The outcome of football games usually depends on which team takes advantages of the opportunities presented to them throughout the game. In the East Montgomery football team’s first round state 1AA playoff game at eighth seeded James Kenan High School in Duplin County, this was the case as the host Tigers took advantage of three interceptions and a blocked punt to oust the Eagles from the playoffs 34-6. James Kenan also had three turnovers but East was unable to take advantage of the miscues to turn them into points.
The ninth seeded Eagles have lost 11 straight first round playoffs games with their last playoff victory coming in the opening round of the 1993 playoffs when East beat Northwest Ashe 41-14.
The Eagles were able to move the ball through the air, picking up 153 yards, but gained only 25 total yards on the ground due to four sacks by the Tigers’ defense that’s been one of the top defensive teams in the state and won the state 1AA championship in 2007 over West Montgomery.
The Eagles received the opening kickoff and with sophomore quarterback Aaron Taylor hitting on two third down passes, one a 17-yard pass to P.J. Pratt and the other for nine yards to Wesley Maynor, giving East back-to-back first downs. Then the Tigers’ Jonathan Webster intercepted the first of his two interceptions, returning the ball 67 yards to the Eagles’ 3-yard line. Victor Parker, who finished the game with 140 yards rushing on 18 carries, ran the final three yards for the first of his two touchdown runs. Jeffery Bautista booted the first of four extra points, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 6:41 left on the first quarter clock.
Disaster struck again on the Eagles’ next possession when they were forced to punt and the Tigers’ A.J. Frederick broke through on the right side, blocking the punt and scooping up the ball, returning it 17 yards for the touchdown. Bautista’s kick made the score 14-0 with 5:08 left in the opening period.
James Kenan added a third touchdown just before the end of the first quarter on a 2-yard run by Parker and Bautista’s third extra point kick gave the home team a 21-0 lead with 40 seconds left in the period.
With the aid of a couple of interceptions by Mitchell Cagle and Kevin Bennett, East threatened to score late in the second quarter when they drove to the Tigers’ 23-yard line, but Webster picked off his second pass of the game in the end zone, stopping the drive.
The Tigers received the second half kickoff and were on the drive when Pratt stripped the ball from the Tigers’ Parker and recovered the loose ball at the East 43-yard line.
The Tigers later boosted their lead to 27-0 with 2:28 left in the third period when Brian Moore ran 14 yards for a touchdown, but the extra point kick failed.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Eagles started another march from their 47-yard line after Christian Everett made a good return. East ripped off a couple of good runs with Christian Moore picking up 30 yards on a pair of runs of 12 and 18 yards. Then Taylor hooked up with his favorite target Cagle down to the Tigers’ 3-yard line. But four straight running plays couldn’t get the ball into the end zone and James Kenan took over on downs.
The Tigers’ final touchdown came on a 64-yard pass from quarterback Parker Jones to Michael Moore. Jones finished the game passing for 115 yards hitting on six of nine passes. Bautista kicked his fourth extra point, putting the Tigers up 34-0 with 5:54 left in the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Everett caught the ball on the Eagles’ 25-yard line, broke free towards the Eagles’ sidelines, going 75 yards for the touchdown.
For the game, Taylor hit on six of 13 passes for 120 yards while senior Wesley Maynor connected on two of seven passes for 33 yards. Cagle had four receptions for 68 yards while Moore had one for 17 yards and Michael Conrad one for 18 yards. Moore finished the game with 40 yards on five carries.
Bill Rollins of the Duplin Times contributed to this article.
