It's Crest vs. Shelby time

It's that time of year again.
Below is the list of scores in the Crest-Shelby high school football series that annually pits two of the better programs in the western half of the state. Shelby leads the matchup 24-15-1.
Here are some of my memories/thoughts about specific games in the series. I've had the good fortune to cover most of the action when the two hook up since 1980.

Breakthrough (1980): Crest's 21-0 triumph was their first official win over the Golden Lions, though the 1973 tie had gone to the Chargers (the former Western North Carolina High School Activities Association didn't recognize results from overtimes unless the two teams were tied in the standings at the end of the season).
Other than Kibby Daves' 55-yard run early in the third quarter that broke the scoreless deadlock, what stays in my head most about this encounter is how the Charger fans stayed on the field so long afterwards, not wanting to leave Blanton Memorial Stadium.

Crazy ending (1985): This ranks as one of the strangest endings I've ever seen. Shelby was trying to run the clock out with a one-point lead but was backed up deep in its end of the field. Shelby elected to run a play on fourth down rather than risk a kick, yet when the official blew the whistle at the end of the play, time had not elapsed and Crest took over around the 10 yardline with enough time to try a field goal. Yet the Chargers, as was their habit at that point in time, lined up in an offset formation and was shifting into its field-goal alignment when the referee started the clock and it ran out before Crest got the play off.
And yes, that explanation of what happened is just as complicated as it sounds.

Overtime duel (1987): This marked the first time that Jim Taylor and Mike Stewart coached against one another. The Lions were in the second year of a back-to-back state championship run but three costly mistakes in the kicking game helped put the game into overtime, where James Harbison's TD run lifted Crest to victory.

Stealing the ball (1993): This was another of those dramatic finishes. The game seemed to be finishing as a tie when Crest tried an option pitch deep in its own territory in the final minute. Robert Williams timed it perfectly and stole the pitch and dashed into the end zone to give Shelby the surprising victory.

Wide right (1998): Another of Shelby's state championship clubs ran afoul of the Chargers. Though the Lions maintained ball control much of the night, it missed three field goals leaving the contest tied 7-7 late in the game. Fighting the clock, Shelby went to the air but it was picked off and returned for a score to give Crest the win.

Making a stand (2003): Crest had won five straight years over the Golden Lions but that came to end when Shelby halted a last-gasp Chargers' drive. The Lions' Tavorris Jolley, only a sophomore, made the stop on fourth down when Crest was inside the five-yardline and allowed Shelby to hold on.

The shootout (2004): In a year in which both teams played all the way to their respective state championship games, the two put up the most combined points in the series. Shelby jumped to an early 21-3 lead but the Chargers came back to pull out a 38-35 triumph. There likely were more future college players on the field in this game than in any Crest-Shelby matchup ever played.

Chargers vs. Golden Lions
Year-by-year
2007 — Crest 14, Shelby 7
2006 — Shelby 21, Crest 7
2005 — Shelby 21, Crest 17
2004 — Crest 38, Shelby 35
2003 — Shelby 17, Crest 14
2002 — Crest 40, Shelby 0
2001 — Crest 28, Shelby 14
2000 — Crest 45, Shelby 13
1999 — Crest 21, Shelby 7
1998 — Crest 14, Shelby 7
1997 — Shelby 18, Crest 7
1996 — Crest 14, Shelby 7
1995 — Shelby 44, Crest 21
1994 — Crest 16, Shelby 3
1993 — Shelby 24, Crest 17
1992 — Shelby 35, Crest 14
1991 — Shelby 13, Crest 7
1990 — Shelby 20, Crest 3
1989 — Shelby 26, Crest 20
1988 — Crest 28, Shelby 21
1987 — Crest 27, Shelby 20
1986 — Shelby 13, Crest 7
1985 — Shelby 7, Crest 6
1984 — Shelby 12, Crest 7
1983 — Crest 13, Shelby 7
1982 — Crest 14, Shelby 0
1981 — Crest 12, Shelby 7
1980 — Crest 21, Shelby 0
1979 — Shelby 19, Crest 13
1978 — Shelby 26, Crest 7
1977 — Shelby 13, Crest 7
1976 — Shelby 20, Crest 0
1975 — Shelby 21, Crest 8
1974 — Shelby 14, Crest 6
1973 — Crest 14, Shelby 14
1972 — Shelby 31, Crest 8
1971 — Shelby 33, Crest 12
1970 — Shelby 41, Crest 7
1969 — Shelby 47, Crest 0
1968 — Shelby 45, Crest 7