CALYPSO – North Duplin used a safety and converted touchdown in the fourth quarter Friday night to edge East Bladen 15-14 in a Carolina Conference high school football game.

Keiz Brock’s 17-yard pass to 310-pound tight end Trashawn Ruffin and Rimi Villalon’s conversion kick gave the Rebels a one-point lead with 7:03 remaining.

East Bladen fumbled on the possession following the kickoff, but got the ball back with 3:22 remaining at its own 40 after holding the Rebels on downs.

The Eagles turned the ball over on downs at their 45 with 1:42 remaining after a long fourth down pass fell incomplete.

East Bladen had one final chance to win the game following a North Duplin punt to the 24 with 12 seconds left, but an incomplete pass and hook-and-lateral pass for a short gain ended the game.

The loss dropped the Eagles to 4-2 overall, 1-1 in the conference. East Bladen is scheduled to play Hobbton on Monday at Lenon Fisher Stadium in the completion of a game suspended Sept. 26 because of rain and lightning with the Eagles leading 14-12 with 7:26 remaining in the third quarter, then will play at East Columbus next Friday.

North Duplin won for the fifth time in six games. The Rebels are 1-1 in the Carolina Conference.

East Bladen quarterback Keyshawn Kemp completed 10-of-17 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown with Jaden Lewis on the receiving end of nine of those passes for 97 yards and a score.

Lewis also had 86 yards rushing on 19 carries and a touchdown.

After a scoreless first quarter, North Duplin was first on the board when Noa Quintanilla bolted up the middle 43 yards with 7:59 remaining in the second quarter.

East Bladen put together a 16-play, 85-yard drive in 6:13 to tie the game on the final play of the first half. Lewis caught a 12-yard pass from Kemp in the right corner of the end zone for the score.

The Eagles took a 14-6 lead with 5:51 remaining in the third quarter on Lewis’ 5-yard run off right tackle. The drive began at the East Bladen 39 after holding North Duplin on downs. Dashon Campbell’s 24-yard scamper was the highlight of the eight-play drive.

North Duplin got two points on a safety when a high snap on a punt attempt sailed over Kemp’s head and into the end zone that cut East Bladen’s lead to 14-8 with 9:47 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Rebels took the ensuing free kick at East Bladen’s 35 and drove for what proved to be the winning points. North Duplin gained 15 yards on a fourth-and-seven pass from Brock to Jayden Pople that moved the ball to the 17 that set the stage for the decisive touchdown pass and conversion kick.