This Week in History: North Lenoir’s historic start leads a look back across Lenoir, Greene and Jones
This Week in History: North Lenoir’s historic start leads a look back across Lenoir, Greene and Jones
Neuse News Sports | Week of Sept. 14–20, 2026
Seven years ago, North Lenoir packed a program-changing stretch of football into eight days.
There was a blocked extra point with the game on the line, a shutout in a storm-delayed matchup and a kickoff return that delivered the first 5–0 start in school history. For a team coming off an 0–11 season, September 2019 brought a remarkable turnaround.
That run leads this week’s look through the sports archives of Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties, with a few stops just outside the anniversary dates to tell the full story. The original coverage is linked throughout, giving readers a chance to revisit the games and the people who made them memorable.
North Lenoir’s eight days to remember
The first escape came Sept. 13, 2019, at Southern Wayne.
With 1:11 remaining, the Saints scored to pull within 14–13. Chris Russell blocked the extra point, but a false-start penalty gave Southern Wayne another opportunity. Russell got a piece of the second attempt, too.
North Lenoir held on, reaching 3–0 for the first time in 26 years. Revisit the win at Southern Wayne.
Four days later, the Hawks left considerably less to chance.
Playing East Carteret on Tuesday, Sept. 17, in a game postponed by Hurricane Dorian, North Lenoir rolled to a 47–0 victory. The Hawks rushed for 363 yards, and Ny’Jai Koonce contributed two rushing touchdowns and two interceptions.
The win put North Lenoir at 4–0 for the first time since Sept. 26, 1980. One more victory would take the program somewhere it had never been. Read the East Carteret game story.
That opportunity arrived Friday, Sept. 20, at Eastern Wayne.
The Warriors outgained North Lenoir 366–100, but seven turnovers kept the Hawks in contention. Even so, Eastern Wayne appeared poised to spoil the milestone when it scored with 2:02 remaining to take a 20–15 lead.
Justin Cobb answered on the ensuing kickoff, racing 90 yards for the touchdown that put North Lenoir ahead for good. The Hawks held on, 21–20, to secure the first 5–0 start in school history. Relive North Lenoir’s historic fifth win.
Three games in eight days. Two one-point road victories. A place in the school record book.
Kinston and South Lenoir join the celebration
North Lenoir was not the only Lenoir County team with something to celebrate that Sept. 20.
Kinston forced five turnovers in a 44–9 victory at Southern Wayne, earning its seventh consecutive win in the series. Nicky Walters Jr. intercepted two passes, while Calvin Holloway added a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Read about Kinston’s road victory.
In Deep Run, South Lenoir built a 35–0 halftime lead on its way to a 49–14 win over Spring Creek.
The Blue Devils finished with 408 yards of offense, powered by 157 rushing yards from Kodjo Missebukpo and another 145 from Xavier Mitchell. Joseph Cobb found three different ways to score, returning a fumble and a punt for touchdowns before catching a touchdown pass. Revisit South Lenoir’s complete team effort.
The county rivalry supplied another September chapter in 2023, when Kinston defeated South Lenoir 18–6 in their conference opener. Read the Kinston Free Press coverage.
Greene Central gives Wilson his first wins
In Snow Hill, September 2019 marked an early milestone for Greene Central head coach Jay Wilson.
The Rams defeated Eastern Wayne 8–6 on Sept. 13 to give Wilson his first victory leading the program. Debo Pigford scored on a fumble recovery, and Greene Central’s defense forced four turnovers.
It was a fitting breakthrough for a coach whose background was on the defensive side of the ball. Read the feature on Wilson’s first victory.
A week later, the Rams followed with a 29–0 shutout of rival Farmville Central.
Greene Central recovered five fumbles and intercepted three passes. Lamar Pridgen returned one interception 30 yards for a touchdown, and Zakvil Smith caught two touchdown passes from Cole Dawson.
Wilson had his second consecutive win and his first shutout. Revisit the Rams’ defensive performance against Farmville Central.
Four years later, Greene Central added another notable September result, beating previously undefeated North Pitt 23–16 in 2023. Read “New team, new attitude, new leadership” from Neuse News Sports.
Returning to football after Florence
The September archives also capture teams returning to competition after Hurricane Florence disrupted eastern North Carolina in 2018.
On Sept. 21, Greene Central defeated Washington 28–0 in its first game back after the storm. AJ Dupree rushed for 215 yards and all four Rams touchdowns as Greene Central opened conference play with a shutout. Read about the Rams’ return against Washington.
Jones Senior’s place in the record
The archives preserve the difficult nights, too.
On Sept. 13, 2019, Jones Senior scored its first points of the season in a 58–6 home loss to Union. It was a small milestone during a difficult start for the Trojans, recorded alongside the other results from that Friday night. Read the original football roundup.
Those accounts matter because they preserve more than championship seasons. They keep a record of the teams that represented their schools each week, through breakthroughs and setbacks alike.
Seven years later, North Lenoir’s sprint to 5–0 remains the centerpiece of this September look back. Around it are a new coach’s first victories, big nights for county neighbors and teams finding their footing after a hurricane.
The scores tell part of that history. The original stories help bring the rest of it back.
