Tarboro Survives Again

 Tarboro fumbled the second half kickoff at their own 15 yard line and just like that Edenton  who trailed 21-13 at the half scored and cut the lead to 21-19.  Punting back to Edenton at their 21 yard line Edenton scored on the first played going 79 yards  and for the first time time this  playoff season the two time defending state champs found themselves down to the Aces 26-22.

Edenton stopped the dive play all third quarter so the Vikings began attacking the outside and drove  for their only second half score with their only time they had the ball in the 4th quarter and scored with 7.03 to play in the game on a five yard Todd Gurley run.  They missed the extra point to lead 28-26.

The next almost seven minutes Edenton drove down the field before the Vikings finally stopped the Aces  on a fourth down play with 29 seconds to go inside the 30 yard line to seal the deal for the Vikings.

Tarboro drove with their first attempt with the ball  and Larry Jones scored to give the Vikes a 7-0 lead. The first play of the second quarter a bad snap from center on a punt  and Tarboro turned the ball over  at the Tarboro 32 and Edenton scored but Tarboro blocked the extra point to lead 7-6.

The next time the Vikes had the ball they fumbled again but this time Ryan Hyman scoops up the loose ball and races for the End zone and Tarboro scores.  The snap on the extra point was high but the Vikes run it in for the two point conversion.  Edenton took less than two minutes to respond to cut the lead to 15-13.  Larry Jones score his second touchdown of the night for the Vikings with 29 seconds to go in the half for the 21-13 lead.

Tarboro now host their first playoff game this year the 2-A Eastern Finals as they will meet South Columbus who Shutout East Bladen 10-0.

Hunt has done something nobody else in the state has been able to do this fall  and that is beat Cardinal Gibbons in anything,.  Tonight Hunt beat Gibbons 31-17 to advance to the 3-A Eastern Finals.  This is the third straight year that the Big East has played in the Regional final and this is the second year in a row for Hunt.  They will host Northern Guilford who slaughtered previously undefeated Douglas Byrd 35-6.

North Edgecombe could not hold on to a 12-8 halftime lead and failed to score in the second half and lost 22-12 to Jones County.  Jones has won three straight playoff games beating three members of the Tar-Roanoke conference.

Duke University Soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs Thursday night beating Georgia  State 1-0.    Former Rocky Mount Gryphon freshman Andrew Morales was right in the thick of the lone goal scored in the game.  Morales fed a pass to a shooter who took a shot for the Blue Devils which was blocked by the Georgia State goalie but the ricochet found the foot of Blue Devil Christopher Tweed Kent who booted the lone goal of the game.

Duke now advances to the second round of the NCAA playoffs as they will travel to New Mexico.  This will only be the third time in the history of Duke soccer to play a game west of the Mississippi River.