Eagles close regular season, await playoff fate

Oct. 25—WARRENTON — Big and timely plays propelled Warren County's 1A Tar-Roanoke Conference opponent Friday as the Eagles fell 48-35 at home to surging North Edgecombe.

The Warriors (6-3, 6-1 Tar-Roanoke) won their sixth game in a row, boosted in the last four minutes of the game by scoring a touchdown and forcing an interception that led to another touchdown.

Warren County (6-4, 5-3) concluded its regular season campaign and has now entered the rare end-of-regular season bye week as the Eagles wait to learn their state playoff fate.

Coach V.J. Hunt likes Warren County's chances of receiving an at-large bid in the 1A field and said his young team, featuring six seniors, played well enough to win on Friday's Senior Night.

"If you look at what we did defensively, we shut them down a lot of times," Hunt said. "But it was like — one big play."

One of the biggest plays came from North Edgecombe ball carrier Jaheim Knight, a 6-foot, 235-pound junior who plowed through the Eagles' defense and down the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown with 3 minutes, 55 seconds to play. The extra point made it 41-29 in favor of the Warriors.

Then, 29 seconds later, LaTraviun Parker snagged an interception that set up another long rushing score for the Warriors as running back Kevon Savage took it to the house from 47 yards. The point after made it 48-29, advantage North Edgecombe.

"I think our players have been good enough," Hunt said. "Our scheme has been good enough. Right now, our younger guys are making enough plays to stay competitive, just not enough to win [these] types of games."

North Edgecombe had the advantage in size and experience and should be a tough out come playoff time. The Warriors were led Friday by senior receiver Jynez Davis, who had only four grabs, but they totaled 138 yards to go along with two touchdowns from classmate Ahkee Lyons.

But prior to those last few minutes, it was anybody's game with Warren County leading 23-20 midway through the third quarter thanks to a 25-yard rushing touchdown from running back Noah Dortch, plus a 2-point conversion from quarterback Najah Williams.

"Our mentality is we don't care who you are," Hunt said. "We don't care how big you are because you still have to prove it to me."

Warren County's other scores came courtesy of a Williams pass to Demontay Hawkins, a pair of Williams rushes and a Samaurion West run.

Hunt credited his defensive line, led Friday by seniors Theodore Madison and Trent Williams, for holding North Edgecombe's rushing attack at bay and forcing the Warriors to pass. The performance of Warren County sophomore linebacker Tyler Wharton also earned his coach's approval.

"I was expecting them to be a good team," Hunt said of the visitors. "I told our kids we're much improved from where we were a year ago, but we still have a long way to go. We only have six seniors so our guys have started to figure it out, but we don't have that class of double-digit seniors that you need to win [these type of] games."

But the Eagles are getting closer.