By: the Record Staff | Hickory Daily Record Published: November 10, 2012 Updated: November 10, 2012 - 1:13 AM

EAST FLAT ROCK, N.C. Freedom High surged to an 18-point lead by halftime and beat top-seeded East Henderson 46-38 on Friday night in the second round of the state 3A football playoffs.

The victory, the second road postseason win in school history, gained Freedom (11-2, No. 4 West pod seed) a rematch with South Mountain Athletic 2A-3A champion Burns (10-3, No. 2 seed) next Friday night in the third round.

Burns advanced by beating Hickory 28-13 in a game played at Kings Mountain High.

The game site for the Freedom-Burns rematch will be determined this week.

Five Freedom players scored first-half TDs in the win over East Henderson (11-2), and the Patriots gained either a first down or scored on 13 of their first 17 offensive plays.

Patriots senior quarterback Shawn Fairchild capped a five-play, 52-yard opening drive with a 2-yard TD run for a 7-0 advantage. Fellow senior David Burgess then spun out of three tackles for a 15-yard TD run and a 13-0 lead, before Izzy Davis 2-yard scoring run made it 19-0 late in the opening quarter.

After an Eagles TD, Khris Gardin eluded five would-be tacklers in the backfield on an end around and weaved 54 yards through defenders to make it 25-7 at the half.

The lead swelled to 32-7 on Burgess second TD run, a 16-yard burst that unofficially gave him more than 2,500 rushing yards this season.

East Henderson quarterback Seth Owen (16-of-39 for 247 yards) then ran for his second score, but a 35-yard fullback dive by Cameron Storie increased the Patriots lead to 25 points once more.

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Freedom advances, meets Burns next