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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
BLADENBORO – East Bladen answered an early West Bladen touchdown with 35 first-half points en route to a 48-12 Three Rivers Conference football victory over the Knights Saturday night.
Knight sophmore Shyron Adams returned the opening kick-off 67 yards to the East Bladen 14 yardline. Junior quarterback Tyre Boykin darted through the right side on a 14-yard touchdown run that produced a 6-0 lead only 27 seconds into the game.
Back came the Eagles as sophmore quarterback Zach Meares hurled a bomb to senior Shy Pone who was streaking down the left sideline. Pone caught the pass in stride and completed the 65-yard touchdown play to tie the score 6-6.
The first play from scrimmage for each team had produced a touchdown and only 42 seconds had elapsed off the game clock.
The Eagles squibbed the kick-off and after a pile-up, East was awarded the ball at the Knight 41 yardline. Eight plays later the Eagles were in the end zone. Senior Eric Chancy carried 3 times on the drive for 18 yards, and junior Lawson Hester rushed 4 times for 23 yards.
Hester capped the drive by dashing to the left pylon on a 9-yard touchdown run. Meares tossed a 2-point conversion pass to junior Xavier McKoy that boosted the East lead to 14-6 at the 7:52 mark.
Boykin gained 10 yards, and senior Kerron Washington scooted 15 yards as the Knights drove to the Eagle 20 yardline. However the East Bladen defense stiffened and stopped the Knights on downs at the 24 yardline.
Chancy broke loose for a 28-yard run, and Meares popped free and sprinted 37 yards. Chancy bolted 11 yards off the right side for the touchdown as the Eagles covered 76 yards in just 3 plays. Chancy banged into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a 22-6 East lead with 2:42 left in the period.
Junior Kasey Price gained 12 yards to begin the next East possession. Sophmore Rasean McKoy snared a 12 yard pass from Meares, and Pone flew 15 yards on the jet sweep as the Eagles reached the West 28 yardline, but Knight senior Nelson Drake sacked Meares on fourth down to end the threat.
However four plays later the Knights turned the ball back over on downs at Eagle 49 yardline.
Eight plays later the Eagles scored again. Pone started the march with runs of 7 and 8 yards, and Price ripped off runs of 6 and 12 yards. Chancy pounded the right side on a 2-yard touchdown run that pushed the lead to 28-6 with 3:56 remaining in the half.
Eagle junior Orlando Murchison pounced on another squibbed kick-off at the Knight 37 yardline. Chancy burst through the line for 10 yards on the next play, and Meares tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Pone to complete the 7-play drive. Meares booted the extra point for a 35-6 East lead 26 seconds before halftime.
East Bladen opened the second half with a 74-yard touchdown drive in 11 plays. Chancy reeled off runs of 5, 13, 10 and 7 yards before speedy Josh McKoy scampered 7 yards for the touchdown and a 41-7 lead.
The Knights moved 25 yards to the Eagle 32 yardline before being stopped on downs. East Bladen then marched 68 yards in 5 plays for their final touchdown. Josh McKoy picked up 10 yards and a personal foul penalty moved the ball to the West 44.
Sophmore Rasean McKoy charged around the left side for 24 yards, before senior Jordan Payton bounced off several tacklers on a 15-yard touchdown run. Meares tacked on the extra point for a 48-6 lead that started the running clock with 1:12 left in the third period.
The Knights responded with a 61-yard scoring drive in ten plays. Adams snared passes from Boykin for gains of 20, 24, 10 and 11 yards for the touchown with 5:45 remaining.
McKoy scooped up the Knight kick-off and galloped 50 yards to the West two yardline, but the Eagles took a knee twice and ran out the clock.
Chancy led the East Bladen ground attack with 15 carries for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hester rushed 11 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, and Price added 44 yards on 9 carries.
Meares completed 5 of 6 passes for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran 4 times for 42 yards. Pone caught 3 passes for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Eight different Eagles gained positive yards as East Bladen rushed 48 times for 338 yards and totaled 429 yards of offense.
“Our depth is getting better,” said Eagle Coach Robby Priest. “In that second group, Josh McKoy runs a 4.2 40 (yard dash), and Rasean McKoy is 6 foot-2 and just runs mean. They are getting better.”
Boykin completed 8 of 12 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown and ran 14 times for 39 yards and another touchdown.
“It’s hard to simulate what he (Boykin) does in practice,” said Coach Priest. “We can simulate a running team, but a guy who can roll out and still run or pass – he is hard to prepare for.”
Adams caught 5 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown and returned the opening kick-off 67 yards to set up the early touchdown.
“I felt that we should have scored some more after that first touchdown,” said Knight Coach Kris Williams. “But we made some bad decisions on the field. I don’t know if it was inexperience, pressing or kids just trying to do too much.”
Losing two possessions when the Eagles recovered their own kick-off didn’t help the Knight cause. “That is something that we really work on,” said Williams. “We have worked on it all year.”
The Eagles improved to 8-0 in league play and 9-1 overall and remained tied with South Columbus for first place in the TRC. The Eagles travel to South Columbus Friday to decide the league title. The Stallions defeated Whiteville 36-32 Saturday night.
West Bladen will close out their season Friday night at home against Red Springs.
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