BURGAW – Pender capitalized on a big-play offense Thursday night to defeat West Bladen 34-6 in Four County Conference football action.
The Patriots scored on plays that covered 51, 70, 69 and 52 yards and a 34-yard run set up their final touchdown.
The Knights jumped out to an early lead, but several key penalties and turnovers kept West Bladen off the scoreboard over the game’s final 47 minutes. West Bladen was penalized 5 times for 50 yards, while Pender had only one 5-yard offside penalty.
Senior Trent West recovered Pender’s onside opening kick-off, and two plays later junior B. J. Drake bolted around right end and raced 54 yards for a Knight touchdown and a 6-0 lead with only 48 seconds having ticked off the clock.
Pender answered on their first offensive play as junior Latrell Brown dashed 51 yards on a counter-play for the tying touchdown. Senior Matthew Ezzell booted the extra point for a 7-6 Patriot lead with 10:59 left in the period.
A 16-yard run by Drake and a 7-yard carry by senior James Moore produced a pair of first downs on the next Knight possession, but a fumbled hand-off led to a 7-yard loss and halted the drive.
After an exchange of punts, Brown broke loose again pulling away from several tackles and tight-roping the sideline on a 70-yard touchdown run. Ezzell tacked on the point for a 14-6 Pender lead 10:56 before halftime.
The Knights responded with a 44-yard, 11-play drive that reached the Patriot 11 yardline before being stopped on downs at the 18. Drake had a 43-yard touchdown run on the third play of the drive called back by a holding penalty.
Pender came right back with an 82-yard, 5-play scoring drive. Junior quarterback Chase Norris hurled a 69-yard touchdown pass to senior Justin Hooper. Ezzell converted the kick for a 21-6 lead at the 2:13 mark.
Drake reeled off gains of 6, 7 and 5 yards to begin the next Knight drive. On the fourth play, Drake popped through the right side and galloped 42 yards to the Patriot 20 yardline, but another holding penalty nullified the play.
On the next play, Drake burst through the line for an18-yard gain, but the ball came out very late in the play after most of the West sideline heard a whistle. Pender’s Hooper grabbed the ball and scampered 52 yards for a touchdown and a 28-6 lead after Ezzell’s kick just 16 seconds before halftime.
Neither team mounted much offense in the third period. The highlight for West Bladen came when junior Michael Hepburn drilled Pender’s punt returner. The hit knocked the ball loose and Hepburn recovered at the Patriot 44.
Midway the final period Hooper’s 34-yard run keyed a 55-yard Patriot scoring drive. Hooper circled right end from 13 yards out for the touchdown and a 34-6 lead with 3:46 left to play.
Hepburn raced right back through the middle with the ensuing kick-off and scooted 67 yards to the Patriot 25 yardline. A penalty against the Knights backed the ball up to the 40, but sophmore Kerron Washington darted 13 yards to the 27. However a third down pass was intercepted in the end zone by Pender’s Makhel Henry.
“We didn’t bring the intensity that we needed tonight,” said Knight Coach Todd Pait. “We have to show up ready to play every game, and we didn’t tonight.”
Drake was the bright spot for the Knights with 171 rushing yards on 18 carries. “He could have had 300 yards,” said Pait referring to the two long runs that were nullified by penalties.
Junior quarterback Scott Bowen completed 4 of 8 passes for 21 yards and ran for 17 more yards. Drake caught 3 passes for 13 yards.
Senior Chris Council led the Knight defense with 6 tackles. Seniors Hunter Pait and Jaquel Jessup and junior Jalen Drew totaled 5 tackles each. Senior Traquan Smith and junior Jimmy Williams had 4 tackles each.
Brown led the Pender runners with 8 carries for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hooper rushed 16 times for 90 yards and a touchdown, caught 2 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown and returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Pender held a 218-214 edge in rushing yards and a 289-246 edge in total yards.
It was the final game of the season for the Knights who finished with a 2-9 record. “We are building a foundation here for a program that the community and the school can be proud of,” said Coach Pait. “We just ask for patience because it is not going to happen overnight.”
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