James Kenan head coach Tim Grady makes some notes during pre-game warm-ups. The Tigers dropped a season-ending, 46-28 loss to unbeaten Elizabeth City Northeastern on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
ELIZABETH CITY — Good as advertised.
Better in person.
Top-seeded and unbeaten Northeastern converted four of its first five offensive possessions against James Kenan on Friday evening.
The Tigers withstood the onslaught.
However, they couldn’t keep the momentum.
Down by three points in the third quarter, Northeastern punched in three consecutive touchdowns. The momentum change allowed the Eagles to eliminate James Kenan, 46-28, in eastern semifinal-round action of the NC High School Athletic Association Class 2A football playoffs.
Top-seeded Northeastern (14-0) overall entertains second-seeded Whiteville (13-1) in the eastern final next Friday. Brevard (12-2) is the guest of top-seeded Rosman (14-0) in the western championship.
“We knew Northeastern would be hard to stop,” James Kenan head coach Tim Grady said. “They proved that true. They were very quick, shifty and talented. We lost the possession battle and they capitalized on it.”
Down 13-0 after one quarter, Kenan fought back.
David “Cito” Zeleya provided a 1-yard touchdown plunge, while backfield mate Jeremiah Hall reached the end zone on runs of 13 and 1 yards.
Northeastern led 25-21 at halftime.
Kenan seized the lead, 28-25, on Eli Avent’s 13-yard run less than three minutes into the second half.
The Eagles quickly responded and regained control.
Senior quarterback Trevaris Jones completed a 72-yard scoring bomb to senior Khamani Blount. The Eagles recovered the ensuing onside kick and Ty’Jae Simpson scampered 31 yards to paydirt on the next play.
The teams’ next six possessions kept a standing-room-only crowd on edge. The Tigers turned the ball over on downs on three occasions. The Eagles punted, turned the ball over downs and saw Zeleya pick off a pass.
Ty Saunders sealed the outcome with a 31-yard scamper with four minutes left in regulation.
Jones ended the night an efficient 11 of 13 for 162 yards and two TDs. Simpson paced the ground attack with 145 yards and three end-zone visits on 13 carries. The Eagles amassed 258 yards rushing.
“I am so proud of the way this team came together this season and bonded, and bought into the coaching philosophy and culture,” Grady said. “On the drive home, I was encouraged to think that we accomplished what we did this year with both [our] offense and defense being led by half [of our] seniors.
“They literally turned JK football around.”
And played with a chip on their shoulder.
Their East Central 2A peers predicted them to finish sixth in the preseason poll.
Instead, the Tigers accumulated 12 wins, claimed co-ownership of the 2024 East Central 2A conference title and beat arch nemesis Wallace-Rose Hill on its home turf for the first time in more than a decade.
Grady guided Kenan to its seventh fourth-round playoff appearance — and first since 2015 — in 17 years.
“It’s not the result we hoped for, but thankful for the opportunity to represent our community and school in the fourth round,” Grady said. “Some of the seniors will be nearly impossible to replace, but we are encouraged by the amount of experience and games that our underclassmen experienced this year.
“I want to thank our school administration, led by [Principal] Michael Holton for allowing us the freedom and opportunity to build this program back. Also our hard-working staff and booster club led by Kenny Barrett. It was a team effort and we are blessed to be Tigers.
“We’ll be back.”
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
Northeastern 46, James Kenan 28
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
NE — Simpson 11 run (Paris kick)
NE — Saunders 23 pass from Jones (kick failed)
Second Quarter
JK — Zeleya 1 run (Gomez kick)
NE — Saunders 1 run (run failed)
JK — Hall 13 run (Gomez kick)
NE — Simpson 7 run (run failed)
JK — Hall 1 run (Gomez kick)
Third Quarter
JK — E. Avent 13 run (Gomez kick)
NE — Bennett 73 pass from Blount (Paris kick)
NE — Simpson 7 run (Paris kick)
Fourth Quarter
NE — Simpson 31 run (Paris kick)
