East Bladen’s Davion Lewis heads the ball over the Eagles’ goal on a Hobbton corner kick.
Sonny Jones / Bladen Journal
East Bladen’s Andrio Garcia (8) dribbles the ball as teammate Tyler Eason heads upfield.
Sonny Jones / Bladen Journal
ELIZABETHTOWN – East Bladen had the two-time N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A East boys’ soccer champions on the ropes Wednesday night, but Hobbton rallied late for a 2-all draw in the Carolina Conference opener for the Eagles.
East Bladen (3-3-3, 0-0-1 conference) led 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining, but Hobbton (2-5-1, 1-0-1 conference) scored twice to tie it in regulation. Neither team scored in a pair of 10-minute overtime periods.
“If you would have told me with the type of adversity we’ve had that we’d be up 2-0 with 11 minutes to play, I’d have taken it,” East Bladen coach Jay Raynor said. “You’ve got to respect what Hobbton has built. They’ve got a championship program. I know they’ve lost some guys, but there’s that culture that exists.”
East Bladen has dismissed two players from the team, had another quit and had a pair of starters unable to play Wednesday because of injury. The Eagles had to bring up freshmen Jackson Moffett, who played the entire 100 minutes in his first varsity appearance, and Miguel Ventura from the junior varsity team to fill the void.and Jackson Moffett.
East Bladen broke a scoreless game at the 46 minute mark when Ishaq Algozy blistered a shot into the top right corner of the net from about 35 yards out. The Eagles scored again 10 minutes later when Jayce Hatcher headed the ball into the goal off a corner kick from Algozy.
Hobbton kept pressing and scored its first goal on a liner to the top of the net from about 35 yards out by Jose Rivas at the 70 minute mark. The Wildcats tied it four minutes later off a corner kick that rolled off the cross bar, then was kicked in by Daniel Espino.
Hobbton had a goal nullified by an offside call in overtime.
East Bladen keeper Fox Sutton made 10 saves and Hobbton recorded 24 shot attempts.
“Fox had a heck of a night,” Raynor said. “Colt (Daly) came in after Fox got injured and did a phenomenal job, too.” Fox returned to the game after sitting out briefly due to apparent leg cramps.
East Bladen is scheduled to play at North Duplin on Monday in another Carolina Conference match.
• In Burgaw, West Bladen dropped a 5-4 non-conference decision against Pender. Alejandro Lopez and Jonah Bryan each scored twice for the Knights (2-4-1).
Pender opened a 3-1 lead in the first half. The Knights’ goal came 15 minutes in by Lopez off a through ball from Jason Velasquez.
Bryan scored the next two goals for West Bladen. The first came off a missed attempt by a Knights player. The second came off an assist from Lopez. Lopez scored West Bladen’s final goal off an assist from Jonathan Ortiz.
Dylan Hernandez had three saves and Kevin Garza had a save in net for the Knights, who are scheduled to play at Union on Thursday.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10
HIGH SCHOOL
Boys’ Soccer
East Bladen 2, Hobbton 2
Pender 5, West Bladen 4
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11
HIGH SCHOOL
Boys’ Soccer
West Bladen at Union, 6 p.m.
Volleyball
Fairmont at West Bladen, JV 4:30 p.m., Varsity 6 p.m.
East Bladen at Lakewood, JV 4 p.m., Varsity 5:30 p.m.
Girls’ Tennis
Fairmont at West Bladen, 4 p.m.
JV Football
Heide Trask at West Bladen, 6 p.m.
East Bladen at Clinton, 6:30 p.m.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Volleyball
Emereau vs. Elizabethtown Christian at Elizabethtown Baptist Church, 4 p.m.
Soccer
West Columbus at Tar Heel, Girls 4 p.m.; Boys 5:15 p.m.
Tabor City at Clarkton, Girls 4 p.m.; Boys 5:15 p.m.
Emereau at Riverside Christian, Boys 4 p.m.
RECREATION
Tot Soccer at Bladen County Park
Team Everest vs. Team Rocky, 6 p.m.
Team Marshall vs. Team Rubble, 6 p.m.
Team Chase vs. Team Tracker, 6 p.m.
7-9-Year-Old Boys’ Soccer at Bladen County Park
Fury vs. Revolution, 6 p.m.
Thunder vs. Railhawks, 6 p.m.
Cosmos vs. Quakes, 7 p.m.
Galaxy vs. Timbers, 7 p.m.
7-9-Year-Old Girls’ Soccer at Bladen County Park
Fusion vs. Rapids, 6 p.m.
Burn vs. Alliance, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12
HIGH SCHOOL
Football
Clinton at East Bladen, 7 p.m.
West Bladen at Heide Trask, 7 p.m.