The Morning After: East & West Sweep, Emereau Volleyball Takes Win

BLADEN COUNTY, NC - Wins across the board for the high schools. That’s the story from Thursday night in Bladen County.

West Bladen boys soccer pulled out a gritty win to close out a grueling three-game stretch. East Bladen soccer responded to Tuesday’s setback with a 9-goal outburst.

Meanwhile, East Bladen volleyball notched its first varsity win of the season, and the JV team kept the momentum going with a straight-sets sweep of their own.

Down the road, Emereau Charter’s middle school volleyball squad served their way past Elizabethtown Christian Academy in a polished two-set performance.

Let’s run it back.

West Bladen Soccer Battles Through Fatigue, Takes Down Pender

BLADENBORO, NC — It’s hard to ask more of a team than three games in three nights.

But West Bladen found the grit to close the stretch with a second straight win, a 2-1 result over Pender that showed how far this group has come.

The Knights struck first about 15 minutes in, when Alejandro Lopez buried a chance created by Gerson Verdugo, whose awareness and timing have started to shine in recent matches.

After halftime, Verdugo created a moment of his own, a deep strike from well beyond the box that sailed over the keeper’s reach and into the net, giving West Bladen a 2-0 cushion.

Though Pender clawed one back in the closing seconds, the Knights had already done enough. Keeper Dylan Hernandez made five critical saves to secure the win, and the defensive unit once again showed signs of becoming a true strength.

Head Coach Brett Jackson was quick to praise the resilience of his team. “Three games in a row are tough,” he said. “The guys are tired with weak legs, nagging ankles and knees. But they went out there and wanted it, and they got it.”

Jackson also emphasized the long view: “We were up 2-0 with 10 minutes left and made some subs to get our young guys some minutes. The score’s not always important. Getting them acclimated to the system, that’s more valuable right now.”

Now sitting at 2-3-1 with a positive goal differential for the first time this season, the Knights will head back on the road for rematches at Pender and Union next week.

East Bladen Soccer Erupts in Bounce-Back Win

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC — After falling earlier in the week, East Bladen wasn’t interested in easing their way back into the win column, they kicked the door down with a 10-goal explosion against South Columbus that showed off not just talent, but tactical growth.

It started with Ishaq Algozy, who found the back of the net just 18 seconds into the match off a sharp assist from Ethan Metz.

Algozy added a second just eight minutes later, and before the half-hour mark, Jayce Hatcher had buried a third, this time assisted by Debo Lewis.

Algozy capped the first-half scoring with a smooth finish off a setup by Andrio Garcia, giving him a hat trick before halftime.

The Eagles weren’t done. In the second half, Salvador Estrada finished cleanly after a slick feed from Algozy, and then turned provider himself for Tyler Eason minutes later.

Garcia got in on the scoring after another assist from Algozy who had a hand in five of the team’s 10 goals, and the offense kept pushing until the final whistle.

South Columbus did manage two goals of their own in the second half, but they came well after East Bladen had taken full control.

“We hit the reset button,” said Head Coach Jay Raynor. “We moved our best attackers closer to goal, and it paid off. Five different goal scorers says a lot about the pressure we were able to put on their backs.”

The Eagles took 33 shots to South Columbus’ 8, a stat that underscored just how aggressive and relentless the new-look attack really was.

With confidence and clarity, East Bladen might’ve just found its identity at the right time, headed into the weekend with a 2-3-2 record.

They have a big week next week, with a rematch at home on Monday vs South Columbus at 6pm, and their first conference matchup with defending 1A (now in 2A) East Champions Hobbton.

East Bladen Volleyball Notches First Win of the Season

CERRO GORDO, NC — Sometimes it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you respond.

After dropping the opening set to West Columbus, East Bladen volleyball flipped the script and swept the next three, earning their first varsity win of the season in a 3-1 comeback effort on the road.

After a narrow 25-20 loss to open the match, the Lady Eagles roared back with set wins of 25-17, 25-14, and 25-17, fueled by aggressive serving and smart offensive movement.

Taylor Dowless led the charge with 14 kills on 23 attack attempts and added 3 aces in a strong two-way performance. Marlee Potter delivered 8 aces on 15 serve attempts and contributed at the net with 9 attacks and 2 kills of her own.

Cabria Baldwin stayed active all match, recording 5 aces on 17 serve attempts along with 3 kills and 3 digs, while Mileigh Martin matched her with 5 aces and added 3 kills.

Julia Flowers added an ace from the service line and swung confidently in her rotation, and while several players didn’t check in, the depth of the team was visible as the match wore on.

It was a balanced performance and, more importantly, a breakthrough win.

East Bladen JV Volleyball Dominates on the Road

CERRO GORDO, NC — Before the varsity rallied, the JV squad set the tone.

East Bladen’s junior varsity volleyball team was sharp from the opening serve, taking down West Columbus in straight sets with final scores of 25-15 and 25-12.

Harlie Shaw quarterbacked the offense beautifully with 9 assists and 4 aces, while also tacking on a pair of kills. Tenley Dowless was a constant threat from the service line and front row, finishing with 6 aces and 5 attacks.

Addison Douglas contributed across the board with 3 aces, 2 kills, and 2 assists, while Gracey Edwards showed great timing at the net with a block and several strong attacks.

Julia Flowers added 2 kills and an ace, Bella Beard chipped in a pair of kills, and Chloe Merritt served and set with confidence, finishing with 2 aces and 3 assists.

It was a complete team performance and a sign that the future looks bright.

Emereau Volleyball Serves Their Way to Another Win

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC — Emereau Charter’s middle school volleyball team continued their roll with a convincing straight-sets win over Elizabethtown Christian Academy, powered by precise serving and great team energy.

In the opening set, Quinlyn Bass was nearly untouchable from the service line, recording 13 service points, including a pair of aces, to put the Lady Aviators in full control.

Anna White added 4 service points of her own, and Lilly Melvin and Jamison Raynor each capped the set with crucial points. Raynor’s final ace brought it to a 25-14 finish.

Set two saw even more depth. Harper Allen dropped in 4 service points including two aces, while Kenley Brisson rattled off 8 service points, three of which were aces.

Delana Phillips added two service points with a perfectly placed ace, and both Mae Valentine and Khloe Campbell each contributed on serve before Isabella Green closed the match with a final ace that landed just inside the baseline.

It was smooth, confident, and controlled, exactly what a growing team needs.

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The Morning After: East & West Sweep, Emereau Volleyball Takes Win