Warriors shut out North Lenoir

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on August 24, 2013 11:26 PM

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JESSIKA MORGAN

Kinston Free Press

La GRANGE -- North Lenoir's young roster showed itself Friday night.

From the lack of protection on both lines to the jaded formations indicating a weary Hawks team, they've got some work to do after a 32-0, season-opening loss to Eastern Wayne at Bullock Field on Friday evening.

North Lenoir entered the Warriors' red zone once -- in the last quarter -- and turned the ball over on downs at the 5-yard line.

By then, Eastern Wayne was done scoring for the night and earned its second straight shutout over its former Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference foe.

Warrior quarterback Mitch Pike handed off to Lavoris Vick, who rambled in from nine yards out for the first touchdown of the game. The PAT failed and the Hawks nearly gave the ball back on the ensuing kickoff.

Lightning delayed the contest for more than an hour with the score 6-0.

North Lenoir running back Donyae Hopkins gained 20 yards from his own 29, giving the Hawks a chance to steal the momentum early. But the punting unit appeared time after time. They gambled with a few third-down conversions, which were spoiled by penalties and struggles from the linemen on both sides of the ball.

The Hawks lost 50 yards on downs, not including a pair of fourth-quarter penalties that cost them 25 yards. Eastern Wayne sacked NL quarterback Landon Baker twice in the third quarter.

"It was a lot of frustrations there," Baker said. "I didn't completely pass tonight and every time I turned around, it was someone there. I don't want to blame anyone, but I just didn't have any blockers tonight."

Eastern Wayne wasn't exactly perfect in executing its play making, dropping a slippery pigskin three times to lose yards after the lightning delay, but the Warriors made up for it in scoring at least once in each quarter.

After Pike, who executed beautifully-crafted hand-offs throughout the game, connected with Eastern Wayne wide receiver Malik Richard for an 18-yard touchdown pass -- which put the Warriors up 12-0 after a failed two-point conversion play -- the quarterback was back at it early in the third quarter.

Pike also passed to wide receiver Deshawn Boudy from their own 38, and Boudy crushed nearly 62 yards to the end zone to score the first of two Eastern Wayne third-quarter touchdowns.

The Warriors added two more TDs for the 32-0 finale.

North Lenoir head coach Calvin Sutton remained upbeat after the loss.

"We're going to play from kickoff until the time runs off the clock, that's just how we do here at North Lenoir," Sutton said. "They played their hearts out, for what we've got, they played their hearts out. If we can do that every week, then I'm happy.

"We're playing a lot of younger guys. That's going to be something we have to overcome. There are young guys everywhere, not just on the line, but everywhere."