North Duplin senior running back DuJuan Armwood gets away from Pinetown Northside lineman Dashawn Smith and rambles 41 yards to the end zone during fourth-quarter play Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Branden Reyna (10) grabs the shirt tail of Pinetown Northside running back Malachi Moore, who eventually broke away and scored the game’s first touchdown during the second quarter Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin outside linebacker Anthony Kornegay (25) wraps up Pinetown Northside running back Malachi Moore during the first quarter at H.E. Grubbs Field on Calypso on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin quarterback Luke Kelly (9) helped lead the Rebels to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2017 after a 14-13 conquest of Pinetown Northside on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin running back Branden Reyna (10) waits for a teammate to block Pinetown Northside linebacker TJ Squires on a first-half play Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Pinetown Northside defenders work to take down North Duplin running back Bryan Zambrano. Zambrano grinded out a hard-earned 52 yards on 15 carries on the night. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin quarterback Luke Kelly (9) pitches the ball to running back DuJuan Armwood (5), who picked up a short gain on the play. Armwood rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the Rebels’ 14-13 win over Pinetown Northside. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — North Duplin, for three quarters, had little to show on offense.
The Rebels moved the sticks on short-yardage gains, but stalled on several occasions. A zero glared on the H.E. Grubbs Field scoreboard.
That changed within a 71-second span in the final period.
DuJuan Armwood broke off two long touchdown runs, which lifted North Duplin past Pinetown Northside, 14-13. The comeback victory snapped a five-game skid against the Panthers.
“[I’m] just real pleased with the fantastic team effort,” ND head coach Hugh Martin said. “From Monday through tonight, the way we prepared from filmwork and taking that message and information, and using it all week to get us ready to come out here and do this [tonight].
“The guys who run scout team don’t get a lot of recognition and credit, but ours needs a heck of a lot right now. There’s a lot of motions and things that happen on their offense. Those guys ran it this week to give us those opportunities to see it, get us ready for what we were going to see tonight.”
Northside’s three-pronged rushing attack – backfield mates Max Vansant, Jamie Corprew and Malachi Moore – proved effective throughout the 48-minute affair.
Short-yargade pickups allowed the Panthers to (1-1 overall) to utilize their playbook. Quarterback Hunter Chrismon and Moore hooked up on a long second-quarter pass that led to the game’s first score.
The completion down the left sideline set up a first-and-goal inside the Rebels’ 5-yard line. A penalty momentarily halted the drive until Moore escaped the grasp of defender Branden Reyna and dove into the end zone.
Northside led 7-0 at halftime.
Martin said the coaches made slight tweaks on both sides of the ball at halftime. The defensive unit, a little fatigued from the humidity, took the talk to heart.
The group stopped the Panthers twice on fourth down, logged two quarterback sacks for huge losses, forced a punt and broke up several passes. The biggest play came from junior outside linebacker Anthony Kornegay, who knocked a two-point conversion pass away from Moore on the Panthers’ second touchdown.
“Right now, nothing rattles them,” Martin said. “They just keep playing hard the next play, whatever it is, they come back and make a play. We gave up that big pass early [in the first quarter] and they could have gotten down easily, right there. But they just come back to make big plays.”
So did Armwood.
The senior two-way starter, along with teammates Khamari Leak and Wes Holmes, stopped a fourth-down play just seconds into the fourth quarter.
On the next play, Armwood ripped off a 69-yard touchdown run.
Another defensive stop, highlighted by a quarterback sack, set up Armwood again. The fleet-footed back followed his blockers, found an open space and galloped 41 yards in the end zone.
Branden Reyna’s second PAT delivered the decisive point.
“Coach [Brad] Rhodes made a blocking adjustment at halftime that was outstanding,” Martin said. “The second run was a cutback, which you could see his ability off of that same play. He made that cut…has great vision for seeing it.
“Two great runs that was set up by a lot of other runs prior to that.”
Northside (1-1 overall) took the ensuing kickoff and drove into the end zone. Sincere Columbus plunged over from the 2-yard line. North Duplin outside linebacker Anthony Kornegay broke up the two-point conversion pass to Malachi Moore, who tallied the Panthers’ other touchdown.
The Rebels received the kickoff and ran out the clock to snap a five-game skid against the Panthers.
Armwood churned out 149 yards on 12 totes and crossed the 1,500-yard rushing mark for his career. He boosted his career TD total to 22 as a Rebel.
North Duplin finished with 213 yards – all on the ground. Bryan Zambrano provided 52 yards on 15 carries. Leak had nine yards, while Holmes provided a three-yard carry.
The Rebels are 2-0 for the first time since 2017. The return home Friday against Jones County. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
