THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 27, 1995 TAG: 9508250259
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 58 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: HERTFORD LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
There's nothing like a win the first week of the season to give confidence to a young football team. And for Northeastern, the 27-9 victory over Perquimans County last week was convincing.
It's true that Perquimans is a 1A school and Northeastern is a 4A school, but the Eagles, vastly inexperienced coming into the 1995 season, needed a confidence builder.
Perhaps the biggest eye-opener for Northeastern was a 205-yard, two-touchdown performance by sophomore running back Kentron King.
Leading by just 7-3 at the half, Northeastern scored three straight touchdowns in the second half. After a shaky start which included two turnover in the first quarter, Northeastern struck first. The first score came when King rambled 23yards for a touchdown and Daniel Edwards booted the extra point to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
Both teams held firm until backup kicker Lamond James scored a 30-yard field goal late in the first half.
Then, the Eagles offensive line began to move Perquimans off the ball. With 7:00 to play in the third quarter, Don Jones scored on a nine-yard run and Edwards' extra point made it 14-3.
The Pirates then fumbled the kickoff. Northeastern took advantage of the miscue when King scrambled 85 yards for a touchdown. Edwards' extra point upped the lead to 21-3.
Northeastern scored again at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Calvin Cooper rushed nine yards for the 27-3 lead.
Perquimans finished the scoring when Tykinsten Wood ran 25 yards for a touchdown.
``The majority of our offense came in the third quarter,'' said Northeastern head coach Eric McDaniels. ``We were pleased with the intensity in the second half. One of the things we talked about at halftime was that we needed to go up a few steps in intensity.''
McDaniels said the key to the game was holding Perquimans on the first offensive drive of the second half.
King, who played JV to start the season last year then was brought up to the varsity in the third week of the season, needed just 15 carries for his 205 yards. by CNB