The Morning After: East Bladen Off to a 3-1 Start, West Bladen Continuing to Grow

BLADEN COUNTY, NC - Bladen County football took center stage Friday night, with East Bladen breaking a long drought against Clinton while West Bladen battled a powerful Heide Trask rushing attack.

East Bladen Football

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC — For the first time since 2017, the East Bladen Eagles found a way to knock off Clinton.

Behind a dominant ground game and key defensive stops, the Eagles surged to a 26-20 victory that pushed their record to 3-1 and capped off non-conference play on a high note.

The night began shakily, as East Bladen fumbled on its opening possession, setting up a Clinton touchdown pass from Miles McCallop to Aaron Cooper. Cooper added another score on a six-yard run later in the first quarter, giving the Dark Horses a 13-0 advantage.

But East Bladen refused to let the early miscues define the night. Running backs Dashon Campbell and Jaden Lewis powered a second-quarter response, with Campbell capping a bruising drive on a four-yard touchdown run to put the Eagles on the board.

After Clinton’s next drive ended in a punt, East Bladen appeared poised to seize control, but their own series stalled and they had to kick it away. Then came a turning point, Khalil McKoy stepped in front of a McCallop pass and raced it back to the Clinton 12-yard line.

Lewis needed only a handful of carries to punch it in from seven yards out, and suddenly the Eagles had cut the deficit to 13-12 at halftime, despite fumbling away two other scoring opportunities.

The third quarter belonged to East Bladen.

After forcing a Clinton fumble that Nayshaun Jones recovered deep in Dark Horses territory, Lewis darted into the end zone from 13 yards out. He converted the two-point try himself, giving the Eagles their first lead at 20-13.

Clinton threatened again, reaching the seven-yard line, but East Bladen’s defense bent without breaking, turning them away on fourth down.

Early in the fourth quarter, Lewis delivered the back-breaking blow. With the Eagles clinging to their seven-point lead, he broke loose for a dazzling 77-yard touchdown sprint that sent the home crowd into a frenzy.

Clinton clawed back with a Gavin Miller rushing touchdown to make it 26-20, but East Bladen’s defense had one final stand in them. As Clinton reached the three-yard line in the closing moments, Raheem Lewis intercepted McCallop’s pass, sealing a long-awaited win.

Lewis finished the night with a career performance, 23 carries for 194 yards and three touchdowns, plus a successful two-point conversion.

Campbell was equally reliable, carrying 21 times for 108 yards and a score.

Together, the Eagles racked up 315 rushing yards on 50 attempts, a bruising display that controlled the pace from the second quarter on. Quarterback Keyshaun Kemp chipped in with 13 passing yards, while the defense picked off McCallop twice and recovered a fumble.

The victory not only moved East Bladen to 3-1 overall, but also gave the program its first triumph over Clinton in eight seasons.

With non-conference play now complete, the Eagles will turn their attention to hosting West Columbus next Friday in the 2A/3A Carolina Conference opener.

West Bladen Football

ROCKY POINT, NC — On the road against Heide Trask, the West Bladen Knights couldn’t contain a relentless Titans rushing attack, falling 44-6 in a game dominated on the ground.

Trask struck first with a short touchdown run midway through the opening quarter, but West Bladen quickly answered. Ahmarie White pushed through from one yard out in the final minute of the first period to tie the game at 6-6. From there, however, the Titans took control.

Three rushing touchdowns in the second quarter gave Heide Trask a commanding 30-6 halftime lead.

The Titans piled on in the second half with explosive plays, including a 76-yard scoring dash in the third quarter and a 46-yard run in the fourth.

For West Bladen, the running game was the primary source of offense. White carried 14 times for 37 yards and the lone touchdown. Isaiah Robinson powered his way to 59 yards on 16 carries, and Sincere McKinley added 33 yards on eight touches.

McKinley was also a spark in special teams, tallying 97 all-purpose yards that included 64 on kick returns.

Defensively, Justin Spaulding paced the Knights with seven tackles, while Robinson, McKinley, and Tashawn Cater each recorded six.

The Knights, now looking to regroup, showed grit in stretches but were ultimately overrun by Trask’s big-play ability.

They will host Union next Friday, looking to bounce back,

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The Morning After: East Bladen Off to a 3-1 Start, West Bladen Continuing to Grow