Plenty of smash-mouth, run-happy football should be on display Friday night when East Bladen travels to Vinegar Hill to battle top-seeded South Columbus in the third round of the NCHSAA Class 2A Football Play-offs. Gametime is 7:30.
Coach Russell Dove’s Stallions average 389 yards and 5.3 touchdowns per game rushing. In contrast South Columbus passes for only 18 yards per game.
Coach Robby Priest’s Eagles run for 281 yards and 3.3 touchdowns per game. The Eagles throw it a little more than South Columbus averaging 39 yards and 1 touchdown per game passing.
The Stallion ground game features senior Dennis Leggett who has piled up 2,095 yards and 28 touchdowns rushing. Sophmore Trequan Bellamy has also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark with 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing. Fullback Seth Buffkin, a 210-pounder, has run for 747 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Quarterback Robby Spencer has run for 420 yards but has only attempted 25 passes and completed 12 for 237 yards.
Anchoring the Stallion defensive line are: senior Hugh Smith (6-5, 290), sophmore Caleb Fonveille (6-3, 275), sophmore Dalton Worley (6-2, 350) and sophmore Evan Hardee (6-3, 300).
The linebacking corp includes Buffkin, seniors Kendrick Green and Colyn Fowler and junior Saadiq Crooms.
The Stallions have outscored their opponents by a 38.5-21 margin. East Bladen averages 31 points per game and has allowed 21 ppg.
Senior back Ethan Hines headlines the Eagle offense with 1,837 yards and 22 touchdowns rushing. Junior Xavier Wooten has rushed for 802 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Quinton Bedsole has thrown for 508 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ethan Hines has caught 11 passes for 244 yards and 7 touchdowns. Twin brother Eian Hines has 8 receptions for 232 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Defensive leaders for the Eagles include Wooten (81 tackles), Ethan Hines (75 tackles), junior Caleb Strait (74 tackles, 5.5 sacks), junior Lahkeyd Lesane (73 tackles), junior Xavia McDowell (73 tackles), senior Kyle Tatum (61 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries) and sophmore James Higgins (60 tackles, interception).
Eagle sophmore Pierce Melvin has converted 34 of 42 extra point kicks. Senior Alfonso Pantaleon has booted 47 of 57 extra points for South Columbus.
The Stallions defeated the Eagles 29-22 in this year’s season opener. The score was tied 22-22 when Ethan Hines 66-yard touchdown run was nullified by a holding penalty. Two plays later Spencer recovered an Eagle fumble at the East Bladen 29 yardline that set up Bellamy’s winning 10-yard touchdown run with 1:02 left to play.
Since that game the Stallions have lost only to West Brunswick 28-15 and to Wallace-Rose Hill 41-0. Key wins include St. Pauls 35-34, Red Springs 39-22, Whiteville 28-13 and Fairmont 48-26.
In the play-offs the Stallions defeated Bertie 42-26 and walloped Fairmont 75-42 last week as Leggett ran for 5 touchdowns and 242 yards and Bellamy added 160 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The other Eagle losses were to 4A Wilmington Laney 31-7, Clinton 19-7 and Wallace-Rose Hill 41-21. Key wins include Whiteville 43-15, St. Pauls 42-28, Union 53-29 and Heide Trask 28-14.
In the play-offs Ethan Hines ran for 292 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 62-42 win over Farmville Central. Wooten added 117 yards and a touchdown, and Eian Hines caught 3 Bedsole passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Last week Ethan Hines rushed for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 28-21 overtime win at No. 2 seed Ayden-Grifton. Bedsole tossed an 11-yard pass to fullback McDowell for the winning touchdown.
An East Bladen victory would send the Eagles into the Eastern Championship game against the winner of Elizabeth City Northeastern and Edenton Holmes.
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