Erwin’s Damien Ferguson (2) celebrates with C.J. Thompson after becoming Western North Carolina’s all-time passing leader on Friday.
ASHEVILLE — Erwin coach Mike Sexton stopped the game against Enka on Friday night to honor a historic achievement.
It turned a little embarrassing for Erwin quarterback Damien Ferguson. Sexton halted play in order to celebrate in front of the home crowd, including Ferguson’s family on homecoming — complete with the first homecoming queen in school history in attendance.
Ferguson became the Western North Carolina all-time passing leader during the third quarter of Erwin’s 69-24 win over the Jets.
“He came over, I think he saw me, and he took off his helmet and I gave him a kiss on the cheek,” said Ferguson’s mother, Sarah. “I don’t think I embarrassed him too much.”
Ferguson, a senior without a college scholarship offer, broke the previous record of 7,895 passing yards that former Tuscoala quarterback Tyler Brosius finished accumulating in 2009. Ferguson entered Friday’s game 256 yards behind Brosius and finished the night ahead by 23 yards with 7,918 in his career.
“It’s happened over time, year by year,” Ferguson said. “I trust the guys. Like tonight, the O-line blocked, the receiver caught the ball and they made plays.”
The record-breaking play is a perfect example.
The starting offensive gave him time to throw a 10-yard pass to fellow senior C.J. Thompson who lined up as a slot-receiver to the right. Thompson caught the ball facing Ferguson, then slipped a tackle and headed up the right sideline and into the endzone for a 35-yard touchdown.
“I threw it to C.J. and he made a play,” Ferguson said. “That’s how it works.”
The Warriors (3-4, 1-1) who went ahead 54-17 on Thompson’s second touchdown of the night, lined up to kick the extra point and Ferguson headed to the sideline. But Sexton stepped on the field, caught the attention of game officials and had the public address announcer summarize Ferguson’s achievement.
The 11 players on the extra-point team sprinted to Ferguson who hoisted the ball before all of his teammates mobbed the new record holder.
Thompson knew the numbers — and the score.
“He was talking before the game, in the locker room, like, ‘I can break this record,” said Thompson, who caught five passes for 135 yards. “I said to him, ‘I know you can.’”
They connected for the record-breaker. But not everybody understood the achievement could be accomplished at Kerr Stadium against the Jets (2-5, 1-1).
“I knew nothing about it,” said running back Isaiah Poore who had 11 carries for 111 yards and four touchdowns. “I had no clue. Then I heard about when we topped and I went wild.”
Teammates on the sideline hugged Ferguson as he made his way down the sideline. He reached the railing and reached the ball — a Wilson GST 1003 — over the chain-link fence to his father, Norman. Then his mom snuck in a kiss.
Perhaps it was his only kiss of the night. After the game, still in his pads and still getting congratulations from Erwin supporters of all ages, Ferguson contemplated how to spend the rest of the night.
“A steak dinner sounds better than going to the dance,” he said. “But yeah, I have a date.”
Ferguson kept the ball in his hands as long as possible after the game, posing for pictures with teammates, friends, family members and even a few folks he didn’t know.
They all celebrated Ferguson’s accomplishment and the Warriors win. Ferguson tossed three touchdowns and ran for another. Poore scored four times, Quentin Smith (135 yards) and Za Plummer also had rushing touchdowns. The Jets scored on a pass from Avery Holbrook to Seth Phillips, a sneak by Holbrook, a dive by Zach Burnette and a field goal from Mitchell Warren. Phillips made three catches for 82 yards.
The ball they all used for nearly three quarters has a future in in the Ferguson home. It will be placed alongside all of the other trophies accumulated since Ferguson began playing football as a 6-year-old and the baseball and basketball trophies he’s earned as well.
But before it goes into a case, Ferguson has a request from many. He wants autographs. He wants signatures like a fan — signatures from his linemen, his receivers, his coaches any other teammate who find a bare spot on the leather.
“He’s never made this a big deal,” Norman Ferguson said. “It kind of is a big deal, but he’s just part of the puzzle.”
And he earned a kiss for knowing that — and the record too.
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