Friday Night Lights: West Bladen Wins Big, East Bladen Faces Tough Road Test
- Austin Smith
- Sep 6
- 4 min read
BLADEN COUNTY, NC - Friday night featured two very different football stories for Bladen County.
West Bladen found its rhythm and ran wild at home, earning its first win of the season in a high-octane performance against West Columbus.
Meanwhile, East Bladen ran into a strong opponent on the road, coming up short against a talented Whiteville squad.
West Bladen Earns First Win, Building Confidence
BLADENBORO, NC — Friday night was a much-needed breakout for the West Bladen Knights, who secured their first win of the season with a hard-fought 38-28 victory over visiting West Columbus.
Behind a dominant ground game and a few clutch defensive stands, West Bladen powered through for a statement win that showcased just how explosive their offense can be when firing on all cylinders.
The opening quarter saw West Bladen set the tone early.
Ahmarie White punched in a 1-yard touchdown with 7:02 left, and minutes later, Isaiah Robinson broke loose for an 11-yard score.
Though the two-point conversions failed, the Knights held a 12-0 lead that had the home crowd on their feet.
But West Columbus wouldn’t go away quietly.
With under two minutes left in the half, Demond Williams flipped the game with a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Less than a minute later, Ayden Scott connected with Santonio Vareen for a 23-yard score, tying the game at 12 just before halftime.
Coming out of the break, West Bladen returned to its bread and butter, downhill running.
White found the end zone again from 6 yards out, and this time Sincere McKinley added the two-point conversion to reclaim the lead at 20-12.
But again, West Columbus answered with a quick drive capped by a Jason Lesane-Powell 6-yard run and a two-point conversion from Scott to even things up again, 20-20.
In the final quarter, it was West Bladen’s offensive line and rushing trio that sealed the win.
Robinson’s second touchdown, a 2-yard plunge, gave the Knights a 26-20 lead with 9:15 left.
White added another touchdown at the 4:50 mark to stretch it to 32-20.
Even after a West Columbus score made it a one-possession game, White delivered the dagger, an electric 52-yard touchdown run with 3:00 left to seal the win.
The final stat lines painted the full picture.
West Bladen rushed for a jaw-dropping 527 yards on 50 carries, averaging over 10 yards per attempt.
Ahmarie White: 23 carries, 249 yards, 4 touchdowns, a career night.
Sincere McKinley: 9 carries, 174 yards, 1 two-point conversion.
Isaiah Robinson: 10 carries, 67 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Through the passing game, Devan Haire completed 1 of 4 passes for 11 yards, Calvin Sinclair hauled in that lone reception.
Defensively, McKinley added a key interception to go with his 6 tackles, Tashawn Carter led the defense with 11 tackles, a sack, and a quarterback hurry, while Robinson chipped in with 9 tackles and a sack of his own.
There’s still work to be done, especially with 17 penalties totaling 128 yards, but the Knights showed what they’re capable of when the ground game is rolling and the defense stays active.
“The guys fought hard all game. The offense really took off tonight,” said West Bladen Head Coach Preston Worley. “Our backs ran hard and we rode them all night behind our offensive line. Tonight was a great first win of the season, but we have to get better on both sides of the ball and get ready for Trask next week.”
Coach Worley has been consistently preaching culture change and long-term growth, and Friday night was a step in the right direction toward those goals.
The Knights showed grit, unity, and a willingness to battle through momentum swings, something that reflects the team identity Worley is working to build.
West Bladen will hit the road next week for a tough test against Trask, a team that has shown they can win with defense.
Trask enters the matchup 1-2 after a close 22-23 loss to South Brunswick, a shutout win over East Columbus (37-0), and an earlier 18-6 loss to East Bladen.
Their defensive front and discipline will challenge the Knights to be sharp, especially with penalties proving costly in previous games.
Cleaning up those mistakes and quickly establishing the run game will be key if West Bladen wants to keep building momentum.
East Bladen Loses First Game to 2A Powerhouse Whiteville
WHITEVILLE, NC — Facing one of the top teams in the region, East Bladen ran into a strong team Friday night.
The Whiteville Wolfpack, last year’s 2A East regional runner-up, showcased why they’re still a contender even after losing some key pieces from last season, overpowering the Eagles 38-14 on their home turf.
Whiteville jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run from Sabeyhon Shipman, followed by a perfect PAT from Price Wheatley.
East Bladen responded behind Riley Collins, who found the end zone on a 2-yard rush of his own, cutting it to 7-6, though the two-point attempt came up short.
From that point on, the game tilted in the Wolfpack’s favor. A 30-yard field goal by Wheatley extended the lead, then Shipman added a 17-yard touchdown. A big play just before halftime, a 35-yard touchdown pass from Layton McLean to Teron Legette, made it 24-6 at the break.
In the third quarter, Whiteville kept pouring it on. Josh Lacewell broke free for a 15-yard score, and though East Bladen responded with a second rushing touchdown (and successful two-point conversion), it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback.
Shipman scored his third touchdown of the night from 2 yards out to cap the scoring at 38-14.
Though complete stats for East Bladen weren’t immediately available, the fight and effort didn’t go unnoticed.
Head Coach Robby Priest said the biggest thing his team can improve on is “holding on to the football, and doing a better job defensively by swarming to the football.”
The Eagles will look to regroup and clean up the execution as they prepare for next week’s matchup.
Friday Night Lights: West Bladen Wins Big, East Bladen Faces Tough Road Test
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