Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) in Weddington, NC

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – The North Carolina Class 4A state championship game features a battle between Hoggard and Weddington. It takes place on Saturday (7:00 p.m.), at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Stay with SBLive North Carolina for reports from this state championship game and the other taking place this weekend.

Below is our Live Update Feed created and updated as the contest progresses. Read from the bottom up to follow the action chronologically from beginning to end.

Live Updates:

FINAL SCORE: WEDDINGTON 56, HOGGARD 21

4Q: WEDDINGTON 56, HOGGARD 21

-Hoggard adds a late score on another TD pass by Hudson Wilharm. Hoggard trails 56-21 with 2:59 left.

3Q: WEDDINGTON 56, HOGGARD 14

-Hoggard will receive the kickoff to start the second half and desperately needs to make something happen.

-Not the start to the second half that Hoggard wanted. Weddington forces a three and out, Aiden Harris blocks the punt and T.J. Davis returns it for a touchdown. Weddington leads 35-7 early in the third quarter. 35 unanswered points now for the Warriors.

-It's gone from bad to worse for Hoggard. A bad snap leads to a fumble, recovered by Weddington, and on its first play, Diamond sprints 47 yards for another touchdown. Weddington 42, Hoggard 7.

-Finally a bright spot for Hoggard. Hudson Wilharm with a 65-yard touchdown run and the Vikings trail 42-14.

-Brady Ritter with an 11-yard touchdown run for Weddington and the lead grows to 49-14 with 5:15 left in the third quarter.

-Budge with a 1-yard scoring run and the Warriors lead 56-14 with 2:23 left in the third quarter. We will have a running clock for the remainder of the game.

2Q: WEDDINGTON 28, HOGGARD 7 , Halftime

-Penalties doom Weddington and the Warriors are forced to punt to open the second quarter. Punt is downed at the 5-yard line, where Hoggard takes over with 10:24 left in second quarter.

-Hoggard converts a big third down with a huge gain on a pass play over the middle into Weddington territory.

-Wilharm finds Session again to convert another third down and the Vikings have a first and goal at the 9.

-Wilharm's pass is tipped and then intercepted at the 6-yard line by Aiden Harris. Weddington will take over with 7:06 left in the second quarter.

-Warriors convert a fourth and 10 when Budge finds Jackson. Weddington with a first down at the Hoggard 12 with 3:08 left.

-Nick Diamond scores from 12 yards out and Weddington leads 21-7 with 2:44 left in the second quarter. This drive started at the Weddington 6-yard line after the interception.

-Three and out for Hoggard on the next series and a punt. Weddington has the ball at midfield with 1:16 left until halftime but no timeouts.

-Budge to Jackson--again--for another touchdown in the right corner of the end zone. Weddington leads 28-7 with 45 seconds left in the first half.

-It wasn't long ago that Weddington lost its regular season final to Marvin Ridge and there was a lot of talk about whether or not it deserved the No. 1 seed in the West for the playoffs. The Warriors are certainly showing why. Weddington has scored 28 unanswered points to take command.

Keenan Jackson with 10 receptions for 136 yards and two receiving touchdowns to go along with a fumble recovery for a score. The UNC commit is having a huge game.

1Q: WEDDINGTON 14, HOGGARD 7

-Hoggard is in its white jerseys with blue pants and blue helmets. Weddington has its green jerseys, white pants and white helmets.

-Hoggard won the toss and has deferred. Weddington will receive the opening kickoff.

-Weddington will start its opening drive from its 20-yard line.

-Hoggard picks off a Tyler Budge pass and returns the ball to the Weddington 3-yard line.

-Hudson Wilharm connects with Charlie Kilbourne for a 3-yard touchdown pass and the Vikings strike first and have a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.

-Weddington on the attack on its next drive and already in Hoggard territory.

-Budge is stripped of the ball on a run and Keenan Jackson scoops it up and sprints 6 yards to the end zone for the score. Game is tied at 7 with 7:46 left in the first quarter. Plenty of fireworks in this one already.

-Weddington converts a third and five and has the ball at the Hoggard 25.

-Warriors strike again. Budge to Jackson for a 27-yard touchdown and Weddington leads 14-7 with 4:03 left in the first quarter.

-Hoggard gets a huge break on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to extend a drive after a third and 19 but then get stuffed on a third and 2 at its 40 yard line.

-End of the first quarter and the Warriors are driving. They will have a second and five in Hoggard territory to start the second quarter.

HOGGARD VS. WEDDINGTON

- Kickoff is schedule for 7:00 p.m. (EST)

They kept running into the powerful Grimsley defense, time after time, with little to show for it.

But the battering impact of Weddington’s offensive line gradually took its toll, and the floodgates opened in the second half.

Warrior quarterback Tyler Budge and his running backs repeatedly found themselves galloping for large gains. And when it was all over, Weddington had knocked off previously unbeaten Grimsley, 44-27, and advanced to the 4A West Regional playoff final.

The Warriors (12-2) will host Independence next Friday, for a spot in the state championship game in two weeks.

“Our guys are in great shape,” Weddington coach Andy Capone said. “They worked hard, they’re in great shape, and they eventually wore the other team down.”

The Warriors ran for 80 yards in the first two quarters. They ran for 207 after halftime and had several other big runs called back for penalties.

“We knew that if we could keep their offense under control, our offense eventually would take over,” Capone said.

Of course, Weddington’s defense came alive in the second half too.

The Warriors were able to break through Grimsley’s offensive line numerous times in the final two quarters, sacking Whirlies’ quarterback Faizon Brandon three times and making him scramble on most other pass attempts.

At one point in the third quarter, Weddington linebacker Braedan Barger sacked Faizon on consecutive plays.

“We relied on our defensive backs to stop their receivers, and we were able to do our thing,” Barger said.

Grimsley squeaked past Weddington 28-27 in the playoffs a year ago, and the Whirlies’ last official loss was in the 2021 playoffs, to Union County’s Porter Ridge. Grimsley lost to New Bern in the 4A championship last season, but New Bern had to forfeit its 2022 victories for using ineligible players, and Grimsley’s loss was erased.

For about 2½ quarters Friday night, it looked as if Grimsley might be able to keep the streak going.

The Whirles, fueled by 5-6 junior running back Mitchell Sanders, rallied from an early deficit and took a 20-14 halftime lead after driving 80 yards for a touchdown in the final two minutes of the second quarter.

But on the Warriors’ second possession of the third quarter, junior running back Nick Diamond broke two tackles and sped 52 yards for a touchdown. Everett Scott’s conversion kick made it 21-20, and Weddington was ahead to stay.

Brady Ritter and Diamond scored on runs early in the fourth quarter, putting the Warriors up 37-20.

Grimsley made a final gasp, marching 80 yards and scoring on a pass from Brandon to Terrell Anderson. But the Whirlies’ onside kick attempt bounced into the hands of Weddington’s Keenan Jackson, who raced 55 yards for a clinching touchdown with 4:48 remaining.

Tyler Budge (Weddington): The Warriors had three running backs at or above 100 yards, but Budge, a senior quarterback, led the way. He carried 14 times for 101 yards and completed 7-of-13 passes for 91 yards.

Mitchell Sanders (Grimsley): He had a huge night, rushing 25 times for 141 yards, catching two passes for another 25 yards, and adding kickoff returns of 47 and 65 yards.

Braedan Barger (Weddington): The Warriors had several outstanding defensive players, but Barger had two sacks and several hurries on Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon.

▪ Touchdown conversions played a big role in the game. Grimsley kicker Jackson Henry slipped and fell on the conversion kick after his team’s third touchdown. Then when Weddington scored to go up 27-20 early in the fourth quarter, the Warriors pulled off a successful two-point conversion for a 29-20 lead. That made it a two-possession lead.

▪ Grimsley averaged less than one punt per game before Friday night but had to punt four times against Weddington. One of those was a shanked 22-yard kick that gave the Warriors possession at the Grimsley 25. Weddington scored a touchdown on that second-quarter series.

▪ It was nearly an error-free game. Grimsley had no turnovers. Weddington turned it over once on an interception, but Grimsley picked off the pass at its own 6. That series ended with the shanked punt.

▪ A sign of Weddington’s success in football — the Warriors held a practice on Thanksgiving morning. It was the 10th straight year that Weddington was still alive in the playoffs and held a practice on Thanksgiving.

Weddington hosts Independence in the 4A West Regional final next Friday.

Grimsley 7 13 0 7 – 27

Weddington 7 7 7 23 – 44

W – Nick Diamond 12 run (Everett Scott kick)

G – Mitchell Summers 28 run (Jackson Henry kick)

G – Summers 2 run (Henry kick)

W – Tyler Budge 12 run (Scott kick)

G – Summers 2 run (kick failed)

W – Diamond 52 run (Scott kick)

W – Brady Ritter 33 run (Budge run)

W – Diamond 8 run (Javon Barber pass from Budge)

G – Terrell Anderson 17 pass from Faizon Brandon (Henry kick)

W – Keenan Jackson 55 kickoff return (Scott kick)

This story was originally published November 24, 2023, 10:44 PM.

704-358-5133

Langston Wertz Jr. is an award-winning sports journalist who has worked at the Observer since 1988. He’s covered everything from Final Fours and NFL to video games and Britney Spears. Wertz -- a West Charlotte High and UNC grad -- is the rare person who can answer “Charlotte,” when you ask, “What city are you from.”

Press release provided by the NCHSAA

RALEIGH – The Weddington Warriors dominated in a 56-21 win over the Hoggard Vikings to win their fourth NCHSAA Football State Championship and first as a 4A school at Carter-Finley Stadium on the North Carolina State University campus on Saturday.

Weddington faced an early setback when Hoggard’s Trey Nixon intercepted a pass at the 41-yard line and Hudson Wilharm connected on a 4-yard pass to Charlie Kilbourne in the end zone a few plays later to give the East Champs a 7-0 lead. But that was the only setback of the night for the Warriors as they rattled off 42 unanswered points on the way to the title.

In the second quarter, Weddington put together a 12-play, 92-yard drive, capped off with a Nick Diamond 12-yard touchdown run. The Tyler Budge-Keenan Jackson duo struck for the second time with 45 seconds left in the half as Budge launched a 21-yard pass to Jackson in the deep corner of the end zone, giving Weddington a 28-7 lead heading into halftime.

In the first minute of the third quarter, Weddington’s Aiden Harris leaped over three of Hoggard’s blockers to block a punt, setting the stage for a scoop-and-score touchdown by TJ Davis. After recovering a fumble from Hoggard on the ensuing possession, Weddington propelled to a 42-7 lead after Diamond rushed for a 47-yard touchdown.

Hoggard countered with a smart play-action-run from Wilharm to break the scoring drought but still trailed 42-14.

Brady Ritter zoomed past Hoggard’s defense for an 11-yard rushing touchdown to increase their lead to 49-14 and just three minutes later, Jackson raced downfield so quickly that he left his shoe behind, sprinting 22 yards to set Budge up for a 1-yard touchdown run. Jackson’s stellar performance, amassing 136 receiving yards and three total touchdowns, earned him the title of Most Valued Player in the game.

Weddington finished the season with a 14-2 record. This was Weddington’s 5th appearance in the state finals, being runner-up in 2014, and winning the championship in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2023.

Hoggard finished the season with a 14-2 record. This was Hoggard’s second appearance in the state finals, winning the championship in 2007.

The NCHSAA is committed to promoting good sportsmanship and has partnered with the NC Farm Bureau to recognize two athletes from each State Championship event with the NC Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Awards. The Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2023 4A Football State Championship Match were Graham Mills from Weddington and Charlie Kilbourne from Hoggard.

In tandem with the Carolina Panthers, the NCHSAA is proud to present Offensive and Defensive Most Valued Player awards to two players from each team. From Weddington, Tyler Budge won Offensive MVP, and Aiden Harris won Defensive MVP. Budge had 243 passing yards along with three touchdowns, while Harris finished the game with four tackles, one interception, and a TFL (2-10 yards). From Hoggard, Wilharm won Offensive MVP, and Kamar Fulton won Defensive MVP. Wilharm finished the game with 195 passing yards, 59 rushing yards, and all three of Hoggard’s touchdowns, while Fulton finished the game with 13 tackles.

Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved.

In some ways, Weddington football is a year ahead.

The Warriors, who play Hoggard in Saturday night’s 4A state championship game at N.C. State, are in the midst of another deep playoff run. They played 15 games last year, when star linebacker TJ Davis and defensive linemen Aiden and Drew Harris were only freshmen.

And they’re led by a senior signal caller in Tyler Budge, a Georgia Southern commit. He’s a standout quarterback — mobile with his legs and a strong arm — who holds Weddington’s school records in career yards and passing touchdowns. His favorite target is senior Keenan Jackson, a UNC-bound receiver with more than 1,500 passing yards.

“It’s gonna be a very physical game,” head coach Andy Capone told reporters at Monday’s media day at Bank of America Stadium. “It’s a 4A state championship. It’s not gonna be anything easy. They got good athletes, they’re good in the trenches, they’re well-coached. It’s a solid football team.

”But the thing I took away more is how hard they play, and how much energy and passion they show on their sidelines — It’s similar to us.”

Weddington (13-2, 3-1 4A Southern Carolina) is searching for its fourth state championship in five title game appearances, all coming since 2014. But while the Warriors were state champions in 2016, 2018 and 2019, this would mark their first since jumping to the 4A level.

Their opponent will be J.T. Hoggard High, a Wilmington-based school that has won its last 14 games. The Vikings have been prolific creating turnovers and are led by 39 seniors.

“In high school football, if you come out and play hard for 48 minutes, tackle well, run the football and block, you’re gonna be successful more than you’re not,” Capone said. “We just have really, really good football players.

“We used to be this whole, ‘Oh, they’re just so disciplined and all that.’ But, I mean, I think that takes away from how good of football players our kids really, really are.”

Weddington is having one of its most dominant seasons in recent memory. Its only blemishes have come in one-score losses to Butler and Marvin Ridge. In September, the Warriors went on the road and knocked off South Carolina power Dutch Fork — which won another state title Friday night.

“I thought we could be pretty special,” Capone said. “It’s part of our goal every year. I know it’s not gonna happen every year, obviously, but our first goal is to win our first game. Then it’s to win the conference. Then it’s to practice on Thanksgiving. Then it’s to win a state championship.

“Those are our goals. We’ve achieved all those, and now we’ve got a chance to do our last one.”

This story was originally published December 4, 2023, 12:57 PM.

Saturday was quite the day for Observer-area high school football teams.

Five teams went to N.C. High School Athletic Association state championship games.

Four came home with titles.

In the 2AA final, two Observer-area teams played each other. Shelby beat Salisbury 34-0. In 3A, Charlotte Catholic beat Southern Nash 23-7, rallying to win its third straight N.C. 3A state championship. In 3AA, Weddington won its second straight N.C. 3AA championship and its third in four years, running past Lee County 34-14.

And in 4AA, Vance High made its case for having one of the best defenses in N.C. history, slamming the door on Leesville Road’s state title dreams, winning 24-3.

Charlotte Catholic (12-3), Weddington (16-0) and Vance (13-2) each beat an unbeaten state final opponent.

It was, quite simply, an impressive display of power for Charlotte-area football.

↑The big proposal: Moments after Weddington’s state championship win, Warriors assistant coach Hayden Crooks picked up a second win. He proposed to his girlfriend on the sidelines at N.C. State.

She said yes.

↑Trent Simpson, Mallard Creek: While Simpson wasn’t playing for a state title like he hoped, he picked up a scholarship offer from his dream school, Clemson, while on his official visit. The 5-star recruit, ranked among the nation’s top 15 overall players in the class of 2020, committed on the spot. Click here for his exclusive interview with the Observer.

↑Shelby defense: Shelby held Salisbury to five first downs, minus-6 yards rushing and 39 total yards in its 2AA state finals win.

↑Vance defense: Vance held Leesville Road to 80 yards total offense in its state final win. Vance allowed 24 points in five postseason games against some of the state’s elite large class teams. All five games were on the road and two were against top 50 nationally ranked teams. And nearly half of Leesville’s total yards Saturday came on its final drive against some of the Vance reserves.

Salute to @VanceCougarsFB for bringing the title back to the 704.. Congrats to the players, coaches, school, fans and community.. That's the best HS defense I've ever seen. This is just the beginning of a dynasty. Well deserved!

— Robert Washington Sr (@CoachDubb80) December 15, 2019

Diavonni Daley, Shelby: eight catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in the Salisbury win.

Power Echols, Vance: MVP of the N.C. 4AA state final, the junior linebacker had 6.5 tackles, 0.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for a loss. On offense, he had a rushing touchdown.

Alec Mock, Weddington: 21 total tackles plus an interception in the Warriors’ state final win.

Paul Neel, Charlotte Catholic: 27 carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the 3A championship game. He also had 25 yards in kickoff returns.

Will Shipley, Weddington: Gatorade N.C. player of the year ran 26 times for 257 yards and four touchdowns in Weddington’s state final win. Weddington finished with 271 total yards of offense.

1. I’m not sure I’ve seen too many defensive players in my time here better than Vance HIgh’s Power Echols. He does a fantastic job of reading the plays and has an innate understanding of where to be. His speed and ferocity are scary. He told me after the game that he has narrowed his college choices to Clemson, North Carolina and Penn State (listed in alphabetical order).

Echols was state defensive player of the year as a sophomore. Well, his junior year has been better than that.

2. It’s a pretty amazing achievement for two teams in the same conference to win a state championship in the same year. Well, now Charlotte Catholic and Weddington have done it back-to-back years. The only team to beat Weddington in the past two years is Charlotte Catholic. The only N.C. public school team to beat Catholic in the past three years is Weddington.

▪ Catholic’s seventh state title ties Independence for the most in Mecklenburg County public school history.

3. Shelby has put together one of the great dynasties in state history. Shelby won its second straight N.C. 2AA state title Saturday and its sixth in seven years.

This story was originally published December 15, 2019, 1:24 AM.

UNION COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) – A Union County school resource officer is being recognized for saving a student during a medical emergency.

A Weddington High School student frantically ran up to Union County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Byrum while in the school’s cafeteria on Wednesday and was holding and pointing at his throat, according to the sheriff’s office.

Byrum realized the student was choking on something he had eaten.

“He started pointing at his throat. He was gasping for air,” said Byrum. “I immediately realized he was choking so I jumped up immediately, spun him around, and yanked his backpack off of him. And started giving him abdominal thrusts, the Heimlich maneuver.”

Weddington High Principal Dr. Jeff Kratson said the student is “doing great.”

“He really said, ‘I don’t know what I would have done if Deputy Byrum wasn’t there,’” Kratson said about the student. “He (Byrum) just jumped right in and knew what to do and didn’t hesitate. He has such a great rapport with the kids and it was so cool that the kid knew right away that he could just run right up to him.”

Byrum was recognized as the School Resource Officer of the Year in 2022.

But to Deputy Byrum, it’s just part of the job--the job he loves.

“I don’t like to talk highly of myself, but I do pride myself in having a good relationship with these students,” said Byrum. “I tell them every day that I love them, they’re my kids. I go to their sporting events. I go to their graduations. I go to their proms. When they sign for colleges, I go there.”

And after Wednesday’s scary scene, he now shares a very special bond with the young man he helped.

“We gave each other a hug, I told him, ‘I’m thankful you’re OK,’ and we went about our days.”

Earlier this week, Byrum had taken a class refreshing his CPR and Heimlich maneuver skills. He says he couldn’t have been more thankful for the timing.

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