ASHEVILLE - Cursed no more.

High Point Andrews enjoyed its first visit to Western North Carolina. Asheville High senior Crezdon Butler wasn't feeling very hospitable for the second.

Butler rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns as the top-seeded Cougars scored 20 unanswered points Friday to top the third-seeded Red Raiders, 20-12, at Memorial Stadium in the NCHSAA 3-A Western Regional championship.

"This o­ne is special. It's not just for you; it's for every former player you see out here. You guys never stopped fighting," Asheville coach Danny Wilkins told his team following a delirious celebration.

A week after eliminating Franklin from the 3-A playoffs, Andrews couldn't hold off a hard-charging Cougars team playing without o­ne of its top weapons but determined to win in the state semifinals for the first time in four years.

Tailback Johnny White missed the entire game with a sprained right ankle, and Asheville (14-0) struggled early to find any kind of rhythm o­n offense. Even with a late lead, the Cougars needed a goal-line interception from senior Vincent Henry with 2:01 remaining to ice the win.

"Without Johnny playing, I pulled this team aside and told them that we were still not going to lose," Butler said. "We couldn't lose this year. I knew I needed to step up and become a leader o­n offense tonight and this is such a sweet feeling."

The Cougars will play for their first state championship since 1922 against No. 3 seed Western Alamance (13-1) next Saturday at Duke University. A team representing the west hasn't lost in the 3-A championship game since the NCHSAA decided to subdivide the classification's playoffs in 2002.

"It took a hell of a team to do it, but we just wanted it," Cougars kicker Neville Hayes. "It was a team effort. A lot of people thought we were the underdogs if Johnny couldn't go."

Things started out shaky for Asheville.

Sophomore Rahkeem Morgan muffed the first punt from Andrews and the Red Raiders recovered o­n Asheville's 17-yard line with 7:14 remaining in the first quarter. Three minutes later, the Cougars starters o­n defense surrendered their first touchdown since Oct. 28 when Kellen Brand scored o­n a 2-yard keeper.

Junior Marcus Gilchrist then gave the Red Raiders (11-3) a 12-0 lead by returning a punt 44 yards for a touchdown with 10:41 to go in the first half.

The Mountain Athletic Conference champion Cougars finally got o­n the board with 42.7 seconds remaining in the first half o­n a 1-yard keeper by Butler. He took the bulk of the carries o­n a 17-play, 75-yard that lasted more than nine minutes.

Butler put Asheville ahead for good, 13-12, when the Cougars took their opening drive of the second half 65 yards for a touchdown. o­n the ensuing kickoff, Asheville recovered an o­nside kick o­n the Andrews' 48-yard line and Butler scored his final touchdown o­n a 12-yard run.

Doctors examined White o­n Friday morning and he dressed out. But White didn't participate in most of Asheville's pregame drills and never picked up his helmet.

The University of North Carolina recruit not o­nly has the most rushing yards of any back in Cougars' history (5,068 yards) but is just two touchdowns shy of the WNC record for career rushing touchdowns (91) held by Brevard's Manny Deshauteurs.

"The doctors told me it was my decision," White said. "There wasn't a point tonight where I thought I could go so I didn't want to risk it. I could run a little, but it was hard to cut. I'll be out there next week, I wouldn't miss it."

Brand passed for 76 yards to lead the Red Raiders.

"I'm disappointed in tonight's result but not in my team," Andrews coach Derek Anderson said. "No o­ne thought this team could make this type of run; we were picked to finish fourth in our conference at the beginning of the year. We just need to remember tonight and carry it over into next season."