley Stallings pass and returned it 38 yards to the Chocowinity Southside 7. One play later, Webb scored on a pitch to put the Chargers ahead 14-0 with 5:09 to go in the third.

The Seahawks were stymied on their first five drives, gaining just 1 yard with one first down. On the other side, the Chargers managed just 43 yards in the second half, but 32 came on a spectacular play in the fourth quarter. Facing third-and-18, Josh Wright scrambled and lofted a pass to Cox, who made tipped the ball to himself and made a spectacular one-handed catch. Two plays later, Marlon Cannon scored from 3 yards out to put Ayden-Grifton up 20-0 with 6:54 to play.

“I didn’t think I’d catch it at first, but when it hit my hand I knew I was going to get it,” Cox said.

This was the third straight season opener between the teams, all ending with the victor recording a shutout. The Chargers won 61-0 in 2018, one year after the Seahawks recorded a 26-0 victory.