Varsity Men and Women Cruise Past Grace Christian

CJ Kirchoff rises towards the rim on a fast break

The Varsity Men's and Women's basketball teams did not have any trouble against Grace Christian in Friday night's matchup.

The Varsity men did not take long to get their motor running by starting out to to a quick 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders did not let up in the second quarter and lengthened their lead to 46-17 at the half.  HCA spread the ball around and continued their success in the third quarter.  Quate Mckinzie made a statement with two emphatic one hand slams to cap off multiple fast breaks for the Crusaders. The Crusaders then slowed down and spread the ball around to their reserves who continued to easily execute on offense. The Crusaders eventually went on to win 80-62. The Crusaders improve their overall season record to 5-2 (1-0) with their convincing win over the Eagles. Senior Spencer Cooke led the way for the Crusaders totaling 17 points and 5 steals. Marcus Scarborough was not far behind him with 16 points. CJ Kirchoff showed off his scoring abilities all over the court and finished with 12 points. Junior big man Quate Mckinzie also recorded 11 points and 5 rebounds for the Crusaders. The fluidity of the Crusader offense can be mainly attributed to the play of sophomore Tyshii Scarborough who tallied 5 points and 10 assist. The Crusaders will be back in action at home on Tuesday, December 16 against Prominence Academy. This game will serve as the last matchup before the Crusaders head into Christmas break.

Marissa Parks searches for an open teammate

The Varsity Women did not have any trouble against the Eagles. The Lady Crusaders moved the ball around and forced multiple turnovers that resulted in easy fast break points. HCA was led by Emily Benton who totaled 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Crusaders. The Varsity Women improve to 5-1 (1-0) on the season with their victory over the Eagles. The Crusaders 53-42 win closes out the team's slate of games heading into Christmas break. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action in the Cape Fear Academy Christmas Tournament on December 31- January 3. 

Harrells Christian Academy Weekly Basketball Round Up

The Crusaders high scoring offense can be attributed to the unselfish
play of sophomore point guard Tyshii Scarborough

The Varsity Men's basketball finished the past week 2-2 contributing to their overall record of 4-2. The Crusaders started the stretch off on the right note by cruising to a 59-26 victory over the Epiphany School.The Crusaders started out hot by outscoring the Falcons 24-8 in the first quarter. The Crusaders continued their offensive success in the second quarter and headed into the half with a 38-14 lead. The Crusaders did not let up in the second half and cruised to victory over the Falcons. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders in scoring with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Mckinzie was quickly followed by CJ Kirchoff who totaled 12 points and 5 rebounds. The Varsity Men turned right around and faced Cary Christian the next night where they came up short in a close 57-55 loss. The Crusaders were led by junior forward CJ Kirchoff who totaled 18 points and 5 steals for the Crusaders. Also contributing to the Crusaders close loss to the Knights were Spencer Cooke with 13 points and Quate Mckinzie with 10 points and 12 rebounds. After the weekend the Crusaders traveled to Parrott Academy where they pulled away from the Patriots in a back in forth game. The Crusaders outlasted Parrott 60-54. HCA provided a balanced offensive attack finishing with 4 players in double figures. Quate Mckinzie led the way in front of East Carolina University scout Mike Netti with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Other players in double figures included Donta Chavious with 14, CJ Kirchoff with 12, and Marcus Scarborough with 11. The Crusaders then traveled back home to take on Freedom Christian the next day. The Patriots pulled out a victory in a tightly contested 70-64 game. The Crusaders were carried by their 6-7 junior power forward Quate Mckinzie the entire game. Mckinzie finished with a career high 30 points. He also pulled in 11 rebounds to record his fourth double- double of the year. Spencer Cooke also scored in double figures with 11 points. Cooke missed part of the game after he was hit in the nose. The Crusaders look to finish out a two game home stand strong before heading into Christmas break. HCA takes on Grace Christian (1-7) on Friday, December 12 and Prominence Academy (6-2) on Tuesday, December 16.

The Lady Crusaders have been able to force turnovers and convert
on fast breaks due the the play of senior guards Natalie Hardin
and Margaret Clark

The Varsity Lady Crusaders closed out their stretch of games with a record 3-1 boosting their overall record to 4-1. The Crusaders cruised to victory over the Epiphany School. Emily Benton finished the game with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assist and 1 block for the Crusaders. Mikaela Stroud contributed to the Crusaders scoring attack with 14 points. Marissa Parks also scored 11 points for the Crusaders. The Lady Crusaders turned around and played Cary Christian the next day where they fell short in a 50-46 overtime loss to the Knights. Emily Benton led the Crusaders with 16 points. She was accompanied by Mikaela Stroud with 12 points and Margaret Clark with 10. The Crusaders then traveled to Parrott Academy on Monday where they cruised to a 40-21 victory over the Patriots. Emily Benton finished the game with a double-double where she tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds. HCA then traveled back home to face Freedom Christian where they held off the Patriots in a 42-36 victory. The Crusaders were again led by Emily Benton who scored 18 points and pulled in 7 rebounds for the Crusaders. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action on Friday, December 12 against Grace Christian. This is the last game for the Varsity Women's team before they head into Christmas break.

Varsity Men's and Women's Basketball Teams Cruise Past The Epiphany School

The Men's and Women's Varsity Basketball teams both breezed past the Epiphany School Eagles in their matchup on Thursday, December 4.

The Varsity Men dominated throughout the entire game and moved the ball around the Falcon's zone with ease. The Crusaders unselfishness propelled them to a 52-26 win. The Crusaders started out hot by outscoring the Falcons 24-8 in the first quarter. The Crusaders continued their offensive success in the second quarter and headed into the half with a 38-14 lead. The Crusaders were led in scoring at the half by Quate Mckinzie and CJ Kirchoff who both tallied 9 points.

The Crusaders did not let up in the second half and cruised to victory over the Falcons. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders in scoring with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Mckinzie was quickly followed by CJ Kirchoff who totaled 12 points and 5 rebounds. The Crusaders improves to 3-0 on the season with their win over the Epiphany School. The Crusaders will be back in action tomorrow night at home against Cary Christian who enter the matchup with an 0-4 record.

The Varsity Women completely dominated the Lady Falcons in their matchup. The Crusaders speed and talent was to much for the Epiphany School which allowed them to easily win 55-14. Emily Benton finished the game with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assist and 1 block for the Crusaders. Mikaela Stroud contributed to the Crusaders scoring attack with 14 points. Marissa Parks also scored 11 points for the Crusaders. HCA improves to 2-0 on the season with their win over the Falcons. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action tomorrow night against Cary Academy.

HCA vs Rocky Mount Academy Basketball Round-up

All four Crusader basketball teams faced off against Rocky Mount Academy at home on Tuesday night. The matchup against the Eagles served as the season opener for the JV Girls, JV Boys, and Varsity Women teams. The Varsity Men came into the game with a 1-0 record after their season opening victory over Carolina Friends on Saturday, November 22.

The Varsity Men dominated in their second game of the season by defeating the Eagles 67-55. The Crusaders controlled the ball the whole game and never found themselves trailing. The Crusaders got out to a quick 23-12 start at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders moved the ball around the Eagles' 2-3 zone and punished them with the three point shot. Marcus Scarborough was lethal against the zone with his three point shooting abilities and headed into the half with 11 points. The Crusaders found themselves leading 33-24 at the half.

The Crusaders' continual ball movement and unselfish play propelled them to a 54-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter. HCA let their foot off the gas a little in the fourth quarter which allowed the Eagles to trim the Crusader lead to 12. The Crusaders however were too explosive for the Eagles and went on to win 67-55 and improve to 2-0 on the season. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Marcus Scarborough, CJ Kirchoff, and Spencer Cooke all finished the game with 14 points. Cooke also recorded 7 rebounds for the Crusaders. The Varsity Men will be back in action at home on Thursday, December 4 against the Epiphany School followed by a game on Friday against Cary Christian at home.

The Varsity Women started their season with a 38-27 win over Rocky Mount. The Lady Crusaders found their offensive groove in the early going by extending their lead to 9-1 at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders continued their success and cruised to victory over the Eagles. HCA was led by sophomore Emily Benton who totaled 12 points for the Crusaders. Benton was quickly followed by senior Margaret Clark who tallied 11 points. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action on Thursday, December 4 against the Epiphany School followed by a game on Friday against Cary Christian at home.

The Junior Varsity Boy's came up short against the Eagles in their opening game of the season. The Crusaders trailed the majority of the game and at one point found themselves down by nearly 20 points in the third quarter. The gritty Crusaders however battled back in the fourth quarter and cut the Eagle lead to 7 points. The winded Crusaders were outmatched in the end falling to the Eagles 60-51. HCA sophomore Will Huff finished the game with 25 points. Grey Fussell finished the game with 8 points and multiple assist in the Crusaders loss to Rocky Mount. The JV Boys will be back in action on Friday, December 5 against Cary Christian.

The Junior Varsity Girls recorded their first win of the season with a 34-11 victory over Rocky Mount. The Lady Crusaders dominated the glass and in the paint allowing them to cruise to victory. The Crusaders were led by Ashlynn Hardison who recorded 11 points and 6 rebounds. The second leading scorer for HCA was Tyler Evans who totaled 8 points and 6 rebounds. The JV Girls will be back in action on Friday, December 5 against Cary Christian.

Count Your Blessings: HCA Athletics Edition

10 Things to be Thankful for in HCA Athletics

As we celebrate Thanksgiving let's take a look at things to be thankful for since the last Thanksgiving Season.

1) HCA Football: The Crusader football team finished the 2014 season with a 6-6 record. Despite the teams mediocre record the team found a lot of success on the field. HCA advanced to the semifinals of the NCISAA Division II State Playoffs where the Crusaders lost to their common opponent Davidson Day. The Crusaders were led by group of talented hard working seniors who led HCA to multiple successful years during their tenure at "The Store". The HCA football team has a lot to look forward too next year as they return many talented seniors who will look to lead the Crusaders to their 14th State Championship Title.

2) Varsity Men's Basketball: The 2013-14 Varsity Men's Basketball finished their unexpected, successful season with a 17-6 record. Much like the football team, the Crusaders advanced to the final four- semifinals- of the NCISAA Division II State Playoffs. The Crusaders were led by many talented players including at the time sophomore center Quate Mckinzie and senior Graham DiPinto. Looking forward to the 2014-15 season: The Crusaders look to make up for the loss of their second leading scorer in DiPinto who averaged just over 13 points per game (PPG) and 7 rebounds per game (RPG). HCA will look to their long, athletic power forward from last year, Quate Mckinzie, who averaged 14 PPG and 11 RPG. Along side the athletic Mckinzie the Crusaders will extend the lead against their opponents with the help of returning starting guard Marcus Scarborough and with transfers Tyshii Scarborough and CJ Kirchoff. Get ready for the 2014-15 season by checking out the season preview and this year's Varsity Men's Basketball intro video.

3) Varsity Women's Basketball: The 2013-14 Varsity Women's Basketball team finished their season with a 15-4 record. The Crusaders clinched a playoffs spot in the NCISAA Division II State playoffs where the Lady Crusaders fell short in the first round. HCA looks to build on their success this year under the leadership of four returning seniors, Jessi Kate Batts, Margaret Clark, Natalie Hardin, and Ashely Usher. The Lady Crusaders will be under the leadership of long time head Coach Wayne Cannady who will look to lead HCA back to the playoffs in contention for a state championship title.

4) Varsity Men's Baseball: Adding on the the success of the other sports teams the 2014 Varsity Men's Baseball team advanced to the state championship of the NCISAA Division II State Playoffs where the Crusaders came up short in the Title Game. The Crusaders dominated in conference play and easily claimed a conference title. HCA finished the season with a 13-6 record. The Crusaders will look to vie for a State Championship Title in the upcoming season with talent all over the diamond. The Crusaders lost multiple good seniors from last year's team but have many athletes in place to fill those positions.

5) Varsity Women's Softball: REPEAT! The Lady Crusader Softball team claimed yet another State Championship Title in the 2014 season. The Crusaders claimed their second title in two years with their 10-3 state championship win over their common opponent Parrott Academy. HCA finished the season with an 18-3 record. The softball team also claimed their title as conference champions to go along with their state title. The Lady Crusaders look to 3-PEAT this upcoming year with another State Championship Title. HCA returns many key players who will help their team play for some another championship ring.

6) College Athletes: The 2013-14 graduating class produced four athletes who performed or will perform at the college level in the upcoming seasons. The slate of talented athletes included Dakota Boggs, Anna DeVane, Anna Huff, and Haylee Parks. Dakota Boggs took his talents to Methodist University where he pursued his dream of playing college football. Boggs was named to the NCISAA All State team as a center for the Crusaders during his senior season. Anna DeVane, who led the Crusader softball team to back to back state titles, carried her athletic ability on the diamond to UNCW. DeVane hopes to carry on her success as a Seahawk during the upcoming 2014-15 season. Anna Huff pursued her volleyball dreams by making her mark as a Meredith Avenging Angel. The tall athletic volleyball star helped the Avenging Angels to a very successful season. Haylee Parks joined her partner in crime on the court as an Avenging Angel where she took her great setting statistics and skills to Meredith.

7) Coaches: The coaches at Harrells Christian Academy put in countless hours to better develop each student athlete into a better individual on the playing fields, in the classroom, and in the world.

8) Faculty and Staff: The faculty and staff of HCA care about each and every student at Harrells. They help support the needs of each student that walks through the doors of Harrells Christian Academy.

9) Dean Wells: Dean Wells puts in many countless hours into HCA athletics in order to prepare the athletics facilities for competition. HCA has outstanding athletic facilities that can be attributed to the hard work of Dean Wells.

10) God: God is the most important person to be thankful for. Without His grace and guidance nothing at Harrells Christian Academy would be possible.

HCA Varsity Men's Basketball Dominates Carolina Friends in Season Opener

The Harrells Christian Academy Varsity Men's Basketball team started their season with a 70-32 victory over Carolina Friends School on Saturday. The highly anticipated season started out just as expected with a convincing win over the Quakers.

The Crusaders did not take long to get their offense flowing by putting up 23 points in the first quarter. The Crusader defense did not back down the entire game by shutting down the Quaker's offensive attack. Harrells continued their success and headed into the half with a 41-12 lead. Marcus
Scarborough led the Crusaders in scoring in the first half with 13 points.

HCA continued attacking in the second half and cruised to a 70-32 victory over the Quakers. Marcus Scarborough led the Crusaders in scoring with 16 points quickly followed by CJ Kirchoff and Quate Mckinzie who tallied 14 points. Mckinzie also pulled in 9 rebounds for the Crusaders. Other Crusader scorers included Tyshii Scarborough with 8 points, Evan Hardison with 6, Corey Pruitt with 5, Spencer Cooke with 4, Justin Smith with 2 and Davis Jones with 1.

The Varsity Men look to improve to 2-0 in their next home game against Rocky Mount Academy on Tuesday December 2 at 7:30. All of the Crusader basketball teams with be in action next Tuesday against the Eagles.

HCA Varsity Men's Basketball Season Preview

The Harrells Christian Academy Varsity Men's basketball team opens their season on Saturday November 22 at home against Carolina Friends. The Crusaders enter the 2014-15 season coming off a 17-6 performance in the previous season. The 2013-14 Crusaders advanced to the final four of the NCISAA State Playoffs. Harrells looks to further their success and contend for a State Championship in the upcoming season.

Quate Mckinzie's size and athletic ability will be a key
to the Crusaders' success this season.

 The Crusaders are led by six seniors as well as six returning players from last year's varsity team. Among the returning players is Quate Mckinzie who led Harrells in scoring and rebounding last year with 14 points per game and 11 rebounds per game.  The Crusaders also add potential talent from juniors who performed well on the Junior Varsity team last year. The former JV players include talent such as Corey Pruitt who led the young Crusaders in scoring and Davis Jones who will provide leadership at the point guard position.

Harrells Christian accompanies their talent across the court with players who transferred to HCA this year. The talented newcomers are led by junior small forward CJ Kirchoff who played for Laney High School last year where he averaged just under 10 points per game. Tyshii Scarborough, brother of HCA guard Marcus Scarborough, also joins the talented roster this season. Tyshii Scarborough, who started for Wallace Rose Hill's varsity team last year, hopes to serve a vital role in controlling the offense this year from the lead guard position. The Crusaders extend their field of talented athletes with, Davonta Best and Quinton Faison.

With the freedom of having multiple ball handlers such as junior guard Donta Chavious, the Crusaders will turn to Marcus Scarborough to become more of a scoring menace on the court. The junior guard averaged 10.7 points per game last year and looks to strengthen his offensive play throughout the year in an effort to lead the Crusaders to a State Championship Title.

Spencer Cooke's shooting ability will be a lethal weapon
for the Crusaders' offensive attack this season.

A key player to watch this upcoming season is Spencer Cooke who could become a key contributor to the Crusaders on both sides of the ball. The senior guard served as a sixth man last year and only averaged 2.5 points per game but has worked hard during the off season to improve his arsenal of scoring abilities. Cooke provides great senior leadership and many intangible skills. He could become an impact player throughout the year for the Crusaders.

Harrells is led by six year head coach Clayton Hall. The Harrells Christian Alum looks to lead his talented team back to the state playoffs for a chance to contend for a state championship. The Crusaders have not won a state championship in basketball since 1979. HCA hopes to bring home the trophy and continue their growing success.

HCA Ends Season with Loss to Davidson Day

The Harrells Christian Academy football team lost to Davidson Day, 52-6, on Friday night in the semi-finals of the NCISAA Division II State Playoffs. Patriots have had the Crusader's number in the past three years and continued their success on Friday night.

Davidson Day did not take any time to find the end zone as the Patriots marched down the field and scored on a 37 yard touchdown pass. The Crusaders then found themselves marching down the field but were stopped after a interception on a halfback pass by Marcus Scarborough that was returned for a touchdown  to extend the Patriots lead to 14-0 with 8:45 left in the first quarter.

Harrells was then forced to punt on fourth down but recovered the ball after the returner for the Patriots muffed the punt on the Davidson Day 20 yard line. The Crusaders converted off the Patriot turnover on a 1 yard touchdown run by OH Rouse to tighten the Patriots lead to 14-6.

Davidson Day answered back with a 52 yard touchdown pass on the Patriots first offensive play to extend their lead to 20-6 with 4:21 left to play first quarter. The Patriots went on to score three more touchdowns before the half to lengthen their lead to 40-6.

The Crusaders did not find the end zone for the remainder of the game ending their season with a 52-6 loss to the three time defending state champions. The Patriots take on South Lake Christian next week in the finals of the NCISAA State Playoffs.

Marcus Scarborough finished the game with 108 yards on 26 carries for the Crusaders. Fredrick Strickland led the Crusaders on defense with 7 tackles.

Harrells Christian closes out the 2014 season with a record of 6-6. The Crusaders look to win their first state title since 2008 next year as Davidson Day and South Lake Christian both move up to Division III. HCA has claimed 13 state titles in the history of the football program. The Crusaders will be under the leadership of six seniors who look to bring home a state title.

HCA Takes on Familiar Foe, Davidson Day, in State Semi-Final Game

The Harrells Christian Academy Crusaders take on a familiar opponent, Davidson Day, Friday night in the semi-final round of the NCISAA Division II State Playoffs. The Crusaders have struggled in recent years against the Patriots and look to finally seek revenge against their talented opponent.

The Crusaders enter the matchup with a 6-5 record and are coming off a convincing 49-13 victory over Cannon School. The Crusaders found their offensive groove again and cruised to victory behind their junior running back Marcus Scarborough who finished the game with 168 yards and 3 touchdowns. Scarborough has earned 1,369 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns throughout the season. The Patriots are coming of a high scoring, 61-13, blowout against North Raleigh Christian. Davidson Day has cruised through the regular season earning a record of 9-1.

The Patriots look to continue their historical success in the passing game against the Crusaders. Without former star quarterback and Mr. Football USA, Will Grier, the Patriots look to ride on the success of their new quarterback, Anthony DiGioia. The first year transfer from Hough High School had not started a high school game before transferring to Davidson Day. The senior quarterback's numbers however do not illustrate his absence on the field in previous years. DiGioia has totaled 2,557 passing yards (283 Yards Per Game) and 27 touchdowns in his first season. His success in the passing game has earned him a quarterback rating of 113. He has led the Patriots to 3,444 total yards of offense.

The healthy Crusader defense looks to slow down the Patriot offense on Friday night in what will be yet another high scoring battle.

Team Stat Comparison:

Harrells Christian Academy		Davidson Day	National Average
277.1	Rushing Yards Per Game	68.0	184.4
29.4	Passing Yards Per Game	276.4	117.4
277.1	Total Yards Per Game	68.0	259.8
69.5	Tackles Per Game	73.6	55.8
1.5	Sacks Per Game	1.9	1.6
30.0	Points Per Game	29.7	25.7
-	Pancake Blocks	8	31

Player Stat Comparison:

Harrells Christian Academy		Davidson Day
136.9#5 Marcus Scarborough	Rushing Yards Per Game	39.9#28 Cullen McGahan
29.4#9 O. h. Rouse	Passing Yards Per Game	283.0#15 Anthony Digioia
136.9#5 Marcus Scarborough	Total Yards Per Game	39.9#28 Cullen McGahan
10.3#66 F. Strickland	Tackles Per Game	12.6#58 Chase Monroe
0.4#71 Jordan Musselwhite	Sacks Per Game	0.6#56 Ryan Titus
12.2#5 Marcus Scarborough	Points Per Game	8.6#28 Cullen McGahan
-	Pancake Blocks	4#63 Dustin Tyler

Kickoff: 7:00
Where: Northside Christian Academy (333 Jeremiah Boulevard)
Coverage: Follow HCA Athletics on Twitter: @hca_athletics

HCA Dominates in the Opening Round of State Playoffs

PThe Harrells Christian Academy football team found their rhythm again on Friday night against Cannon School. The Crusaders have struggled in recent weeks to find their groove on the offensive side of the ball but they turned their struggles around on Friday night in their 49-13 win.

The Crusader defense gave their offense many scoring opportunities throughout the night. The HCA defense did not allow the Cougars to find the end zone in the first half. The Crusaders however, found the end zone early after a forced punt by the defense. Marcus Scarborough scampered into the end zone from 37 yards out to give the Crusaders an early 7-0 lead.

The Crusaders forced yet another punt and marched straight down the field. The Cougar defense however forced the Crusaders to turn the ball over on downs on the goal line. The Crusader defense answered right back with a statement of their own. OH Rouse intercepted a pass from Cannon quarterback Bryce Estes and returned the ball 7 yards for a touchdown.

The Crusader defense came up with a blocked punt that gave the Crusaders the ball on the Cougar 26 yard line in the early stages of the second quarter. HCA running back, Marcus Scarborough found the end zone on the ensuing play on a 26 yard touchdown run to extend the HCA lead to 21-0 with 10:52 left to play in the second quarter.

The Crusaders then forced another punt and marched down the field to find the end zone one final time before the half on another touchdown run from Marcus Scarborough from 45 yards out.

The Crusaders went into halftime with a 28-0 lead and would not look back. Marcus Scarborough headed into the half with 155 yards on 13 carries and 3 touchdowns.

After failed possessions by both teams the Crusaders punched the ball into the end zone on a 6 yard touchdown run by Quinton Faison to lengthen the HCA lead to 35-0 with 4:22 left in the third quarter.
The Cougars finally found the end zone on a 19 yard touchdown pass to tighten the scoring margin to 35-7.

The Crusaders forced the Cougars to turn the ball over on downs giving the Crusaders the ball back on the Cougar 47. The Crusaders marched down the field and capped off the drive with a two yard quarterback keeper by OH Rouse for a touchdown. The Cougars answered with a 16 yard touchdown pass to make the score 42-13 with 11:54 left to play in the game.

The Crusaders ran the clock out for the remainder of the game and found the end zone one final time on a one yard touchdown run by Will Huff to seal the 49-13 victory over Cannon School.

Marcus Scarborough finished the game with 168 yards on 19 carries and 3 touchdowns. Quinton Fasion also broke the 100 yard mark on 15 carries and 1 touchdown. Both Davonta Best and OH Rouse grabbed an interception for the Crusaders to help seal a victory over the Cougars.

The Crusaders advance to the second round of the NCISAA Division II State Playoffs where they will take on the #1 seeded Davidson Day School. The Crusaders and Patriots have hashed it out the past 5 years in tightly contested, high scoring battles. The Crusaders however, have not found a way to come out with a win over the Patriots in previous years but look to overcome recent history and advance to the state championship game.

HCA Football: First Round Playoff Preview

The Crusaders will face 3 time defending State Champions Davidson Day in the second round of the playoffs with a win against the Cannon School

The Harrells Christian Academy Crusader football team enters the NCISAA Divison II State Playoffs as a #5 seed. The Crusaders will face the Cannon school in the first round of the playoffs. Both teams enter the first round of the playoffs with a record of 5-5. HCA is coming off a heartbreaking, 34-26, loss to Ravenscroft in the Big East Conference championship game. The Cougars enter the game after an impressive 29-14 victory over Wake Christian Academy who defeated the Crusaders earlier in the season.

The Crusaders outmatch the Cougars in nearly every statistical category except for passing yards. Cannon averages 88 passing yards per game while the Crusaders only average 32 yards per game. The Crusaders, however, have used the passing game to quickly turn the momentum in games multiple times this year. Cannon will look to spread the ball around to multiple receivers and running backs throughout the game in order to stay fresh throughout the game. The short handed Crusaders will have to find a way to keep up with the constant rotation of players by the Cougars.

HCA has struggled throughout the year with players being out for multiple reasons, from injuries to suspension. HCA will be without their starting fullback, Joseph Phaneuf (Shoulder) , and starting tight end, Ethan Hall (Concussion). The Crusaders will heavily rely on their leading rusher Marcus Scarborough who has tallied 1,201 yards on 175 carries and 14 touchdowns this season. The junior tailback is averaging just over 133 yards per game.

The Crusaders defeated the Cougars in convincing fashion last year, 75-7. The Cannon School looks to seek revenge on Friday and send the Crusaders back to the store with a loss.

Game info:

Where: Cannon School, Concord, NC (5801 Poplar Tent Road Concord, NC 28027)

Kickoff: 7:00

Second Half Surge by Crusaders Comes Up Short in Conference Championship Game

The Harrells Christian Academy Crusader football team lost to Ravenscroft Friday night, 34-26, in the NCISAA Big East Conference Championship game. The HCA offensive attack started off slow by not finding the end zone in the first quarter. The Ravens converted on the Crusaders' struggles with an early score on a 1 yard touchdown run to give the Ravens an early 7-0 lead.

The Ravens came up with two more defensive stops that set up two more touchdowns to extend their lead to 20-0 in the second quarter. The Crusaders finally found the end zone on a 21 yard touchdown run by Marcus Scarborough to narrow the scoring gap to 20-7 with 5:05 left to play in the first half. Ravenscroft answered back with another touchdown on a 9 yard touchdown run to extend the Ravens' lead back to 27-7 in the waining stages of the first half.

Ravenscroft received to start the second half but were stopped on on fourth down by the Crusader defense. HCA found the end zone on a 21 yard touchdown reception from OH Rouse to Marcus Scarborough to make the score 27-13 with 5:45 in the third quarter. The early second half score sparked new life into the Crusaders allowing them to make a second half run towards a comeback win.

The Crusaders came up big on the ensuing defensive possession. Davonta Best intercepted a screen pass by the Ravens and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. The defensive touchdown cut the deficit to 27-20 with 4:17 left in the third quarter.

The Ravens answered with with a 29 yard touchdown run to make the score 34-20 in the early stages of the fourth quarter. HCA however, offered a counter attack on a 73 yard touchdown pass from OH Rouse to Davonta Best, for the second passing score of the night, to shorten the Ravens lead to 34-26.

The Crusader defense then forced a long field goal by the Ravens that was pushed to the left leaving the score 34-26 with less than a minute to play. The Crusader offense was then stopped on fourth down allowing the Ravens to seal the 34-26 victory and claim the title of NCISAA Big East Conference Champions.

Marcus Scarborough led the Crusader's offensive attack with 155 yards on 30 carries with 1 touchdown. The junior running back also caught one pass that resulted in a 21 yard touchdown reception.  OH Rouse finished the game with 94 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. Davonta Best contributed all over the field for the Crusaders with 73 receiving yards and one touchdown to go along with an interception returned 46 yards for a score. Seniors OH Rouse and Fredrick Strickland combined for 20 tackles on the defensive side of the ball for the Crusaders.

HCA enters the NCISAA Division ll State Playoffs as a #5 seed. The Crusaders will travel to Concord to take on the Cannon School in the first round of the playoffs on Friday November 7- Kickoff at 7:00. The Crusaders defeated the Cougars 75-7 in their match up last year. The two teams enter the game with records of 5-5. HCA hopes to start their playoff run with a win Friday night in search for yet another State Championship Title. HCA has claimed 13 state titles in the history of the football program, however the Crusaders have not staked their claim as State Champions since 2008.

The Crusaders enter the State Playoffs as a 5 seed and look to make a run for a State Championship under the leadership of first year head coach Winfred Johnson.

HCA Football Falls to South Lake Christian

HUNTERSVILLE, NC - The Harrells Christian Academy Football team lost to the South Lake Christian Eagles 49-19 on Friday night. The Crusaders struggled on offense due to the absence of their leading rusher Marcus Scarborough who was not able to play due to being ejected from the Crusaders previous game against Q Foundation. The Crusaders second leading rusher, Joseph Phaneuf was out of the game due to a shoulder injury.

The Crusaders never found any rhythm on offense and surrendered multiple first half scores. The Eagles' rushing attack was lead by junior running back Robert Washington who totaled 262 yards on 25 carries and tallied four total scores. Washington broke a career rushing landmark against the Crusaders by surpassing 5,000 yards in just three years. The junior running back already has over 30 offers to play Division 1 football including offers from Notre Dame, Ole Miss, and Stanford.

The Crusaders struggled all night to find a way to stop Robert Washington,
South Lake's all time leading rusher

The Crusaders found the end zone one time in the closing stages of the first half on a 33 yard touchdown connection between senior quarterback OH Rouse and Davonta Best. The Crusaders headed into the half trailing by a sizable 35-7 deficit.

The Crusader came out in the second half with a lot of heart and held the Eagles to just two scoring drives. The Crusaders matched the Eagles scoring attack in the second half with two touchdowns of their own. The Eagles outscored the Crusaders by a much smaller amount in the second half by only a 14-12 spread. The Eagles did not let up through the second half by playing their starters the entire game. The Crusaders fell short at the end of game losing by a margin of 49-19.

The Crusader coaches emphasized to their players after the game how proud they were of their boys and the way they never gave up and kept fighting. HCA assistant coach Clayton Hall stated after the game," I would love to play this team again in three or four weeks come playoff time with our entire team, healthy and ready to go."

The Crusader look to claim a conference title in their next game against Ravenscroft with the help of the Crusader's leading rusher Marcus Scarborough who did not play in Harrells game against South Lake

The Crusaders play for a conference championship next week as they travel to Ravenscroft in Raleigh. HCA will be a revamped team with their leading rusher and other key players back for the conference championship game. The team hopes to clinch the conference title and head into the playoffs with some momentum in the search for a State Championship Title.

HCA Football Falls to Q Foundation

The Harrells Christian Academy football team suffered their third loss of the season Friday night against the Q Foundation 38-12. The Crusaders could not seem to find any momentum throughout the entire game and failed to find the end zone after the early stages of the second quarter.



HCA received the ball to start the game and quickly found the end zone on a three yard touchdown run by junior tailback Marcus Scarborough. The Crusaders tried to keep the momentum in their favor by attempting an onside kick to quickly retain possession. The onside kick was perfectly placed however a Falcon player jumped up and grabbed the ball and returned the kick for a touchdown to give Q Foundation a 8-6 lead.

The Crusaders came back with a counter attack in the beginning of the second quarter with a one yard quarterback sneak by OH Rouse for a touchdown. The Crusaders regained a 12-8 lead with 10:33 left in the second quarter. The Crusaders would not find the end zone again for the remainder of the game.

The Falcons once again returned a short kickoff ,by the Crusaders, back for a touchdown to put themselves on top with a 16-12 lead. The two teams headed into halftime in a tightly contested game with the Falcons leading 16-12.

Q Foundation received the kickoff to start the second half and quickly found the end zone on a 40 yard run to extend the Falcon lead to 22-12. After a stop by the Falcon defense, Q Foundation was knocking on the door of the end zone when Don Banks, sophomore safety for the Crusaders, came up with an interception on the 1 yard line to give the Crusaders the ball back. The Crusaders were then forced to punt which set up an 8 yard touchdown reception to extend the Falcon's lead to 30-12 in the early stages of the fourth quarter.

After the two teams traded a pair of interceptions the Falcons scored one final time on a 31 yard touchdown run to seal the 38-12 win over the Crusaders. Harrells Christian's loss to the Falcons dropped their record to 5-3 on the season.

The Crusaders will be without leading rusher Marcus Scarborough, starting fullback Joseph Phaneuf,
and tight end Ethan Hall in their upcoming matchup against South Lake Christian

The Crusaders look to bounce back as they take on South Lake Christian. The matchup between the Crusaders and the Eagles serves as a pivotal game for playoff seeding implications. HCA will be without their leading rusher, Marcus Scarborough, in their matchup with the Eagles after he was ejected from Friday night's game against Q Foundation.

HCA Football Finds Offensive Groove Against North Raleigh

The Harrells Christian Academy football team bounced back from last week's loss at Wake Christian with a convincing 42-14 victory over North Raleigh Christian Academy on Homecoming Night.

The Crusaders got back on track by getting back to the basics of Crusader football: blocking and running through the holes the linemen create. HCA stepped up on the defensive side of the ball by only allowing one offensive touchdown by the Knights.

The Crusaders started out the game with the ball but were soon halted by the North Raleigh defense. The HCA defense came up big with a fumble recovery by Nathan Casteen to give the Crusaders the ball back on their own 47 yard line. HCA reached deep into their playbook to convert on a 40 yard touchdown reception from OH Rouse to Davonta Best to give the Crusaders an early 7-0 lead.

The Crusader defense came up with a stop on fourth down to set up a 9 yard touchdown run by Davonta Best for his second score of the game.

The Knights answered with a 87 yard kickoff return for a touchdown to tighten the Crusader lead to 14-7. Marcus Scarborough answered right back for the Crusaders with a 88 yard kickoff return for a touchdown ,of his own, to extend the HCA lead to 21-7.

Marcus Scarborough found the end zone again for the Crusaders from 1 yard out to lengthen the lead to 28-7. Cole Hardison then came up with a huge interception for the Crusaders just as the Knights began to gain some offensive momentum. HCA quickly took advantage of the turnover on a 35 yard touchdown run by Marcus Scarborough for his third score of the game.

The Crusader defense came up with another stop on fourth down to set up a 4 yard touchdown run by Quinton Faison to push the lead to 42-7 heading into the half.

North Raleigh came out firing in the second half by scoring on their first drive on a 35 yard touchdown pass to shorten the Crusader lead to 42-14.

Neither team found the end zone in the latter stages of the game allowing HCA to cruise to a 42-14 victory over North Raleigh to improve their record to 5-2 (1-1) on the season.

OH Rouse led the Crusaders on defense with 7 total
tackles and one sack.

Marcus Scarborough finished the game with 223 all purpose yards. Scarborough rushed for 116 yards on 13 carries and 2 touchdowns. The junior totaled 107 total return yards and 1 touchdown to help propel the Crusaders to victory.

The Crusaders clinched a playoff spot with Friday's win over the Knights and look to strengthen their résumé in their next matchup at home against Q Foundation on Friday, October 17 for Senior Night.

HCA Football Falls to Wake Christian in Conference Opener

The Harrells Christian Academy Football team lost to Wake Christian Academy 52-48 in an offensive shootout.

Harrells received the ball to start to the game. The Bulldogs came up with a huge fourth down stop to give them the ball on the Wake 11 yard line. The Crusader defense answered right back by forcing a fumble that was recovered by senior defensive lineman Jordan Musslewhite who ran the ball in for a touchdown to give HCA an early 6-0 lead.

The Bulldogs answered back with a score of their own on a 12 yard touchdown run after a long drive down the field.

HCA running back Marcus Scarborough broke away for a 57 yard touchdown to put the Crusaders back on top 12-6 in the waining stages of the first quarter.

The two teams continued to trade scoring drives and headed to halftime in a tightly contested game. The Bulldogs lead 22-20 heading into the half.

Wake started out quickly in the second half with a 37 yard touchdown run.

The Crusader offense threw a counter punch with a 64 yard touchdown run by senior fullback Joseph Phaneuf.

The Crusader defense forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over on downs which set up a 1 yard quarterback keeper by OH Rouse for a touchdown to give HCA the 34-30 lead in the third quarter.

The Crusaders came up with another stop but fumbled the ball on the ensuing drive which allowed the Bulldogs to score on a 29 yard touchdown pass. The Bulldogs headed into the fourth quarter with a 38-34 lead.

The Bulldogs stopped the high powered Crusader offense on fourth down which set up yet another long touchdown pass, this time from 45 yards out, to extend the lead to 44-34 with 8:18 left to play.

The Crusaders came out on their next drive and surprised everyone on a 61 yard touchdown reception by Davonta Best to tighten the deficit to 44-42 with 8:04 left to play in the game.

The Crusader defense came up with a big fumble that set up a 6 yard touchdown run by Marcus Scarborough to give HCA their first lead, 48-44, since the second quarter.

Wake marched down the field draining the clock down to under a minute to play. The Bulldogs were faced with a 4th down on the HCA 2 yard line. The Bulldog quarterback powered his way into the end zone to give Wake the 52-48 lead with 24 seconds left in the game.

The Crusaders could not muster out on final score to push them to victory. Wake handed the Crusaders their second loss of the season with a 52-48 victory.

The Crusaders hope to bounce back and contend for the conference and state championship title.

HCA can clinch a playoff spot with a victory in their upcoming homecoming game against North Raleigh Christian Academy.

Andrew Miller
Sports Writer

HCA Football Makes Defensive Statement in Win at South Robeson

Junior running back Marcus Scarborough rushed for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Crusader's 29-0 win against South Robeson

The Harrells Christian Academy Crusaders defeated South Robeson High School 29-0 to improve to 4-1 on the season.

The high octane Crusader offense did not disappoint against the South Robeson Mustangs. The HCA defense however was the real surprise after Friday night's performance. The Crusaders held the Mustangs to 174 total offensive yards and kept them out of the out of the end zone.

South Robeson won the toss to start the game but deferred to the second half. The Crusaders were quickly forced to punt. The Mustangs took over on their own 20. HCA's defense did not allow the Mustangs to find any offensive rhythm forcing them to punt. Senior, Fredrick Strickland, broke through the line and blocked the Mustang's punt giving the Crusaders the ball on the South Robeson 10 yard line.

The Crusaders were pushed back to the 15 yard line after a penalty but quickly bounced back and found the end zone on a 15 yard touchdown run by senior fullback Joseph Phaneuf. The Crusaders were not successful on the two point conversion attempt giving the Crusaders an early 6-0 lead.

The two teams continued to battle back and forth into the second quarter. The Crusaders extended their lead to 14-0 on a 37 yard touchdown run by junior Marcus Scarborough with 11:49 left to play in the first half.

The Crusader defense forced another three and out giving their high powered offense the ball back. Joseph Phaneuf punched the ball in for a touchdown after a long 60 yard drive to extend the Crusader lead to 22-0 with 2:25 left to play in the second quarter.

At the half the Crusaders found themselves leading 22-0. Marcus Scarborough led the Crusader rushing attack at the half with 108 yards on 13 carries and 1 touchdown.

South Robeson came out of halftime firing on offense. The Mustangs marched down the field with no problem. The Crusaders ,however, forced a fumble that was recovered by Davonta Best on the HCA 4  yard line.

The Crusaders could not convert off of the turnover and headed into the 4th quarter with a 22-0 lead over the Mustangs.

Marcus Scarborough found the end zone for his second touchdown of the night this time from 8 yards out to extend the Crusader lead to 29-0 with 6:11 left in the game.

The Crusaders stopped the Mustangs again and ran the clock out to seal the win.

Marcus Scarborough finished the game with 137 yards on 19 carries and 2 touchdowns. Joseph Phaneuf was a key contributor to the Crusader offensive attack with 91 yards on 15 carries and 2 touchdowns.

Head Coach Winfred Johnson excitedly stated after the game, "If you would have told me we would be 4-1 heading into our bye week I would have taken it in a heartbeat," he continued, "The key to our success is blocking. When our boys block well and our backs hit the holes hard we are a great offensive team and that is exactly what we did tonight."

The Crusaders head into a much needed bye week with a record of 4-1. The Crusaders will begin conference play at Wake Christian in two weeks on Friday October 3.

Follow HCA Athletics on twitter: @hca_athletics

Andrew Miller
HCA Athletics
Sports Reporter

HCA Outlast Warren County in Offensive Shootout

Senior fullback, Joseph Phaneuf searches for a seem to break through for a touchdown. 

Harrells Christian Academy defeated Warren County 36-32 to improve their record to 3-0 on the season.

The Crusader rushing attack entered the highly anticipated offensive matchup against Warren County ranked #3 in the state and #11 in the nation in total rushing yards with 828 yards.

The Crusaders received to start the game. HCA marched down the field led by senior tailback Quinton Faison. Joseph Phaneuf capped off the long drive with a 1 yard touchdown run to give the Crusaders an early 6-0 after a failed two point conversion attempt.

Warren County quickly answered back with a long drive ending in a 5 yard touchdown run to tie the game 6-6 with 55 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

At the end of the first quarter the game was tied at 6-6. Quinton Faison led the Crusader offense with 42 yards in the 1st quarter.

The Crusaders did not take long to find the end zone once again. Jospeh Phaneuf punched in his second score of the game from 8 yards out to extend the HCA lead to 14-6 after a converted two point conversion.

Once again Warren County answered with a touchdown. The Eagles found the end zone on a 19 yard touchdown run to tighten the HCA lead to 14-12 with 5:59 left to play in the half.

The two teams battled with a pair of failed offensive drives. Warren County forced the Crusaders to punt giving the Eagles the ball on the Warren County 31. Davonta Best recovered a Warren County fumble to give the Crusaders the ball back on the Eagles 30 yard line with 23 seconds left in the half.

Marcus Scarborough carried the ball into the end zone from 30 yards out on the ensuing play to extend the Crusaders lead to 20-12.

HCA found themselves leading 20-12 at the half.

Warren County received to start the second half but was stopped on a 4th down conversion attempt. HCA retained possession on their own 44 yard line.

Davonta Best found the end zone on the ensuing Crusader drive on a 11 yard touchdown run to lengthen the HCA lead to 28-12 with 7:13 left in the 3rd quarter.

Warren County showed signs of an answer to the Crusader score but their momentum was halted by a fumble that was returned 76 yards for a touchdown by , senior, Justin Smith to extend the Crusader lead to 36-12 in the closing stages of the 3rd quarter.

Justin Smiths sprints towards the end zone after a fumble recovery.

HCA looked as though they were in control and were on their way to an easy victory when the Eagles forced a fumble and returned the ball 78 yards for a touchdown to tighten the scoring margin to 36-18 with 10:35 left in the game.

The Crusaders were then forced to punt on their next possession. Warren County found the end zone again on their next possession form 5 yards out to make the score 36-26 with 4:19 left in the game.

The Crusaders were rolling and looking to run out the clock when Warren County forced a fumble to give the Eagles the ball back on the HCA 39.

Warren County quickly converted off the Crusader turnover with a 1 yard touchdown run to put the Eagles within 4 points 36-32 with 1:55 left to play.

The Eagles lined up for an onside kick but could not execute . The ball did not roll 10 yards giving the Crusaders the ball on the Warren County 44.

HCA celebrated and ran the clock out to clinch their third win of the season 36-32.

The Crusader coaching staff told their team, " Way to man up again tonight. That game was tough and came down to who converted their two point conversions. Boys, you bowed your neck and stopped their 2 point conversions and we converted ours. That was the difference, right there."

Marcus Scarborough led the Crusader rushing attack with 92 yards on 17 carries and 1 touchdown. Joseph Phaneuf also contributed to the offensive success with 73 yards on 16 carries with 2 touchdowns. OH Rouse led the Crusader defense in tackles with 9 total tackles.

The Crusaders look to extend their record to 4-0 next week as they travel to 3 time defending State Champion Davidson Day School.

Follow HCA Athletics on twitter: @hca_athletics