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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
BLADENBORO – Junior quarterback Tyre Boykin threw for 131 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead West Bladen to a 38-30 Three Rivers Conference football victory over South Robeson Monday night.
Boykin completed 5 of 9 passes and two of his touchdown completions went to sophomore Shyron Adams who caught 3 passes for 97 yards. Adams also came up with 3 turnovers – intercepting 2 passes and taking the ball away from a Mustang receiver inside the 5 yardline.
“Those two (Boykin and Adams) are just natural athletes,” said West Bladen Coach Kris Williams. “We just try to get them in the right place to make plays. We really lit up the scoreboard in the first half.”
The Knights drove 57 yards in 12 plays to grab an early 8-0 lead. Junior Tra’shawn Ballard was the workhorse of the drive carrying 9 times for 43 yards. Boykin flipped an 8-yard jump pass to Adams for the touchdown. Ballard bulled into the end zone for the 2-point conversion.
“Tra’shawn had some shoulder issues early in the season,” said Coach Williams. “One of the only good things about the hurricane lay-off was that Tra’shawn had time to get healthy.” Ballard finished with 47 yards rushing on 11 attempts.
The Mustangs rallied in the second quarter with a 47-yard drive that was capped by a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Locklear to 6-4, 285-pound Cameron Werrell. The two-point conversion knotted the score 8-8.
Moments later the Mustangs recovered the kick-off, and Locklear hooked up with Werrell on another 30-yard touchdown pass that put the visitors up 16-8.
Knight sophomore Kai Belle recovered a Mustang fumble at the Knight 26 yardline to end the next South Robeson threat.
Boykin fired a 19-yard pass to Adams, then one play later, Boykin darted through the line and sprinted 55 yards for a touchdown. Boykin scooted into the end zone for the 2-point conversion that tied the game 16-16 with 8:25 left in the half.
On the next South possession, Adams out jumped a Mustang receiver to pull down an interception at the West Bladen 27 yardline. One play later Boykin broke loose down the right sideline and raced 70 yards for the touchdown that put West in front 22-16 with 5:18 on the clock.
The Mustangs responded with a 43-yard, 6-play scoring drive after a lengthy kick-off return. A 22-yard run by senior Tylek Baker highlighted the march. Sophmore Jamuari Baker dove into the end zone from a yard out then ran the 2-point conversion for a 24-22 South lead 1:59 before halftime.
One play after the Mustang kick-off, Boykin found Adams streaking down the middle behind the defense and delivered a long strike that resulted in a 70-yard touchdown play. Boykin kept the ball on the conversion and scored the conversion that put West up 30-24 with 59 seconds remaining.
Back came the Mustangs as Werrell connected with Kylerr Page on an end-around pass. The play gained 62 yards before Adams stripped Page and took the ball away at the Knight 2 yardline.
The Mustangs covered 61 yards in just 3 plays to begin the second half. Baker galloped 45 yards for the tying touchdown. A conversion pass failed and the score remained tied 30-30.
South Robeson mounted a 56-yard, 10-play drive later in the quarter, but Adams picked off another Mustang pass and returned the ball 37 yards to midfield.
The Knights responded with a 50-yard, 8-play drive. Senior Kerron Washington caught a key 17-yard pass from Boykin that converted a 4th down and 7 situation.
After Boykin scrambled 9 yards and Ballard powered 4 yards for a first down, Boykin connected with Washington in the right flat. Washington banged through a jarring tackle, put his hand down to keep his balance and charged into the end zone to complete a 17-yard touchdown play.
“Kerron had a tough time early in the game,” said Coach Williams. “But he pushed through and made a big play for us.” Washington ran 3 times for 24 yards and caught 2 passes for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Boykin kept the ball on the conversion and pulled free from a would-be tackler to add the 2 points on the last play of the third quarter that boosted the lead to 38-30.
The Mustangs consumed almost 11 minutes of the final quarter with a 66-yard, ten play drive. On third down at the Knight 11 yardline, Ballard and freshman Jaylen Newkirk sacked the Mustang quarterback for a 6-yard loss.
On fourth down Werrell hauled in another Locklear pass but was past the backline of the end zone, the pass was incomplete and possession was turned over to the Knights with 1:02 left to play. Boykin took a knee twice and ran out the clock.
“The win feels pretty good,” said Coach Williams. “The defense came up big at the end. I was proud of that. We had been telling them they could do it, and they finally put it into action.“
The Knights evened their conference record at 1-1 with the win and will travel to Whiteville Friday night.
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