Kinston blanks North Lenoir for 10th straight rivalry win
Kinston blanks North Lenoir for 10th straight rivalry win
KINSTON — Kinston picked up its first win of the season Friday night, shutting out North Lenoir 45-0 and setting up a showdown with South Lenoir for Lenoir County bragging rights.
Kendarius Bey rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, while the Vikings’ defense limited the Hawks to 107 total yards. Kinston improved to 1-2, and North Lenoir dropped to 0-3.
The victory extended Kinston’s winning streak against North Lenoir to 10 games. The Vikings had won their ninth consecutive meeting with a 42-7 victory last season.
Since 2004, Kinston is 21-2 against the Hawks, giving the Vikings more wins against North Lenoir than any other opponent during that span. North Lenoir’s last victory in the series came Oct. 28, 2016, when the Hawks won 23-8.
Friday’s result also gave coach Ryan Gieselman’s team a response to an opening stretch that included a 30-8 loss to South Central and a 34-27 defeat at Wallace-Rose Hill. The Vikings scored more points against North Lenoir than they had in their first two games combined.
Bey supplied the biggest share of Kinston’s ground production, averaging 12.7 yards per carry. Quarterback Michael Eaton completed 15 of 30 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Pap Brown caught eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Kinston finished with 306 total yards, including 170 rushing.
The Vikings’ defense was equally important.
North Lenoir entered the game after rushing for 338 yards against Greene Central and 173 against South Lenoir. Kinston held the Hawks to 44 yards on the ground and 63 through the air, keeping North Lenoir scoreless for the first time this season.
Freshman quarterback Connor Bryant completed 11 of 18 passes for 63 yards with one interception. Jaylen Wooten caught two passes for 33 yards, and Marreo Bester added a 19-yard run. Defensively, Kegian Blanchard and Nick Fulwood each intercepted a pass for the Hawks.
North Lenoir is three games into Justin Clark’s first season as head coach. Clark joined the Hawks after serving as associate head coach and offensive coordinator at North Carolina Wesleyan, replacing Larry Dale.
For Kinston, the win makes its Sept. 18 trip to South Lenoir a deciding game in the county race. The Blue Devils already defeated North Lenoir 14-12 in the Braggin’ Bowl, meaning the winner of the Kinston-South Lenoir matchup will finish 2-0 against the county’s other public-school programs.
That puts an outright county championship and the Jimmy Smith Cup at stake. South Lenoir is 3-0 after beating Lejeune 20-14 on Friday.
Before that meeting, Kinston travels to White Oak on Friday, Sept. 11. North Lenoir will seek its first victory that night at Ayden-Grifton. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
