BLADENBORO – Javant McDowell scored 3 touchdowns Thursday night to lead Elizabethtown to a 42-16 Bladen Five Middle School Conference football victory over Bladenboro.
McDowell dashed 26 yards around right end for the first Cougar touchdown and a 6-0 lead after the conversion pass failed just over a minute into the game.
On their third possession, the Cougars drove 58 yards for another touchdown. Quarterback Freddy Wooten scampered 30 yards for a first down, before McDowell bolted 28 yards for his second touchdown. Wooten tossed a 2-point conversion pass to Zach Meares for a 14-0 lead 38 seconds into the second period.
After Elizabethtown recovered a Bulldog fumble, Meares plowed through a host of tacklers and dove across the goalline on an 18-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs’ Jermaine Spivey pounced on a Cougar fumble to foil the conversion attempt. Elizabethtown led 20-0 at halftime.
On Bladenboro’s first possession of the second half, Meares intercepted a long pass and returned the ball 10 yards to the Cougar 28 yardline. On the next play Wooten hurled a 72-yard touchdown pass to McDowell. Darius Autry darted into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a 28-0 lead.
The Bulldogs answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive in just 2 plays. Quarterback ShyRon Adams kept the ball and picked up 20 yards, then flew around right end and outran the defense on a 60-yard touchdown run. Adams also ran the 2-point conversion that cut the lead to 28-8 with 3:18 left in the period.
Autry scooted around right end on a 50-yard touchdown run on the Cougars’ next possession. Chase Starkloff ran the 2-point conversion that grew the lead to 36-8.
The Bulldogs answered with another scoring drive. Spivey hauled in an Adams pass for a 15 yard gain, before Adams scrambled 18 yards for the touchdown then charged up the middle for the 2-point conversion that sliced the lead to 36-16.
Wooten scooped up the Bulldog kick-off and sprinted 55 yards for the final Elizabethtown touchdown. Spivey intercepted the Cougars 2-point conversion pass.
The Bulldogs raced the clock down the field as Adams popped loose for a 25-yard gain. On the final play of the game Adams threw a 41 yard pass to Elijah Crabtree who made a diving catch at the Cougar one yardline. However time expired on the play.
“I was proud of our defense,” said Cougar Coach Rick Whitaker. “We have only allowed 3 touchdowns in our last 2 road games.”
Elizabethtown remains undefeated with a 4-0 record and will host Clarkton School of Discovery Thursday. Bladenboro is now 2-2 on the season and will visit Tar Heel Thursday.
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