BLADENBORO – Senior Rasean McKoy rushed for 175 yards and scored 5 touchdowns to lead East Bladen to a 58-14 Three Rivers Conference football victory over West Bladen in the season finale for both teams.
The 175 yards raised McKoy’s season total to 1,169 rushing yards in just 7 games. The 6-3 senior has rushed for 15 touchdowns and has scored 18 total touchdowns for the year.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
West Bladen fumbled a hand-off on their 1st offensive snap, and freshman Britt Sasser recovered for East Bladen at the Knight 35 yard line. On the next play senior quarterback Zach Meares threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to senior Javant McDowell. Meares tossed a 2-point conversion pass to junior Nazire Smith to put East up 8-0 with 11:35 on the clock.
The Knights picked up a pair of 1st downs on their next possession before they were stopped on downs at the Eagle 40 yard line. East then traveled 60 yards in 5 plays. McKoy ripped off runs of 10 and 12 yards. Junior Javius Brooks dashed 17 yards, and junior Raymond Autry, Jr. gained 14 yards. McKoy banged through the right side on the 2-yard touchdown run, and Meares connected with McDowell on the conversion pass and a 16-0 lead.
West Bladen picked up 2 1st downs and reached the Eagle 35 yard line before turning the ball over in downs. On the next play McKoy broke through the line on a counter-play and galloped 65 yards for a touchdown. Meares tossed a swing pass to Autry who barreled into the end zone for the conversion and a 24-0 lead with 1:03 remaining in the period.
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West Bladen Senior Night
Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Junior Willie Battle intercepted a West Bladen pass at the Eagle 48 yard line on the final play of the 1st quarter. Meares flipped a swing pass to Smith who motored 28 yards to the Knight 23. Javius Brooks gained 11 yards, and the drive was kept alive by senior Josh Hayes’ fumble recovery. Two plays later McKoy dashed 5 yards for the touchdown and a 30-0 Eagle lead with 8:55 left in the half.
Three plays later Knight sophomore Gary Parker broke through a group of tacklers on the right side, popped free and raced 55 yards for a touchdown that trimmed the East lead to 30-6 with 7:05 on the clock.
The Eagles answered with a 59-yard drive in 11 plays. Javius Brooks charged through the line for 14 yards. Autry picked up 11 yards, and McKoy started right then cut back on a 19-yard touchdown run. Autry bolted into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a 38-6 lead 2:04 before halftime.
The Knights responded with a 55-yard scoring drive in 5 plays. Senior ShyRon Adams caught a 12-yard pass from junior quarterback Devon Strange. Four plays later Strange fired a pass to Adams who was cutting across the middle and Adams pulled out of a tackle and scooted to the end zone to complete the 42-yard touchdown pass play. Junior Demarius Robinson bulled into the end zone for the 2-point conversion that cut the lead to 38-14 at the 1:17 mark.
McKoy sprinted 46 yards on the next Eagle play from scrimmage. Autry carried into the end zone from 5 yards out for the touchdown and a 44-14 lead.
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A pass interception by East Bladen junior Tim McLean gave the Eagles possession at the Eagle 43 yardline. McKoy picked up 13 yards then grabbed a pass from Meares and sped down the left sideline to the end zone to complete a 44-yard touchdown pass play as time expired in the half with the Eagles on top 50-14.
Three plays after halftime, Javius Brooks powered into the end zone from 4 yards out for the touchdown. Autry darted 40 yards to set up the touchdown. McKoy circled right end for the conversion for a 58-14 lead with 10:49 on the clock. The score began the mercy rule running clock.
“I was pleased with the way we started,” said Eagle Coach Robby Priest. “It is not hard to get them pumped up for this game. They know a lot of the guys they are playing against. There is some junk-talking going back and forth, but they are ready to play.”
Autry finished with 86 yards rushing and a touchdown. Brooks added 46 yards rushing and a touchdown. Meares completed 4 of 7 passes for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns. McKoy caught 2 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. McDowell had the 35-yard TD reception.
Parker led the Knights with 92 yards and one touchdown rushing. Strange threw for 72 yards and a touchdown. Adams caught 5 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles held a 348-144 edge in rushing yards and a 461-216 advantage in total yards.
“We have a lot of stuff to clean up,” said Knight Coach Jon Sherman. “We started the year with 51 players and now we are down to 35. We lost our starting middle linebacker this week to injury. We have a lot of work to do. Offensively we just keep shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes – penalties, fumbles, missed assignments.”
The Eagles finished the season with a 5-2 record. “We were the only team in the conference to play all 7 games,” said Priest. “Our kids made a lot of individual sacrifices to accomplish that.”
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