3A FB: Warriors fall in opening round to Trojans

By Brandon Davis
Published in Sports on November 14, 2015 11:35 PM

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bdavis@newsargus.com

Next season started for Eastern Wayne's football team as it knelt to listen to head coach Phil Gray during its post-game huddle Friday evening.

The sixth-seeded Warriors had just lost to South Johnston, 21-6, in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A (small-school) playoffs.

Though the road to the championship ended, Gray began preparing for next year in his head.

"After the game, I told the seniors that we're here for them, we're family, we love them and anything that we can do, we're here for them," Gray said. "I told the juniors that it's time to get back to work for next year. We don't have any time to rest. Most people don't realize that three years ago Eastern Wayne went to the first round of the playoffs. They lost in the first round of the playoffs, and the next two years they were playing for the east regional championship.

"We'll be back."

The Warriors (4-7 overall) entered the game with a hungry look in their eyes for a playoff victory, but so did the 11th-seeded Trojans. Junior running back Kavante Johnson rushed 13 yards for the first touchdown of the game.

South Johnston held the Warriors scoreless until the second quarter.

EW sophomore Zeke Best threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to senior Robert Gonzalez. The Warriors trailed the Trojans, 7-6, four minutes before halftime.

Best utilized senior running back KK Best to obtain another touchdown going into the third quarter. Zeke handed the ball off to KK at the Warriors' 28-yard line, but facemasks were grabbed and flags were thrown.

Officials gave the Warriors two unsportsmanlike penalties before halftime. EW never recovered.

Johnson rushed 12 yards for a TD at the end of the third quarter, and junior wide receiver Sharod Bailey rushed five yards in the fourth quarter for the Trojans' final TD.

"South Johnston, they're a well-coached team," Gray said. "They played a real good disciplined game."