Southside’s Jarvis Campbell (14) and Isiah Knight (3) attempt to bring down North Duplin running back Carell Phillips during first-period play Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin senior defensive end Isaac Davis, left, tackles Southside running back MyQuan Clark for a safety in the end zone just 13 seconds after kickoff Friday evening in Calypso. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — North Duplin couldn’t have scripted a better season-opening football game at H.E. Grubbs Field Friday evening.
Isaac Davis started the opening act with a safety just 13 seconds after kickoff.
A minute later, Carell Phillips relished the first of many moments in the spotlight. The junior running back set career highs for carries (17), rushing yards (191) and touchdowns (5) during a 50-8 drubbing of Chocowinity Southside.
Phillips scored on runs of 11, 1, 8, 7 and 16 yards.
“If it wasn’t for the blockers and our [offensive] line, I wouldn’t have done what I did,” said Phillips, who surpassed his previous career bests of 189 yards and three TDs set a year ago against Hobbton.
“We saw how they were calling [defensive] plays. I saw the holes and went through them … no problem. [Tonight] feels great.”
As usual, North Duplin controlled the clock.
The Rebels used their patented running game to move the sticks and eventually wear down the Seahawks’ defense — physically and mentally. An offside penalty inside the red zone led to Phillips’ first touchdown barely three minutes into the opening quarter.
A pair of fourth-down conversions spearheaded by quarterback Luke Kelly permitted Phillips to find the end zone two more times.
Phillips scored his final TD in the third period.
“He really came on as the season progressed last year, worked hard in the weight room and it’s paying dividends for him,” ND head coach Hugh Martin said. “I’m happy for him. He’ll keep getting better with some of the things we want him to do.”
Sophomore Jayden Pope collected North Duplin’s final touchdown — a 3-yard, fourth-quarter plunge.
North Duplin amassed 314 yards of total offense — 293 on the ground and a 21-yard completion from Kelly to Vance Carter. Bryan Zambrano churned out 43 yards on eight rushes, while Kelly had nine carries for 30 yards. Eight players toted the pigskin at least one time on the night.
While Phillips and his teammates ran rampant on offense, the Rebels’ experienced and talent-ladened defense grounded the Seahawks. Davis’ stop of Southside running back MyQuan Clark in the end zone set the tone.
“All week long we’ve been training on the trap play,” Davis said. “As soon as I broke through the line, I knew exactly where it was coming. The runner came right into me and I knew I had to get him. It pumped us up a lot.
“We started off great [tonight] and finished great. [But] there is room for improvement. The line is where it starts. We’ve got good secondaries, good linebackers, safeties and good corners.”
North Duplin coaxed Southside into four punts, a turnover on downs and recovered two fumbles. Highly-recruited junior ineman Trashawn Ruffin cashed in a a 12-yard “scoop and score” just before the third quarter expired.
Davis’ fumble hit opened the door for Ruffin.
“[Our defensive players] have worked hard in the weight room and they’ve gotten a lot stronger,” Martin said. “Our speed is pretty decent on the perimeter when things do break down for us, they’re able to make the plays and limit the damage.
“I thought execution was really good defensively for us.”
According to school records available since 1960, the Rebels scored a program-best 50 points in a season opener, which eclipsed the old mark of 47 established against East Duplin in 1977.
North Duplin also won back-to-back, season-opening contests for the first time since it claimed three consecutive victories from 2017-19.
The Rebels (1-0 overall) travel to Pinetown Northside next Thursday.
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
ND — Safety, 11:47
ND — Phillips 11 run (Jaurez kick), 9:15
ND — Phillips 1 run (Juarez kick), 3:21
Second Quarter
ND — Phillips 8 run (Juarez kick), 8:15
ND — Phillips 7 run (Juarez kick), 0:31.8
ND — Ruffin 12 fumble return (Juarez kick), 0:08.8
Third Quarter
ND — Phillips 16 run (Juarez kick), 5:44
Fourth Quarter
S — Clark 25 run (Knight run), 10:12
ND — Pope 3 run (kick blocked), 3:27
