The Morning After: East Bladen 5-1 In Last 6 Games, West Falls to Tough St. Paul’s Team

East Bladen Soccer is 5-1 in Last 6 Games

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC — East Bladen soccer kept their momentum rolling on Monday night, pulling out a 4-3 win in a back-and-forth battle with Union.

The Eagles, ranked #20 in the NCHSAA 2A RPI standings, strengthened their playoff hopes with another gritty performance.

East Bladen jumped out early thanks to Ishaq, who made his mark from distance in the 17th minute with a curling shot from 26 yards out that found the top left corner.

Just eight minutes later, he doubled the lead after a well-worked sequence involving Fox Sutton and Tyler Eason, who combined to set him up for the finish.

Union clawed back into the match in the second half.

A free kick from 20 yards in the 60th minute was tucked into the top corner, and a well-timed header off a corner kick seven minutes later drew the visitors level at 2-2.

East Bladen responded in the 72nd minute when Ishaq pounced on a loose ball inside the box to complete his hat trick.

But Union struck back immediately, hitting from 45 yards out with a shot that rattled the crossbar before being cleaned up on the rebound.

With the game seemingly headed to overtime, the Eagles found a late spark.

In the 78th minute, Jayce connected with Debo on a long throw-in deep in the attacking third, and Jayce buried the chance to seal the 4-3 victory.

Head Coach Jay Raynor praised his team’s resilience:

“What a match that was! Our guys played hard and fought all night. We went ahead early on two great goals from Ishaq, but had some mental mistakes on set pieces. Union made us pay, but our kids kept fighting and got the winner with two minutes to play. Proud of our resiliency.”

Raynor also highlighted individual performances:

“Tyler Eason had an amazing game. We had to move him around a lot with our injuries and he generated dangerous attacks. Fox had a great night flipping the field with his punts. Ishaq found another gear tonight, and Jayce and Debo executed the game winner perfectly.”

East Bladen’s leadership proved vital down the stretch, keeping heads up when momentum shifted.

The win gives the Eagles more confidence as they continue climbing the standings with a squad still adjusting to new positions.

JV Recap

The JV Eagles fell 8-0 but gained valuable minutes with a fuller roster after several players completed their eligibility paperwork, giving the team 13 available.

Despite the scoreline, there were bright spots.

JP Miranda and Trey Wilson both created scoring chances, while Bradley Willis anchored the defense at center back.

The performance of the night went to goalkeeper Gunner Lewis, who turned away 17 shots and made several difficult close-range saves to keep East Bladen battling throughout.

West Bladen Falls to Tough St. Paul’s Team

ST. PAULS, NC — West Bladen wrapped up non-conference play with a tough 5-0 loss on the road at St. Paul’s Monday evening.

The Knights, now 3-6-1 overall, still sit 1-0 in Southeastern 3A/4A/5A Conference play.

Despite the setback, they remain inside the playoff picture at #41 in the NCHSAA 3A RPI rankings, with 48 teams advancing in the classification.

St. Paul’s showed their quality early and often, controlling possession and capitalizing on their opportunities.

Ranked #20 in the 5A RPI, the Bulldogs have had an impressive season that includes a 3-1 win over North Brunswick, a team West Bladen also faced earlier this year.

West Bladen now turns its attention back to conference play, where every result matters for postseason hopes.

The Knights will travel to Red Springs on Wednesday for a key league matchup.

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The Morning After: East Bladen 5-1 In Last 6 Games, West Falls to Tough St. Paul’s Team