North Duplin head coach Hugh Martin (beige cap) talks with Wesley Holmes (20), while assistant coach Colton Chrisman (green shirt) talks with quarterback Luke Kelly (right) during a recent game. The Rebels can earn a share of their first Carolina 1A Conference title since 2017 with a victory over Hobbton this Friday. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A post-game message after a heart-breaking road defeat against a conference opponent has provided plenty of motivation and paid dividends for North Duplin’s football team.
Head coach Hugh Martin said “let it hurt” and reminded them that plenty of season remained to be played.
Much to Martin’s delight, the Rebels have responded well.
North Duplin moved one step closer to collecting its first Carolina 1A regular-season football championship with a 39-32 conquest of Rosewood Thursday afternoon.
The Rebels are one of four teams — along with Rosewood, Lakewood and Hobbton — who enter the final week of regular-season play with 2-1 league worksheets.
ND welcomes Hobbton to H.E. Grubbs Field for senior night Friday, while Rosewood is the guest of Lakewood.
“That’s part of why that message was so important at that point,” Martin said of the Lakewood loss. “We had so many good things and controlled a lot of parts of that game and not come away with a win was disappointment. This week all four teams are playing each other and that’s something I’ve never seen before.
“So, it’s going to shake itself out on the field [and] that makes it exciting.”
Rosewood, the two-time defending league champion, had no answer defensively for North Duplin running back DuJuan Armwood. The senior matched his single-game, career-high of 235 yards rushing on 17 carries and scored four touchdowns.
Armwood’s tallies covered 25, 36, 1 and 50 yards.
“We keep getting a little better up front with the offensive line sustaining blocks, especially on the perimeter,” Martin said. “DuJuan and Carell [Phillips] are seeing their lanes better and making cuts after that. Once that happens, their talents take over.”
Phillips didn’t find the end zone, but churned out 68 yards on 11 totes. Backfield mate Bryan Zambrano provided 43 yards on 12 carries. In all, the Rebels amassed 362 yards of total offense on 47 carries.
Martin’s team didn’t attempt a pass.
Junior quarterback Luke Kelly provided a two-yard TD dive in the second quarter. Anthony Kornegay returned a “pick six” (interception) 12 yards to the house.
North Duplin’s defense yielded just two TDs through the first three quarters. A couple of miscues allowed Rosewood to cash in three fourth-quarter touchdowns and give Martin a few extra gray hairs.
“Our defense played with a huge amount of heart … outstanding job by them. The last two weeks we have improved on both sides of the ball,” Martin said. “We tried to find a way to give that thing away toward the end. We were in real good shape, had those two turnovers and had to hang on after that. They had two big pass plays.
“They couldn’t sustain their run game. Their back [David Lamm] is very good, made some runs happen where average backs can’t normally do. He got through some small seams. [We] had to sweat it out for sure.”
The Rebels picked off three passes — one each by Kornegay, Armwood and Phillips.
Senior Oscar Romero-Hernandez posted 10 tackles. Khamari Leak and Ethan Turnage logged eight stops apiece. Rahmear Gates notched seven tackles. Trashawn Ruffin, Isaac Davis and Brendan Reyna registered six tackles apiece.
North Duplin (7-2 overall, 2-1 Carolina 1A) snapped a five-game skid against the Eagles and emerged victorious at Branch Pope Field for the first time since 2016.
North Duplin 39, Rosewood 32
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
ND — Armwood 25 run (Reyna kick), 1:45
Second Quarter
ND — Kelly 2 run (kick blocked), 7:29
ND — Kornegay 12 INT return (Reyna kick), 1:27
Third Quarter
ND — Armwood 36 run (kick failed), 2:01
Fourth Quarter
ND — Armwood 1 run (Reyna kick), 3:22
ND — Armwood 50 run (Reyna kick), 0:37.4
