East Bladen Boys Soccer: Learning & Growing in a Strong Conference

NEWTON GROVE, NC — Sometimes, the score doesn’t tell the whole story.

That was the case Monday night as East Bladen traveled to Hobbton and fell 6–1 in a tough road matchup that featured plenty of fight, lessons learned, and a glimpse of the team’s resilience.

The Eagles, now 7–5–3 overall and 4–2–1 in the 1A/2A Carolina Conference, knew they’d be up against one of the region’s most talented teams.

Hobbton came in hungry after a rare home loss the week before, and East Bladen’s head coach Jay Raynor could tell from the opening whistle that the Wildcats were determined to make a statement.

“I thought we played well,” Raynor said. “We put forth a lot of effort. Hobbton was just on another level. They played determined and desperate. They dropped a tough one to Lakewood at home last week. We knew we were going to get their best. We knew we had to give our best… and I felt like we did.”

At halftime, the Eagles trailed 3–0 but refused to fold. Raynor took some chances, shifting players around to spark the offense.

The gamble paid off when East Bladen converted on a set piece, as Ishaq Algozy buried a free kick to cut the deficit to 3–1 and give the visitors some momentum.

“We’ve been a team all year who has relied on set pieces to score,” Raynor noted. “As of recently, I don’t think we are making the most of those situations. If that’s how we are going to score goals and win games, then that has to improve.”

East Bladen kept pressing, forcing Hobbton to adjust their strategy and play more defensively than usual.

But with the Eagles pushing numbers forward, the Wildcats capitalized on open space late to pull away.

“Proud of our guys and their effort,” Raynor added. “Their trust in me to take risks. It’s a tough one, but I feel confident knowing that we didn’t give up or quit. We played to the final whistle. We also caused them to change their strategy and play the way we wanted them to play. We took away their short passing and possession. Unfortunately, having to gamble and chase the game left us exposed. They scored some incredible goals. You have to tip your hat to them.”

Even with the loss, East Bladen remains in the thick of the conference race and continues to hold firm at No. 24 in the 2A RPI rankings, projected around a 14-seed once playoffs begin.

The stretch run ahead will decide everything.

The Eagles return home Wednesday, October 8, to host North Duplin before closing the regular season with four more conference tests: West Columbus (Oct. 13), Union (Oct. 15), Lakewood (Oct. 20), and East Columbus (Oct. 22).

As the postseason approaches, East Bladen looks to build on the effort they showed in Newton Grove, one marked not by defeat, but by growth, trust, and determination.

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East Bladen Boys Soccer: Learning & Growing in a Strong Conference