FAIRMONT- Junior Shy Pone returned a Fairmont kick-off 74 yards for the winning touchdown with 53 seconds remaining as East Bladen survived a furious Tornado rally and escaped with a 42-38 Three Rivers Conference football victory Friday night.
Fairmont had capitalized on a fumble and an onside kick to score 24 unanswered points and take a 38-35 lead with 1:06 on the clock.
After an unsportsmanlike penalty pushed Fairmont back 15 yards on the kick-off, Pone caught the kick on the run and the middle ‘parted like the Red Sea’. Pone bolted through the gap and eluded the last defender near the Tornado 20 yardline. Junior Pierce Melvin kicked his sixth extra point for the 42-38 lead.
“I told Coach (Terry) Smith if they kicked it deep it was going to be Red Springs all over again,” said East Bladen Robby Priest referring to Leumichael “Mike-Mike” Smith’s conference-clinching kick-off return for the Eagles against Red Springs in 2005.
The Tornadoes didn’t quit as quarterback Derrick Arnette hurled a 55-yard bomb to junior Jordan Waters that put Fairmont at the Eagle 18 yardline with 20 seconds remaining.
On the next play Eagle senior Reashoid Pone knocked the ball loose from Derrick Arnette, and senior Davonta McIver recovered for East Bladen at the 25 yardline to finally clinch the victory.
The early play was dominated by the Eagles who covered 80 yards in 7 plays on their first possession. Senior Xavier Wooten snared a short pass from quarterback Sincere Smith and turned it into a 25-yard gain to start the drive.
Wooten then charged through the Tornado defense on runs of 10, 19 and 6 yards before scoring the touchdown standing up from 3 yards out. Melvin nailed the first of 6 straight extra points for a 7-0 East lead with 4:09 left in the first period.
Three plays later Eagle senior Adonis Avery intercepted a Tornado pass and returned the ball 11 yards to the Fairmont 33 yardline. Sincere Smith kept the ball and gained 9 yards to convert a 4th down and 7 situation. Wooten dashed 13 yards before Smith tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Avery on the first play of the second quarter. Melvin tacked on the point for a 14-0 lead.
Fairmont bounced back with a 57-yard touchdown drive in 8 plays. Derrick Arnette completed 4 passes for 48 of those yards. Waters snagged an 8-yard pass for the touchdown that trimmed the margin to 14-6.
The Eagles answered with a 69-yard drive in 6 plays. Junior Eric Chancy popped free for a 17-yard run to ignite the drive. Sophmore Tayshaun Berkeley grabbed a 27-yard pass from Smith before Wooten turned the left corner and raced 20 yards for the touchdown. Melvin’s kick padded the lead to 21-6 with 4:28 on the clock.
Fairmont rallied with an 86-yard drive in 11 plays. Arnette connected on 5 passes for 68 yards to spark the march including a 4-yard TD strike to Waters on the fade route. Malik Arnette caught a 2-point conversion pass from Derrick Arnette to close the gap to 21-14 with 43 seconds left.
A 17-yard return of a short kick-off by Pone put the Eagles at the Tornado 45 yardline. Wooten turned another short pass from Smith into a 13-yard gain. On the last play of the half, Melvin’s 33-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.
Junior Josh McKoy scooted 31 yards with the second half kick-off to set up a 52-yard Eagle touchdown drive. Wooten ripped off a pair of 8-yard runs, and fullback Xavia McDowell banged through the middle for gains of 16 and 8 yards. Chancy dove into the end zone from a yard out for the score. Melvin’s kick made it 28-14.
The Tornadoes mounted a 71-yard drive that featured a 19-yard pass to Jordan Burch and a 14-yard run by Sidney McKeithan. Pone stripped a fourth down pass away from a Fairmont receiver in the end zone to end the threat.
The Eagles ground out a 9-minute, 17-play, 90-yard drive that appeared to have sealed the verdict. Chancy had 6 carries for 41 yards, and McDowell had 4 runs for 27 yards to spark the drive. McDowell bulled into the end zone from a yard out, and Melvin converted the point for a 35-14 East lead with 3:56 remaining.
Derrick Arnette threw passes of 14, 12 and 34 yards to Jayvon Morris during a 60-yard touchdown drive. The score came on the 34-yarder with 2:52 on the clock. Nalijah Pittman caught Arnette’s pass for the 2-point conversion that sliced the lead to 35-22.
On the first play after East Bladen’s Tyreese McElveen pounced on the onside kick at midfield, the Eagles fumbled and Fairmont’s Brent McDonald scooped up the ball and sprinted 49 yards for a touchdown. Waters reeled in Derrick Arnette’s conversion pass that narrowed the gap to 35-30 with 2:38 left.
Fairmont’s Randy Floyd recovered the onside kick at the Eagle 49. Derrick Arnette completed sideline passes to Waters for gains of 10 and 9 yards, before Malik Arnette darted 15 yards to the 6 yardline. Derrick Arnette kept the ball on a 3-yard touchdown run, and Malik Arnette ran the conversion for a 38-35 Fairmont lead.
“The fans got their money’s worth,” said Coach Priest. “I didn’t like our focus. It was Homecoming and there were too many distractions. I am glad this happened. We needed a shake – to have to battle through a tough one. Fairmont played their butts off.”
Wooten rushed for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries to lead the Eagle attack. Chancy finished with 79 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts, and McDowell carried 8 times for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Smith completed 5 of 7 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown and ran for 25 yards. “He makes things happen,” said Coach Priest. Wooten caught 2 passes for 38 yards, and Berkeley had the 27-yard reception.
Derrick Arnette completed 16 of 26 passes for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Tornadoes. Morris caught 7 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, and Waters had 7 receptions for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.
East Bladen piled up 296 yards rushing and 368 total yards, but Fairmont’s passing attack netted 299 yards passing and 387 total yards.
The Eagles, now 4-1 in league play and 6-1 overall, will travel to St. Pauls Friday night.
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