Vikings Cruise Past South Lenoir 59-6
KINSTON – The Kinston Vikings (3-2) delivered a statement win Friday night, dismantling rival South Lenoir (3-2) in a 59-6 victory at home. Behind a nearly perfect outing from quarterback Tyler Jones, explosive receiving from Tyreek Copper, and a punishing ground game from Genesis Wiggins, the Vikings built a 47-0 halftime lead and never looked back.
Early Onslaught
The Vikings wasted no time setting the tone. Running back Genesis Wiggins opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.
Quarterback Tyler Jones then followed with a short QB sneak for Kinston’s second touchdown of the night. Just two minutes later, Jones connected with Brennan Chambers on a 52-yard touchdown strike, putting the Vikings up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
By halftime, Kinston stretched the lead to 47-0, overwhelming the Blue Devils in every phase of the game.
Jones and Copper Lead the Charge
Jones turned in a spectacular performance, finishing 17-for-18 for 305 yards and five passing touchdowns, while also adding a rushing score on the QB sneak. He spread the ball around to nine different receivers, keeping South Lenoir’s defense guessing.
His top target was Tyreek Copper, who exploded for six catches, 183 yards, and four touchdowns. Each time Kinston needed a spark, Copper delivered with highlight-worthy plays downfield.
Supporting Cast Shines
Wiggins anchored the ground attack with 73 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 10 carries, showing both power and balance. Chambers added four catches for 78 yards and a touchdown, including his long 52-yard strike in the first quarter.
Pap Brown got in on the scoring as well, hauling in a 15-yard touchdown grab to keep the Vikings’ offense rolling. Eljai Sumpter also contributed with 17 yards rushing, giving Kinston valuable depth in the backfield.
Coach and Player Reactions
Head Coach Ryan Gieselman praised his team’s bounce back from last week’s frustration.
“I’m very proud, after the frustration of last week to get back and play a complete game is nice.”
On Jones’s performance, Gieselman added:
“It’s great for him, to get him going early. We let him run the ball a few times tonight then he just facilitated. That’s all we ask him to do.”
Jones himself credited his teammates for the offensive explosion:
“Very confident going into conference play next week. We need to go into Ayden-Grifton hot. I have confidence in all of my guys—it makes my job easy.”
Wiggins, who continues to shine after coming back from injury, pointed to his offensive line.
“First off I want to thank God for helping me play off injury. Run with my O-line and Tyler trusts me.”
Copper emphasized the hard work behind his four-touchdown performance:
“It takes a lot of work during practice in the weight room but it’s coming together. I’m very confident—we all go hard against each other in practice. We all want to get better. We all got the same goal, which is to win the championship.”
Looking Ahead
With the win, both Kinston and South Lenoir now sit at 3-2 on the season. The Vikings will take a bye week before returning to action in a highly anticipated matchup against Ayden-Grifton. South Lenoir will also take a bye week, before traveling to face Heide Trask.
