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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
ELIZABETHTOWN – Senior halfback Eric Chancy shouldered the rushing load for East Bladen Friday night with 184 yards and 3 touchdowns on 33 carries as the Eagles rallied for a 35-24 Three Rivers Conference victory over St. Pauls.
All three of Chancy’s touchdowns came in the second half after the Bulldogs had built a 17-7 lead courtesy of Kalvin Carpenter’s 82-yard touchdown return of the opening kick-off and a pair of Eagle turnovers.
The Eagles tied the game early as junior Lawson Hester intercepted a Bulldog pass and sprinted 59 yards for the tying touchdown. Junior Gabe Barber booted the extra point.
After an East Bladen fumble, Christopher Canuto connected on a 42-yard field goal for a 10-7 Bulldog lead. Marqueise Coleman ran 1 yard for a St. Pauls touchdown after another Eagle fumble to pad the lead to 17-7.
East Bladen threatened late in the first half, but a 34-yard field goal attempt failed.
The Eagle ground game kicked into high gear after halftime. Hester charged into the end zone from 11 yards out to cap the first East Bladen drive. Barber tacked on the extra point to trim the margin to 17-14 with 7:30 on the clock.
After a Bulldog 3-and-out, East Bladen ground out a 53-yard scoring drive. Chancy banged into the end zone from a yard out, and Barber’s conversion kick put the Eagles up 21-17 with 2:14 left in the period.
Coleman ripped off runs of 20 yards then 35 yards for a touchdown that pushed the Bulldogs back on top 24-21 after Canuto’s extra point kick.
The Eagle ground game pounded the Bulldog defense with another scoring drive that was capped by Chancy’s 4-yard touchdown run. Barber who nailed all 5 of his conversion kicks added the point for a 28-24 East lead 15 seconds into the final period.
Another Eagle pass interception midway the final quarter at the East Bladen 20 yardline ended a St Pauls threat. The final Eagle scoring drive covered 80 yards and once again Chancy darted 9 yards for the clinching touchdown with 1:53 remaining. Barber’s conversion kick padded the lead to 35-24.
The East Bladen ground game piled up 337 yards rushing and 23 first downs rushing on 63 rushes. The Eagles held a 29 minute to 19 minute advantage in time of possession and converted 11 of 14 third downs.
Hester ran for 85 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts. Hester also had the interception return for a touchdown. Junior Kasey Price added 54 yards on ten carries. Sophomore quarterback Zach Meares completed 2 of 3 passes for 27 yards.
About the Eagles 28-7 second-half comeback, Coach Robby Priest said, “We held on to the ball, and we were a little different team in the second half. Like my ole buddy Dennis Meshaw used to say ‘It ain’t how you start, its how you finish.”
Coleman racked up 197 yards rushing on 23 carries to account for almost all of the Bulldogs 202 yards rushing.
The Eagle defense intercepted 3 passes and limited the Bulldogs to 5 yards passing and only one completion in 14 attempts. Only one of the St. Pauls touchdowns wasn’t set up by a turnover or the result of a return.
With the victory the Eagles remained tied for the top spot in the TRC with a 4-0 record and are 5-1 overall. East Bladen will host East Columbus Friday night.
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