ELIZABETHTOWN – Senior Xavier Wooten and junior Eric Chancy combined for 398 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns to lead East Bladen to a 39-33 victory over James Kenan in the opening round of the NCHSAA Class 2A Football Play-offs.
Wooten carried 26 times for 250 yards -171 in the first half – and 3 touchdowns, while Chancy finished with 148 yards and 3 touchdowns on 20 attempts.
All of those yards and points were needed as junior quarterback John Thomas Avent completed 27 of 38 passes for 384 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers. Senior Quashawn Wilkins caught ten passes for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns. Junior Deoveon Harris had 6 catches for 94 yards, and junior Jalen Faison grabbed 7 passes for 86 yards.
“Hey, it was pitch and catch out there for them,” said Eagle Coach Robby Priest. “We didn’t give them much resistance defensively.”
Avent fired a quick-slant to Wilkins who turned it into a 46-yard gain on the second play of the game. After a 12-yard Avent pass to Donte Legette, junior Tajuan Savage bounced into the end zone from 2 yards out for a touchdown. Alexis Paz booted the extra point for a 7-0 Tiger lead 2 minutes into the game.
The Eagles answered with an 80-yard drive in 11 plays. Wooten pounded the left side of the line for gains of 14, 7, 9, 8 and 8 yards. Fullback Xavia McDowell bulled up the middle on runs of 8 and 7 yards, and Chancy added two runs of 6 yards each before charging into the end zone from 5 yards out for the touchdown. The conversion was wide and left Kenan ahead 7-6 at the 5:57 mark.
Back came the Tigers with a 66-yard drive in 12 plays – 8 of them passes. Avent threw to Faison for 17 yards, to Legette for 26 yards and to Faison for 11 yards. Senior Teshawn Savage scored the touchdown from a yard out, but the conversion kick missed and left Kenan ahead 13-6 with 2:11 on the clock.
Eagle senior Sincere Smith returned the Tiger kick-off 41 yards to the East Bladen 45 yardline. Wooten picked up 11 yards then popped through the left side and galloped 44 yards for the touchdown. Junior Pierce Melvin nailed the extra point kick to tie the game 13-13 with 1:03 remaining in the period.
The Eagle defense forced a 3-and-out, and Smith returned a short Tiger punt 9 yards to the Kenan 36 yardline. Wooten dashed 36 yards down the left sideline for the touchdown. Melvin tacked on the conversion for a 20-13 East lead 10:59 before halftime.
Teshawn Savage’s 32-yard kick-off return, and a 24-yard Avent pass to Faison moved the Tigers to the East 29 yardline. However an intentional grounding call pushed Kenan back to the 47 and a fourth down pass fell incomplete.
The Eagles covered those 53 yards in 7 plays. Wooten busted loose for 24 yards, and Chancy darted through the right side for 12 yards to convert a fourth down play. Chancy bolted 8 yards up the middle for the touchdown. The conversion kick was blocked to keep the East lead at 26-13 with 6:32 remaining.
Another Teshawn Savage 31-yard kick return and a pair of personal foul penalties helped the Tigers reach the Eagle 26 yardline before being stopped on downs.
Chancy reeled off runs of 11, 20 and 9 yards as the Eagles drove 59 yards to the Tiger 14 yardline. However a holding penalty bogged down and stopped the drive.
After forcing a 3-and-out, the Eagles fumbled the Tiger punt to give Kenan the ball at the East 38, but an incomplete pass ended the half with East up 26-13.
A 40-yard kick-off return by Smith started the second half. The Eagles picked up a pair of first downs before being stopped on downs at the Tiger 18 yardline.
The Tigers rallied with an 82-yard, 10-play drive. Avent connected with Harris on a 38-yard pass play, then tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Wilkins. Paz kicked the point to pull Kenan to within 26-20 with 3:42 left in the third quarter.
Faison recovered an onside kick to retain possession for the Tigers at midfield, but Eagle sophmore Jordan Robinson intercepted an Avent pass and returned the ball 47 yards to the Kenan 19 yardline. One play later Chancy skirted right end behind a wall of blockers on a 17-yard touchdown run. The conversion kick was deflected and East lead 32-20 at the 2:43 mark.
James Kenan fought back with a 76-yard drive in 11 plays. Harris snagged Avent passes for gains of 19 and 26 yards and a personal foul penalty added 12 yards. Faison snared a 17-yard Avent pass as the drive reached the Eagle two yardline.
Jabril Johnson’s one-yard fourth-down pass to Wilkins produced the touchdown, and Paz added the point to keep Kenan within 32-27 with 10:18 left.
James Higgins recovered the Tiger onside kick at the Eagle 43 yardline. Seven plays later Wooten banged through the line and sprinted 31 yards for the touchdown that padded the lead to 39-27 after Melvin’s conversion kick with 7:28 remaining.
The Tigers covered 72 yards in 10 plays (7 passes) to close the gap to 39-33. Avent hit Rasheed Simmons for 17 yards, Wilkins twice for gains of 10 yards each, Faison for 11 yards then again for 16 yards and Legette for 12 yards. Avent kept the ball for the 2-yard touchdown run to narrow the gap to 39-33 with 4:21 on the clock.
Chancy pounced on the Tiger onside kick at the Kenan 47 yardline. Wooten carried 3 times for 19 yards, and Chancy rushed 3 times for 22 yards as the Eagle offense picked up 3 first downs and ran out the clock.
“You don’t check a box as to whether it is a pretty win or an ugly win,” said Coach Priest. “But we won and we are moving on.”
The Eagles piled up 418 yards rushing and one yard passing, while James Kenan totaled 385 yards passing and minus 12 net yards rushing.
East Bladen improved to 11-1 and will host a second round game Friday against Greene Central – a 28-6 winner over Kinston.
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