TARBORO —
Coming into play Friday night the SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars had played a very tough schedule and things didn't get any easier for the Cougars when they hosted a tough North Pitt Panthers team. SouthWest was one of only two undefeated teams left in the Eastern Plains Conference, but North Pitt made sure that changed and defeated the Cougars 27-24.
With the loss, SouthWest drops to a second place tie with the Panthers at 3-1 in conference action.
SouthWest struggled during the first half and gained only 104 yards of total offense, which is unusual for the Cougars who had been averaging close to 300 yards a game this season. North Pitt's defense shut down the Cougars offense and their star running back Gerald Hinton. North Pitt also controlled the ball and the clock which keep the advantage in their favor.
North Pitt jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after they put a drive together and capped it off with a Cedric Razor one yard touchdown run. The extra point was good and the Panthers led 7-0 with 8:54 left in the first quarter.
Neither team could score on their opponents and they hit a drought until there was 2:19 left before halftime. North Pitt running back Brian Staton found pay dirt when he scored from four yards out and the extra point try was good and the Panthers held a 14-0 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter it didn't take the Cougars long to find their offensive scheme that they were used to all season. They put a drive together that lasted just short of three minutes and capped it off with a Hinton TD run from four yards out. Hinton also converted the two-point conversion and SouthWest trailed 14-8.
North Pitt took the ensuing possession and drove down the field on SouthWest's defense. Again, Razor capped off the drive on a 13-yard TD run. The extra point try was good and the Panthers led 21-8 with 4:02 left in the third.
SouthWest cut into the lead once again with 10:25 left in the game when quarterback Quay Wooten blasted up the middle on a QB keeper and scored from one yard out. Hinton converted the two-point try and cut the Panthers lead to 21-16.
North Pitt just was comfortable letting the Cougars hang around though. With 2:57 left to play, they added some cushion to their lead when Staton scored his second TD of the game on a 22-yard run. The extra point try failed and SouthWest trailed 27-16.
The Cougars responded right back in just under a minute and a half. Hinton hit it big with a 56 yard TD run. Milton Ransome converted the two-point try and SouthWest cut the Panthers lead to three at 27-24.
There just wasn't enough time left as the Panthers sealed the conference win.
North Pitt had 20 first downs in the game to the Cougars 10. The Panthers out gained the Cougars 381 to 295 and North Pitt held the ball for 29 minutes and the Cougars had possession only 19 minutes.
The time of possession really hurt the Cougars, because they are used to controlling the ball and the clock.
Hinton finished the game with 187 yards on 19 carries, while Ransome chipped in 41 yards and fullback Devante Williams added 25 on five carries.
Hinton went over the century mark with his performance. he now has 1,169 yards on the season and has scored 17 TDs.
SouthWest will have another tough opponent Friday when they travel to county rival Tarboro to play the Vikings. This will be the last time the two teams meet in a conference battle and it will be the last time Cobb coaches against long time friend Jeff Craddock.
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Related Photos
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SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars running back Gerald Hinton runs the ball in the second half Friday night.
Cougars lose first EPC conference game 27-24
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14-Under softball tryout
The Tarboro Parks and Recreation Department and Edgecombe County Girls Softball League will be having tryouts for 14-under girls fast-pitch softball Wednesday, May 29 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Farmington Park in Rocky Mount. The is located at 319 Wellington Dr. There will also be a tryout Thursday, May 30 at Indian Lake Sports Complex on field 1 in Tarboro from 6 - 7:30 p.m. There is a $10 fee for Tarboro residents and a $35 fee for non-residents. For more information call the sports complex at 641-4202, Kathy Webb 252-813-4697 or Jamie Lindsey 252-883-0883 or sftbllgrlunc@hotmail.com.
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Thorne tabbed Regional Player of the Year
Tarboro Lady Vikings forward Shayla Thorne is still learning about the game of soccer. She has turned into one of the best female soccer players in school history. Every time she takes the field she gets better and better, because of her hard work and the help of her teammates. Her hard work paid off for her during her junior year as she led the Vikings with a winning record, co-confoerence championship and into the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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