[slideshow_deploy id=’64616′]
ELIZABETHTOWN – Senior Ethan Hines scored 4 touchdowns during a 36-7 first-half blitz that propelled his East Bladen Eagles to a 42-28 non-conference football victory Thursday night over St. Pauls.
Ethan’s twin brother Eian Hines started the East Bladen scoring with a 24-yard touchdown run that capped the first Eagle drive. Ethan Hines carried into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and an 8-0 lead with 7:03 left in the opening period.
Following a Bulldog punt, junior quarterback Quinton Bedsole connected with Ethan Hines who was streaking down the right side on a 60-yard touchdown pass play. The conversion failed and East led 14-0 with 5:15 remaining in the quarter.
The Eagle defense stopped St. Pauls on a fourth down play at the Bulldog 36, but St. Pauls’ D. J. Henson picked off an East Bladen pass at the Bulldog two yard line to halt the Eagle threat.
On the next play East Bladen’s Xavia McDowell tackled St. Pauls’ running back Chris Graham in the end zone for a safety that upped the Eagle lead to 16-0 with 7 seconds on the first quarter clock.
The Bulldogs went for the onside kick on the free kick from their own 20, and the ball sailed out-of-bounds to give the Eagles possession at the St. Pauls 26. On fourth down, Ethan Hines bolted through the left side on the counter and scooted 20 yards for the touchdown and a 22-0 lead 10:35 before halftime.
Bulldog junior quarterback Noah Wheeler answered with passes of 15 yards and 33 yards to Dijuan McNair that set up his own 2-yard touchdown run. Senior Anthony Garcia booted the extra point to close the gap to 22-7 with 8:18 left in the half.
Ethan Hines scooped up the kick-off at his own 17, darted right and flew down the right sideline for an 83-yard touchdown return. Sophomore Pierce Melvin kicked the extra point for a 29-7 lead with 8:06 on the clock.
Late in the half junior Bernard Robinson sacked Wheeler for a 9-yard loss on fourth down at the Eagle 34. On the next play Ethan Hines spun through a couple of tackles and dashed 57 yards for another touchdown. Melvin tacked on the conversion to push the lead to 36-7 with 1:15 left in the half.
The Bulldogs covered 57 yards in 6 plays on their first possession of the second half. A 21-yard pass from Wheeler to Michael Barnes set up Wheeler’s 14-yard touchdown keeper. Garcia added the point to close the gap to 36-14.
A 70-yard interception return by Dayshawn Ray for a Bulldog touchdown whittled the lead to 36-21 after Garcia’s extra point with 3:05 left in the period.
The Eagles responded with a 7-minute, 13-play, 48-yard touchdown drive after junior Tanner Meares caught the Bulldogs’ onside-kick attempt. Junior Xavier Wooten carried 7 times for 32 yards on the drive and banged into the end zone from 2 yards out for the touchdown and a 42-21 lead with 8:13 remaining in the game.
On their next possession the Eagles drove to the Bulldog 7 yard line, but a pair of holding penalties killed the drive.
The Bulldogs raced 79 yards in the final 2 minutes on the strength of passes from Wheeler to Barnes for 29 yards and 36 yards. Graham scored the touchdown from 2 yards out with 54 seconds on the clock. Garcia’s conversion made it 42-28.
“We won the game,” said Eagle Coach Robby Priest. “That was our goal. We are young and part of the learning curve is to be able to put a team away. We ran the ball good in the second half, but there were just too many penalties.”
Ethan Hines carried 8 times for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns, caught the 60-yard touchdown pass from Bedsole and had the 83-yard kick-off return.
Wooten finished with 66 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Eian Hines rushed 7 times for 49 yards and a touchdown. James Higgins gained 47 yards on 12 attempts.
The Eagles rushed for 309 yards on 51 attempts and had 369 total yards.
Wheeler completed 18 of 28 passes for 218 yards and ran 11 times for 24 yards and 2 touchdowns. Barnes snagged 4 passes for 96 yards. Dakota Oxendine caught 9 passes for 58 yards, and McNair had 3 catches for 52 yards.
East Bladen improves to 2-1 with the victory and will enjoy an open date next week before traveling to Wilmington Laney on September 16.
About Author
