GOLDSBORO — The 13th-seeded East Bladen Eagles defeated the 12th-seeded Rosewood Eagles for a 47-14 victory in the third round of the NCHSAA 1A State Playoffs on Friday.

East Bladen’s senior running-back duo of Masion Brooks and Na’Toren Corbett combined for 312 yards on the ground as his team ran away with the game in the second half.

Brooks rushed for 160 yards on 21 carries and he had four touchdowns to his name for the third straight week.

East Bladen’s defense gave the host headaches all night and their effort on the defensive side of the ball is what helped tilt the game into their favor in the second half with an Xavier Best pick-six that was returned for 52-yards. The hometown Eagles went-on and outscored their opponents 32-7 after the Best interception return to book their ticket to the next round.

For the Eagles next offensive possession, Brooks powered his way into the endzone for his second touchdown of the night as the flood gates began to open up in Goldsboro. East Bladen junior quarterback Kewone Maynor and junior wideout Maliki Moore connected for a 39-yard touchdown pass that put their team up 28-7 with 7:37 remaining in the third quarter. Maynor went 2-for-5 passing on the night for 58 yards and Moore was on the receiving end of both his passes.

Rosewood’s offense needed a quick response but their next possession would end after three plays when Best snagged another interception. East Bladen drove down the field in the remaining minutes of the third quarter and started the final quarter with Brooks barreling his way into the endzone for his third touchdown of the night. The host finally found a rhythm on offense for a drive and senior running-back David Lamm stamped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to slice the deficit to 34-14.

East Bladen recovered the ensuing onside kick around midfield before Brooks could run into the endzone for his final touchdown of the game. Junior running-back Jamere Stephans scored the final touchdown for the Eagles to put the game to bed at 47-14 as the visitors improved to an overall record of 8-5 on the season.

East Bladen will take on the number-one seeded Tarboro Vikings in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 1A State Playoffs for their next match-up.