ST PAULS – Senior quarterback Noah Wheeler ran for six touchdowns and threw for another to lead St. Pauls to a 55-28 Three Rivers Conference football victory over West Bladen Friday night.
Senior B. J. Drake led the Knight attack running for 141 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Senior Dayvon Swindell rushed 8 times for 79 yards.
Wheeler rushed 19 times for 186 yards and threw for 138 yards with one interception. Caleb Inman carried 16 times for 96 yards. Wheeler started the Bulldog scoring parade with a 23-yard touchdown run at the 9:49 mark. Gary Locklear booted the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
The Bulldogs recovered an onside kick and moments later Wheeler darted 6 yards for another touchdown. Locklear converted for a 14-0 lead with 7:42 left in the quarter. Marqueise Coleman bolted 5 yards to push the St. Pauls lead to 20-0 with 5:03 on the clock.
Senior B. J. Drake banged into the end zone from 3 yards out for the first Knight touchdown with 1:20 left in the first quarter. St. Pauls led 20-6 at the quarter break.
Fifty-one seconds into the second period, Wheeler scooted 3 yards for a touchdown on the keeper play. Locklear tacked on the point for a 27-6 lead.
A 35-yard touchdown pass from Wheeler to Inman pushed the lead to 34-6 after Locklear’s extra point with 4:05 remaining in the half.
West Bladen answered as sophomore quarterback Tyre Boykin threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to junior Kerron Washington to trim the margin to 34-12 with 2:14 on the first half clock.
St. Pauls answered as Wheeler scored again on a 5-yard run 22 seconds before intermission. Locklear kicked the point to up the count to 41-12 at halftime.
Drake bulled into the end zone from 2 yards out with 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Swindell carried into the end zone for the 2-point conversion that sliced the lead to 41-20.
Wheeler broke loose for a 31-yard touchdown run with 9:15 left in the game. Locklear added the point for a 48-20 Bulldog lead.
Drake bolted 43 yards for the final West Bladen touchdown with 5:39 remaining. Sophmore Dashawn Hines dashed into the end zone for the conversion that pulled West to within 48-28.
Wheeler’s final touchdown came on a 32-yard run, and Locklear converted his seventh extra point of the game to pad the final margin to 55-28.
Seniors Jimmy Williams and Jalen Drew led the Knight defense with 7 tackles each. Williams had 6 solo tackles, while Drew was credited with 3 solo tackles. Drake followed with 6 tackles – all solo, and senior Jonathan Robinson finished with 5 tackles – 3 solo. Tra’shawn Ballard added 4 solo tackles.
West Bladen, now 2-5 in league play and 4-5 overall, will host league-leading South Columbus Friday night.
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