Greensboro Grimsley's football team isn't trying to surprise anyone on offense or defense. But while the Whirlies' approach may be simple, it's also effective and Grimsley has earned a spot in today's Class 4-A state championship game against J.H. Rose because of it.

The Whirlies (14-1) haven't put up any dazzling numbers offensively, but they really haven't had to. In an offensive scheme dubbed "Shup-ball," in reference to coach Todd Shuping, Grimsley prefers to run the ball on the majority of its snaps. That plan benefits the Whirlies in several areas — they keep the clock running, it prevents their opponent's offense from getting on the field and also wears down opposing defenses.

Grimsley's leading rusher is quarterback Robert Lane, who's carried the ball 124 times for 1,281 yards, an average of 10.3 yards per carry. He's scored 10 touchdowns via the run, has thrown for four more and hauled in eight passes for 126 yards and another score.

Fullback David Moore leads the team in carries with 212 and rushing TDs with 13 while gaining 824 yards. Josh Stewart spends time at running back and quarterback, leading the team in pass completions (16), attempts (34) and yards (254). He's also rushed for 597 yards and six touchdowns.

The Grimsley defense is among the best in the state and is ranked No. 1 by some publications. Interestingly enough, both Rose (15-0) and the Whirlies are giving up exactly nine points per game this season.

For Grimsley, which has allowed only one team to score more than 20 points in a game this year, linebacker Christian Lumbu has been a tackling machine, recording a team-high 116 stops. The defensive ends — Brandon Peguese and Jamal Rease — are each forces at the line of scrimmage and have been able to pressure quarterbacks all season. Peguese leads the team with 17.5 sacks to go along with 98 tackles while Rease has added 13.5 sacks and 78 tackles. Nose guard Bonga Nxumalo is the defensive captain and makes the calls on the D line.

When the boys up front are doing their jobs, it often forces QBs to make split-second decisions, resulting in more than a few bad passes. Lane has benefitted by grabbing a team-high 10 interceptions from his free safety position while fellow defensive backs Jack Schultz and K-Quan Whethers have picked off six and five, respectively.

After getting a chance to rest last week due to a forfeit by Shelby Crest in the Western Regional championship game, Shuping's team enters today's contest with absolutely nothing to lose. This is Grimsley's first trip to the state title game since 1960 and the fact that they're taking on the two-time defending champs probably only heightens their anticipation.

Greensboro News & Record sportswriter Kellie Dixon contributed to this report.

Tony Castleberry can be reached at (252) 329-9591 or at tcastleberry@coxnc.com