New Bern football finally gets defensive stops for regional semifinal playoff rematch
The offenses came to play for New Bern and Durham Jordan on Friday night in the third round of the NCHSAA Class 4A playoffs. But it was the Bears' defense that sealed the victory heading into Thanksgiving week.
In freezing temperatures, the Bears used two defensive stops late in the fourth quarter to hold off the Falcons, 38-33. With the win, the second-seeded Bears will host a rematch next Friday with 11th-seeded Rolesville, which upset Wake Forest 42-28. The Bears lost to Rams in the second round of last year's playoffs 69-49.
The game showed shades of New Bern's 2007 showdown with Millbrook, as the Bears (13-0) and Falcons (6-7) went back and forth all night long, ultimately coming down to one of the final plays of the game. Jordan failed to convert a 4th-and-goal from the 10-yard line with 21 seconds remaining.
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Quarterback Damaree Tucker started the scoring for New Bern on the first play of the game with a 36-yard keeper into the end zone, making it 6-0 after the missed PAT – a theme that would plague both teams throughout the night.
Jordan answered with a quick drive, capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from Luke Dale and the extra point. The first quarter ended 13-13 after a 42-yard touchdown catch from Malachi Dockett for the Bears and a 2-yard touchdown run from Jordan's Amareon Blue.
Dockett scored again for the Bears to start the second quarter, but a blocked extra point gave New Bern a 19-13 advantage. The Falcons followed with a lengthy drive and a conversion on fourth down to regain the lead 20-19 with under 4 minutes remaining in the half. New Bern methodically drove down the field and scored again on an Aronne Herring 10-yard touchdown catch, taking a 25-20 lead into halftime.
Jordan answered by killing 8 minutes off the clock in the third quarter, followed by a 13-yard touchdown run from Blue for a short-lived 26-25 lead.
The Bears and Herring answered immediately with a 55-yard touchdown run, snatching the lead back. However, a 5-yard score from Blue flipped the script again as the Falcons held a 33-32 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Herring finished the scoring on the night with a 54-yard touchdown run, and the Bears were again unable to convert the two-point try but held a 38-33 lead. Both defenses had struggled, and it looked as if the Bears would have to rely on getting the ball last to win the game.
After another big drive into New Bern territory, Jordan finally missed on fourth down and New Bern got the stop it needed.
However, after gaining a first down with 3 minutes to go, New Bern fumbled and Jordan recovered on the Bears' 33-yard line. A few plays later, Jordan was again at fourth down situation inside the 10. A false start penalty pushed the Falcons back. The Bears brought pressure and forced a bad pass to send the Bears into the next round.
The Bears had 25 carries for 299 yards on the ground, with 352 yards of total offense, while the Falcons rushed 69 times for 372 yards and had 445 yards of total offense. New Bern only had seven first downs in the game and held the ball for less than 10 minutes (9:39), according to 252 ESPN Radio statistician Scott Gaskins.
But that was enough to stay alive.
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: NCHSAA football playoffs: New Bern defense holds late vs. Durham Jordan
