James Kenan defensive coordinator John Bert Avent, far right, celebrates with players after upsetting Wallace-Rose Hill, 14-13 in overtime Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Wallace-Rose Hill’s De’jay Moses, right, barely trips up James Kenan’s Jeremiah Hall from breaking loose for a big run during first-quarter action. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
James Kenan’s David Zeleya, who scored the game-winning touchdown in the first overtime, is stopped by the Bulldogs’ De’jay Moses during regulation play. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
James Kenan’s Tyquise Wilson (10) stops Wallace-Rose Hill’s Jamarae Lamb for a short gain. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
James Kenan’s Cal Avent, top, and a teammate crush Wallace-Rose Hill quarterback Matthew Wells during third-quarter play. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
WALLACE — James Kenan teammates David “Cito” Zeleya and Zamarion Smith had the game of their lives for different reasons Friday evening.
Zeleya received sage advice from a teammate.
Smith delivered a stunning fourth-down defensive stop that finally eliminated what he called “the curse.”
The duo’s effort helped lift the Tigers past long-time nemesis Wallace-Rose Hill, 14-13 in overtime, during round three of the NC High School Athletic Association Class 2A football playoffs.
The stirring upset sends 12th-seeded James Kenan (12-1 overall) to top-seeded Northeastern next Friday evening. Kickoff is 7 p.m. in Elizabeth City.
Before kickoff, Hassan Kornegay pulled Zeleya aside.
“Little bro, I need you to be big bro tonight,” he said.
Zeleya listened.
“That kind of hit my heart because I knew I needed to step up and be a leader,” Zeleya said. “That just motivated me and got me through it. That felt good, amazing.”
Tied at 7-7 through regulation, a determined Zeleya refused to let the Bulldogs’ physical defense deny him passage into the end zone. On 4th-and-goal from the 2, Zeleya bulled his way through the line and scored.
Emerson Gomez added the PAT.
Fourth-seeded Wallace-Rose Hill’s offense took the field.
The Tigers’ defense kept the Dogs cornered until quarterback Matthew Wells called his own number on a naked bootleg. He knocked over the pylon on 4th-and-goal from 3.
Kenan led 14-13.
Smith expected Wells to run the same play on the two-point conversion attempt.
“I honestly thought they were going to come out and do it again,” Smith said. “I have to give thanks to my DBs and corners. They had everything locked, so he [Wells] was trying to force his way into the end zone like he did the first time.
“The line opened up for me and I went through.”
Wells rolled out and headed toward his left.
Smith double-legged tackled the quarterback, who stretched the ball toward the goal line just as his knees touched the ground around the 2-yard line.
The side judge marked the ball at the 1.
Game over.
A wild celebration ensued as the Tiger faithful rushed the field and gold confetti exploded into the cold night air.
“It feels unbelievable man,” Smith said.
James Kenan snapped a 12-game skid in the long-running series that started in the 1960s. They emerged victorious on the Bulldogs’ home turf — Thell B. Overman Field — for the first time since 2012.
It was the sixth playoff meeting between the two bitter arch rivals and first since 2015, according to available NCHSAA records. The Tigers had lost four of the previous five outcomes with the lone triumph occurring in 2008.
Soaked from a post-game, ice-bath celebration, Kenan head coach Tim Grady commended his team for its grind-it-out mentality against a physical opponent. The Tigers bottled up Division I recruit Irving Brown all evening and survived a chaotic final 3.8 seconds in regulation.
Wallace-Rose Hill blocked a field-goal attempt by Gomez and methodically moved the ball inside Kenan’s 15-yard line. The drive stalled and precious seconds ticked away as the Bulldogs struggled to get their field-goal unit on the field.
Grady burned a timeout with 3.8 seconds on the clock.
Consecutive offside penalties moved the Bulldogs closer, but an illegal procedure infraction pushed them back five yards. Seconds later, Cesar Perla Fuentes watched his game-winning, 27-yard field-goal attempt sail left of the posts.
“That’s one of those deals where you need the Lord working man,” Grady said. “I can’t explain it … borderline miraculous. It all goes back to that we’ve been on the wrong side of field-goal actions before and losing a devastating game two years over here.
“[Was] just hoping something would break loose and thank goodness it did.”
Unlike their previous meeting Nov. 1 in Wallace, the Tigers grabbed the upper hand.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Jeremiah Hall broke loose for a 17-yard touchdown run. He set up his own score with a reception from quarterback Eli Avent.
Wallace-Rose Hill answered after halftime.
Wells orchestrated an 80-yard drive that consumed nearly eight minutes off the clock. His 6-yard scamper and Fuentes’ PAT knotted the contest at 7-all with 4:02 to go.
“I think the kids did a good job responding and fighting their butts off,” Grady said. “That’s a really good football team right there, very physical football team. Coach JB [Avent] worked his butt off planning and scheming for this. Hassan leading the crowd … couldn’t be more proud of this defense bowing their neck in tough situations.”
“The kids never thought about stopping. We got in some bad situations that looked like it was over and they never quit grinding. A coach couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”
It’s a night Grady certainly won’t forget any time soon.
Neither will Zeleya or Smith.
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
James Kenan 14, Wallace-Rose Hill 13 (OT)
Scoring Summary
Second Quarter
JK — Hall 17 run (Gomez kick), 9:48
Third Quarter
WRH — Wells 6 run (Fuentes kick), 4:02
First OT
JK — Zeleya 3 run (Gomez kick)
WRH — Wells 2 run (run failed)
