Kinston’s Turning Point: The Line That Helped Rewrite the Season
THE UNSUNG HEROES: HOW A HALFTIME SHAKEUP TURNED KINSTON’S SEASON INTO A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RUN
When people talk about Kinston football this season, the conversation always turns to points — and there were plenty of them. A precision passing attack. A downhill run game. Touchdowns stacked on touchdowns like a video game scoreboard.
But the real story — the one that shaped this season and pushed Kinston all the way to a state championship appearance this weekend — begins at halftime of a Greene Central game when the Vikings were sitting at 3–3, trailing 12–0, and searching for answers.
Everything changed in those next few minutes.
A substitution. A reshuffling. A decision that would redefine the offensive line and reshape the entire identity of the team.
From that moment on, Kinston didn’t just improve.
They became one of the most explosive offenses in the state — going 8–1 the rest of the way, with the only loss coming to nine-time state champion Tarboro, 42–35, in a game that showed just how much this team had grown.
THE ANCHOR AND THE ENFORCER
At the center of the season’s transformation was left tackle Jaylin Kinsey (6'3”, 260) — the anchor.
Kinsey became the steadying force, the blindside protector, the tone-setter. Everything Kinston did offensively flowed through his ability to win matchups, seal the edge, and bring toughness to the front.
But an anchor needs support, and on the opposite side, Edward Thompson Jr. (6'6”, 315) emerged as a massive — literally and figuratively — part of the turnaround. His versatility proved invaluable: he played center, guard, and tackle throughout the season, and wherever he lined up, the offense lifted with him.
Together, they formed the bookends of a unit that grew into the heartbeat of a championship team.
Right beside them were the grinders:
Right Guard Javon Banks Jr. (6'1”, 235)
Center Mikeal Butler (6'0”, 240)
Left Guard Nicholas McKenney (5'10”, 220)
Five players. One identity. And one season that flipped entirely the moment they found their rhythm.
BEFORE THE TURNING POINT: AN OFFENSE SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
Kinston entered the Greene Central game at 3–3, talented but inconsistent. The passing game was up and down, the pressure on the quarterback was noticeable, and the run game was feast or famine.
The touchdown production reflected that early turbulence:
Before the 12–0 halftime deficit:
Passing TDs per game: 2.4
Rushing TDs per game: 2.0
Total TDs per game: 4.4
Good numbers — but not yet great. Not yet championship-caliber.
AFTER THE TURNING POINT: AN OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
Once the halftime adjustment was made against Greene Central, everything clicked.
Kinston didn’t just start winning up front — they started dominating.
From that moment on, the Vikings averaged:
After the 12–0 halftime deficit:
Passing TDs per game: 4.7
Rushing TDs per game: 2.4
Total TDs per game: 7.1
Nearly three more touchdowns per game — the kind of jump only possible when the offensive line becomes a weapon.
And the record proved it.
Kinston went 8–1 after the change, the lone loss a 42–35 battle with undefeated Tarboro. Everyone felt the full force of this reborn offense.
THE PATH TO A TITLE GAME
Look at the final stretch, and the dominance speaks for itself:
6 passing TDs vs Farmville Central
5 passing TDs vs Beddingfield
5 passing TDs vs Tarboro
7 passing TDs vs North Moore
3 passing TDs vs Pasquotank
4 passing TDs vs Northeastern
3 passing TDs vs James Kenan
The run game surged too, with huge nights against Beddingfield and Midway and consistently strong red-zone execution.
None of it happens without the transformation up front.
This wasn’t luck.
This wasn’t just talent outside.
This was an offensive line becoming one of the toughest, most reliable, most improved units in North Carolina — and powering a run to the state championship.
SUPERHEROES WITHOUT CAPES
Skill players celebrate in the end zone. Fans remember the touchdowns. Cameras capture the throws.
But championships?
Championships are built in the trenches.
Kinsey — the anchor.
Thompson — the enforcer.
Banks, Butler, and McKenney — the heartbeat of the interior.
Together, they built a wall that turned an inconsistent offense into a nearly unstoppable one. Together, they changed the season. Together, they helped carry Kinston to the biggest stage in North Carolina high school football.
And the beautiful part?
Superheroes don’t always wear capes.
Sometimes, they wear numbers in the 50s, 60s and 70s…
and their fingerprints are all over a championship run.
