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By John Clark

LAKE WACCAMAW – Junior Hezekiah Adams and sophomore Hunter Hester sparked the West Bladen offense, and the defense came up with 5 turnovers as the Knights posted a 47-14 non-conference football victory over East Columbus Friday night.

Adams caught 5 passes for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns, had a 57-yard interception return, completed 3 of 4 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown and ran for 22 yards – a total of 231 all-purpose yards.

Hester connected on 11 of his first 12 passes and finished 11 of 14 for 195 yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior Elijah McCollum snagged 3 passes for 45 yards. Junior Noah Hall snared 2 passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Senior Messyah Whitted ran for 2 touchdowns, and senior Travis Baxley caught 2 passes for 34 yards and a touchdown.

On the defensive side, Baxley intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble and had 3 tackles. Senior Jahmar Richardson blocked a punt, recovered it for a touchdown and made 8 tackles. Sophomore Robert McKoy made a key sack for -5 yards and had 8 tackles.

Senior Kamarie Washington was credited with 5 tackles and a fumble recovery. Senior Aaron Lewis made 5 tackles and recovered a key onside kick. Adams had 5 tackles and the big interception return.

“I was proud of the defense, and the way they played,” said Knight Coach Stanley Williams. “I really want us to run the ball better and that goes back to the offensive line. We need to get better every day. I was proud of the way we kept our composure. It got a little chippy out there.”

Ahmarie White’s pressure helped force a poor pass that Baxley intercepted at the Knight 44 yard line. Hester fired a quick-out to Adams who scooted 30 yards to the East 26. After a penalty, Hester connected with Hall on a slant for 15 yards then zipped a 16-yard TD pass to Hall again for a 6-0 West lead at the 7:24 mark.

The Gators gambled on 4th down at their own 28, and Lewis batted the ball away from the intended receiver. Baxley hauled in a 26-yard pass from Hester, and Whitted banged into the end zone from 2 yards out for the touchdown. Junior Cade Allen booted the 1st of his 5 extra points for a 13-0 Knight lead with 3:46 on the clock.

McKoy’s 5-yard sack started the next defensive series for West. Three plays later Richardson blocked the Gator punt then pounced on the ball in the end zone for the touchdown. Allen kicked the point for a 20-0 lead with 1:43 left in the period.

The Gators responded with a 64-yard, 18-play drive that consumed 10:24 off the clock. Seniors Ashton Harrelson and Matthew George carried the ball on 15 of those plays for 52 yards. Harrelson plowed into the end zone from a yard out to trim the margin to 20-6 3:19 before halftime.

East Columbus recovered the ensuing onside kick, but a holding penalty bogged down the possession. Senior George Nance’s 10-yard pass to senior C. J. Waddell came up short on 4th down 28 seconds before intermission.

The Knights only had the ball for 2 plays in the 2nd quarter, but Lewis’ recovery of the East onside kick gave West possession at the Gator 48 to start the 2nd half. Hester hurled a 16-yard pass to Adams then found him again 2 plays later with a perfect strike to the end zone that Adams grabbed to complete a 29-yard scoring play. Allen tacked on the point for a 27-7 lead.

Three plays later Washington recovered a Gator fumble at the West 44 yard line. Adams took a swing pass from Hester and dashed 35 yards to the East 21. McCollum pulled in a Hester pass for a 17-yard gain. One play later Adams snatched a hard Hester pass in the end zone to complete a 4-yard TD play. Allen’s conversion made it 34-7 with 6:38 left in the period.

After the kickoff the Gators covered 63 yards in 10 plays. Waddell took a swing pass from Nance and darted 42 yards to the West 6 yard line. Three plays later George banged over the goal line from a yard out for the touchdown. Harrelson powered into the end zone for the conversion that sliced the lead to 34-14 at the 1:20 mark.

Harrelson recovered another East onside kick, and a personal foul penalty moved the ball to the West 34, but several procedure penalties bogged down the drive and Nance was stopped at the 14 yard line on 4th down.

On the next Gator possession, Adams picked off a Nance pass and raced 57 yards to the East 18 yard line. Adams went in for Hester at quarterback and flipped a 12-yard pass to McCollum then threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Baxley. Allen’s kick split the uprights and West held a 41-14 lead with 3:47 left.

Baxley recovered an East fumble at the Gator 31, and Adams galloped around the right side for 22 yards. After a holding penalty backed up the Knights, Adams hurled a 16-yard pass to McCollum, before Whitted scored the touchdown from a yard out.

“I have heard that you never get too high after a win or too low after a loss,” said Williams. “We have got to watch some film and work during this open week at getting better. We have got a real buzz-saw coming up in those next 2 games (Havelock and Clinton).”

Harrelson rushed 26 times for 77 yards and a touchdown for East. Nance completed 8 of 14 passes for 78 yards but suffered 2 interceptions. Waddell caught 7 passes for 74 yards.

West Bladen, now 2-2, will be idle next week before hosting Havelock on September 22.