TARBORO —
Trying to keep a tradition alive having never lost a match on senior night under head coach Leshaun Jenkins, the Tarboro Vikings were highly motivated and ready to play Wednesday night at Indian Lake Sports Complex in an Eastern Plains match against the Beddingfield Bruins.
With an early goal by senior Will Dupree and a late goal by senior Tyler Harris the Vikings were able to prevail and keep the streak alive defeating the Bruins 2-1.
Tarboro improves to 6-5-2 overall and are sitting in third place in the conference.
"I didn't think we possessed the ball that well," Jenkins said. "We played with a lot of heart and really gritted it out because we haven't played in forever it seemed like because of the rain."
Jenkins just wanted his team to go out and play hard and with a lot of heart knowing his teams have never lost a match on senior night. They played up to Jenkins expectations considering the time that they had off coming into the match.
In the first half, both teams were back and forth until the 28 minute mark when Beddingfield tried to take control of the match. They controlled the ball over nine minutes making Tarboro's defense work hard. In the nine minute span the Bruins took seven shots on goal, but with a little over 18 minutes left in the first half the Vikings snatched the momentum away from the Bruins and began to attack offensively. Tarboro took two shots on goal in a 45 second span. With 18:56 left, Dupree controlled the ball off of a missed shot that deflected off of the Bruins goalie's hands. He dribbled past a Bruin defender and punched the ball in the back of the net to give the Vikings the 1-0 lead.
Beddingfield didn't lay down and quit. They took the momentum right back from the Vikings. With 3:23 left before halftime, they had a corner kick opportunity. Tarboro goalie Travis Martin rushed out of the goal and knocked the ball away, but the Bruins got control of the ball and took a shot that went by Martin's hands to tie the game at 1-1.
During halftime, Jenkins told his team that they needed to stop getting beat on defense and do their jobs. He told his players that they needed to get tough on defense and stop letting the Bruins take uncontested shots.
With the match tied at 1-1 at halftime, Jenkins decided to make a switch and move Dupree back to defense and rotate Harris up front, because of his speed.
"Tyler has a lot of speed and I moved him upfront in the second half to try and get that break away goal," Jenkins said. "I moved Will back to defense and it paid off for us."
Tarboro took control of the match the first eight minutes of the second half, but Beddingfield grabbed the momentum again. They reeled off seven shots on goal in a five minute span.
Tarboro grabbed the momentum back and keep the ball on the offensive side of the field the rest of the match.
With Jenkins instructing his offensive players to one touch the ball through the open gaps he explained to them that they would get off good shots if they were to do that.
His offensive players listened, because with seven minutes left in the match, Harris got a pass that landed in front of him and he dribbled around three Bruin defenders and as the goalie came out towards Harris he chipped the ball over the goalies head to give Tarboro the 2-1 lead.
Tarboro took 18 shots on goal and Beddingfield took 27.
Martin had 15 saves in the match.
With the win, it gives Tarboro more motivation heading into the final stretch of the regular season and with the conference tournament approaching.
"I have a good group and we stay motivated,' Jenkins said. "With the conference tournament coming up we have won it a number of times and I told my players that we are getting where we need to be."
Tarboro will be back in action Monday when they travel to play Kinston.
Sports
Related Photos
-
Tarboro Viking senior Tyler Harris takes the ball away from a Beddingfield Bruin player Wednesday night in Eastern Plains Conference action.
-
Pictured are Tarboro Viking seniors, from left, Will Dupree, Tyler Harris, Travis Martin, Brian Winchester and Paul Nguyen.
Vikings top Bruins 2-1
- Sports
-
-
Cobb, Rhodes inducted in Cougars Hall of Fame
PINETOPS – The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars athletic department inducted two legendary coaches into their Hall of Fame Monday night. Former football coach Raymond Cobb and former baseball coach Bruce Rhodes were the recipients of the awards.
-
SWE Athletes of the Year
SouthWest Edgecombe Cougar Dawson Gould was named Female Athlete of the Year and Kenneth Plummer was named Male Athlete of the Year Monday night at the Cougars annual athletic awards banquet. Gould played volleyball, basketball and softball. Plummer played football, ran indoor and outdoor track.
-
Pinetops 300
PINETOPS – With the threat of rain during the weekend, it put a little damper on the Pinetops 300 Tractor and Truck Pull attendance. Friday night there was a large crowd in attendance, but not the amount it has been the last several years. There was 500 less people in attendance Friday then there was a year ago, but it didn't stop the pullers from slinging mud everywhere. The fans in one section even had a chance to see what it looked like when a belt breaks on a fine tuned machine. During the Mini Modified run, Thomas Coleman, of Stoneville, had a belt break on his KB 526 Pure Hell ride and the belt slung into the crowd. No one was injured.
-
Vikings, Cougars compete in 2-A state meet
The Tarboro Vikings and SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars had six girls apiece competing in the NCHSAA 2-A state track meet in Greensboro Friday at North Carolina A&T State University.
-
Six Tarboro girls to compete in track finals
Motivation is a big part of the Tarboro Viking girl's track team's success this season. They enjoy working hard during practice for their coach Rickie Dozier and get fulfillment when they compete in events. Friday will be no different for the six girls that are headed to Greensboro to compete in the NCHSAA 2-A state championship meet at North Carolina A&T State University. They will compete in three relay events and the long jump.
-
BIG FISH
Camden Grant and her boyfriend Ricky Davis, Jr. caught a 10 pound carp at a state wildlife pond Wednesday morning off of Highway 33 just outside of Tarboro. Grant said she caught the fish on a piece of shrimp around 10:30 a.m.
-
Vikings ousted from playoffs by Jaguars
CARRBORO – After defeating the No. 1 seed in the playoffs Friday, the Tarboro Vikings forgot one thing, they had to hit the ball again Tuesday against the Carrboro Jaguars or their season would be over.
Tarboro failed to be productive at the plate and were eliminated from the NCHSAA 2-A playoffs after losing 8-0 in the second round. Tarboro never gave in after getting down early, but they just couldn't catch a break offensively and get anything going after trailing by five runs after the second inning. -
Cougars finish 7th in state golf match
The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars went through the regionals and won by four strokes. They just couldn't get it going in the state golf championships Monday or Tuesday at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines. The Cougars finished seventh as a team after shooting 658 over the two day period.
-
Vikings advance to second round after defeating Bunn
BUNN – The Tarboro Vikings brought their "A" game and some lively bats with them Friday night when they defeated the Bunn Wildcats 7-5 in the first round of the 2-A NCHSAA state baseball playoffs. The last time the Vikings won a playoff game it was at the same location five years ago.
-
Bess hired as new Vikings basketball coach
The Tarboro Vikings have made a coaching change in boy's basketball. They hired Reggie Bess as the new Vikings skipper April 26. Bess is a former Viking basketball star who played for Tarboro in 1995-96. He was part of a team that went to the Eastern Regional finals in 95.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness
New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season
Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
Okla. Teens Get Video of Deadly Tornado Overhead
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
9-year-old Tornado Victim Loved Family, Singing
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
