East Bladen Soccer Edges West Bladen in Hard-Fought Rivalry Match

BLADENBORO, N.C. — Rivalry games are never short on drama, and Tuesday night at West Bladen High School was no exception.

In a tightly contested matchup, the East Bladen Eagles held off a late charge from the West Bladen Knights to secure a 2-1 victory.

The win moves East Bladen to 1-2-2 on the season, giving the Eagles some momentum as they prepare to travel to Whiteville on Tuesday.

West Bladen, now 0-2-1, showed continued signs of growth and will look to bounce back when they head to North Brunswick for a rematch of their season opener, where the Scorpions edged them 2-1.

East Bladen wasted no time setting the tone, striking first just eight minutes into the match. Head Coach Jay Raynor described the sequence:

“Damian crossed the ball into the box, Salvador Estrada made a play on it forcing their keeper to make a save, and the ball came loose,” Raynor said. “Tevin McLean was right there to finish it into the open net.”

The Eagles doubled their lead late in the match. In the 75th minute, Andrio Garcia played a perfectly weighted pass to Ishaq Algozy, who converted calmly from just outside the six-yard box to make it 2-0.

West Bladen refused to go quietly. In the 78th minute, Alejandro Lopez delivered a stunning goal from distance to bring the Knights within one and spark late tension.

Despite several dangerous chances on both ends, the Eagles held on for the win.

Both goalkeepers were exceptional. West Bladen’s Dylan Hernandez tallied four crucial saves, while East Bladen’s Fox Sutton turned away at least five high-pressure attempts to keep his team in control.

“Fox did a tremendous job for us tonight,” Raynor praised. “He made several saves that could’ve easily gone in. He came off his line with confidence and gave us exactly what we needed.”

Raynor also highlighted strong midfield play from JD McArthur, Jayce Hatcher, Easton Bostic, and Connor Hill, crediting their dominance in possession as a key factor in the victory.

Rivalry Built on Respect

While the game was fiercely competitive, one moment stood out as a reminder that character often matters more than the scoreboard.

Just before halftime, the referee mistakenly awarded West Bladen a goal on a ball that had actually settled outside the net.

It was West Bladen senior captain Jonah Bryan who immediately corrected the call, alerting both coaches and the official that the ball had not crossed the line.

“Not sure how many kids would do that, especially in that moment, in a rivalry match,” Raynor said. “Jonah and Coach Jackson didn’t have to do that, but they put character before winning. It speaks volumes about them and their program.”

Both teams walk away from this two-game rivalry series with plenty to build on.

East Bladen will try to ride the momentum into Tuesday’s road matchup at Whiteville, while West Bladen will have another chance to gain traction when they travel to North Brunswick for a rematch.

This rivalry delivered everything you could ask for, goals, grit, and mutual respect, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting season for both squads.

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East Bladen Edges West Bladen in Hard-Fought Rivalry Match