CEDAR BLUFF — The past couple of weeks, Cedar Bluff senior quarterback Kyle Crane has been locked in the zone.

After a 343-yard, 7-touchdown total performance at Randolph County last week, Crane was back at it again on Friday in the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs.

Crane threw for 276 yards and five touchdowns — including the game-winner with 1:06 left in the game — to lead Cedar Bluff (8-3) to a 33-26 win against Victory Christian (9-2) in the opening round of the Class 1A state high school football playoffs Friday night.

Crane was 15-for-23 passing for the night. He also led the Tigers with 11 carries for 61 yards.

The win sends the Tigers to the second round on Friday, where they will travel to Appalachian (9-2). The Eagles ended Cedar Bluff’s season last year in the second round with a 7-0 victory.

“Our kids are just grateful to have the opportunity to advance, regardless of who we’re playing,” Cedar Bluff coach Jonathan McWhorter said. “It should be a great game next Friday.”

Crane’s performance overshadowed that of Victory Christian senior quarterback Michael Kirby. Kirby completed 16-of-34 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown, but threw three interceptions, including one to Tyric Scales to end the game.

Kirby also rushed for 81 yards on 10 carries with a score.

“We knew they (Victory Christian) were going to be a quality opponent, and we knew we were going to have out hands full,” McWhorter said. “Our kids played for 48 minutes. If we would have played for 47, we would have lost.

“We gave up some yards (482 total), but our kids made some big plays when they had to and come away with the win.”

Victory Christian took a 6-0 lead on Zachery Johnston’s 2-yard touchdown run with 4:42 to go in the first. Cedar Bluff answered on Crane’s 20-yard touchdown pass to DeAngelo Hardy with 2:33 to go in the quarter. Scales’ extra point gave the Tigers a 7-6 lead.

Victory regained the lead on Kirby’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Johnston, making the score 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Crane threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Reese. The PAT made the score 14-12 at the half.

Crane hit Scales on an 8-yard touchdown pass with 6:41 left in the third quarter to make the score 20-12. He later found Hardy for a 31-yard touchdown pass to increase the Cedar Bluff lead to 26-12 with 41 seconds left in the third.

But Victory Christian rallied with a pair of touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 26-26 with 2:07 left in the game. The first came from Cody Ramsey on a 41-yard run with 11:46 left. The second was a 2-yard touchdown run by Kirby.

Crane had an answer, however, hitting Zach Taylor on a 79-yard touchdown pass with 1:06 left in the game for the final score.

Taylor ended the game with six catches for 174 yards and a score, while Hardy had two grabs for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

Scales finished with four receptions for 26 yards and a score. Reese had three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 38 yards on 12 carries.

Johnston finished with four catches for 119 yards and a touchdown for Victory. Jordan Grimmer had five receptions for 115 yards. Ramsey led Victory’s ground attack with 13 carries for 99 yards and a score.