Eagles fall to Kinston in home region game, 52-7

Published 10:17 am Friday, October 6, 2023

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In a game with both teams trying to snap four-game skids, Kinston scored on all six of its first-half drives and rolled to a 52-7 win at Pleasant Home Thursday night.

The Eagles began the game on offense at their own 29-yard-line. Jacob Bryan had a 17-yard run on second down and then moved the chains again across midfield. The drive stalled as a punt changed hands. Starting at the 17-yard-line, Colby Tew found an opening for 16 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Brant McCollough converted two first downs with runs of nine and six yards. Brodie Walker capped the 8-play, 3:16 drive with a 17-yard touchdown run. The PAT was no good but left the Bulldogs ahead 6-0 with 4:30 to go in the first quarter.

Talan Warley gained one first down on the ensuing drive before Whitt Floyd intercepted the ball and returned it to the home 23. McCollough moved the ball into the red zone with a 10-yard run and threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Lunsford. Tew was true on the two-point conversion and gave Kinston (2-4, 1-3 1A Region 2) a 14-0 lead at the end of the first. Warley began the second quarter with a 20-yard carry for a first down. Two plays later, Bryan cut through the left side and gashed 51 yards to the end zone. Vance Kelley booted the PAT as Pleasant Home (1-5, 0-4) cut the deficit in half to 14-7 with 10:49 left until the break.

The Bulldogs responded fast on just two plays. Tew had a 39-yard run and set up Walker’s 25-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion for a 22-7 lead. The Eagles saw the turnover bug come back with a fumble on their next drive. Starting at the opposing 37-yard-line, Kinston extended its lead to 30-7 with a 2-yard touchdown run and successfully converted another two-point try from Tew. Pleasant Home earned two first downs on its next possession when Gray Warthen made a 16-yard catch from Warley, and Bryan ran 17 yards to the visiting 29-yard-line. Walker then made an interception as the drive came to an abrupt end.

Following an offensive facemask penalty, Tew took a handoff and ran down the visiting sideline for a 73-yard touchdown run. Walker ran in the two-point conversion and pushed the margin to 38-7 with 2:35 until halftime. The Eagles went three-and-out on their final series and gave the ball back one last time. The Bulldogs showed no mercy when Walker blitzed 52 yards for a first down to the 10-yard-line. Tew took it from there, and the PAT was good for a 45-7 lead at the break.

The second half had full 12-minute quarters with a running clock. Walker finished off the night’s scoring with a 1-yard run in the third quarter, and a successful point after made it 52-7 with 5:13 left in the quarter. Neither team scored in the fourth.

Pleasant Home next hits the road for a long road trip to Houston County (2-5, 1-4) on Friday, Oct. 13.