Eagles Keep Climbing: East Bladen Soars Past East Columbus, Sets Up Key Stretch Ahead

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC — The East Bladen Eagles continued their strong late-season push last Thursday night, securing a 3-1 home victory over East Columbus to tighten their grip near the top of the 1A/2A Carolina Conference standings.

The win lifts East Bladen to 7-4-3 overall and 4-1-1 in conference play, setting up a pivotal stretch that could define their season.

The Eagles wasted no time setting the tone. In the 15th minute, sophomore Andrio beat his defender on the right wing, sprinted to the end line, and whipped a low cross toward the back post.

Waiting there was Ishaq Algozy, who calmly finished with his right foot to give East Bladen the early lead.

Just six minutes later, the roles reversed, Ishaq turned playmaker, threading a ball inside the six-yard box for Jayce Hatcher to tap in for a 2-0 advantage.

Head Coach Jay Raynor praised his team’s energy and execution from the opening whistle.

“We played with a lot of energy,” Raynor said. “We left some goals on the field, but we played hard. Tyler Eason had a heck of a night, and our young guys looked great. Miguel, Salvador, Bryon, and Jackson, they’ve really improved over the last few weeks.”

In the second half, East Bladen’s set-piece work continued to pay dividends.

In the 53rd minute, Ishaq delivered a pinpoint ball into the box from a foul deep in the attacking third, and Jayce rose above the defense to head home his second goal of the night, extending the Eagles’ lead to 3-0.

“Our organization and execution on set pieces was great,” Raynor said. “Two goals came directly from set pieces. Debo had some great throws into the box that we just couldn’t get on the end of. He’s producing opportunities that we aren’t attacking yet, that has to be better.”

East Columbus found their lone goal in the 63rd minute off a 40-yard set piece, heading it over Debo and Fox after a missed mark.

But East Bladen’s early cushion and defensive discipline held firm to secure the win.

The performance marked a strong response after last week’s loss, something Raynor said his group needed.

“It was good to bounce back with a win,” he added. “We didn’t start flat. We brought the energy from the first whistle.”

Now unbeaten in six of their last seven matches (6-1-1), East Bladen sits tied with Hobbton atop the conference standings and holds firm at #21 in the 2A RPI Rankings, keeping them in great shape for a solid playoff seed.

The Eagles won’t have much time to rest.

Their remaining schedule includes key home matchups with North Duplin, West Columbus, and Lakewood, plus a road trip to Union and East Columbus.

With conference title implications on the line, every minute will count as East Bladen aims to finish strong.

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Eagles Keep Climbing: East Bladen Soars Past East Columbus, Sets Up Key Stretch Ahead