When the East Bladen girls’ soccer team walked off the pitch in Camden on Monday, May 18, it officially brought a close to the 2025-26 Bladen County high school sports season.
Claire Warren scored in the second half to lift Camden County to a 1-0 win against East Bladen in the third round of the N.C.High School Athletic Association 2A playoffs.
Third was a common theme for spring sports teams. The East Bladen and West Bladen baseball and softball teams each finished third in their conferences. The East Bladen girls’ soccer team also came in third. The West Bladen girls’ soccer team was the outlier with a second place finish during the regular season.
All Bladen County high school sports teams, including boys’ tennis, boys’ golf and track and field, participated in the state playoffs.
Guess the furthest a Bladen County team advanced in the playoffs? The third round, of course, for the West Bladen baseball team and East Bladen girls’ soccer team.
Here’s a recap of the high school spring sports season:
BASEBALL
West Bladen
Record: 18-8 overall, 6-4 in Southeastern Conference
Playoffs: First-round bye. Beat Wake Prep Academy 4-2. Lost at Whiteville 6-3.
The Highs: The Knights’ 18 wins was the most in a season since the 2008 team went 20-6 … West Bladen won seven of its first eight games and had a nine-game win streak snapped in the final game of the regular season … The Knights won the Randy Ledford Memorial Easter Tournament at South View High School.
The Lows: A four-game losing streak midseason that included a 10-9 defeat at rival East Bladen when the Eagles scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh … An 11-0 loss at home to South Brunswick to end the regular season that cost West Bladen second place in the conference standings.
East Bladen
Record: 12-11 overall, 8-4 in Carolina Conference.
Playoffs: Beat West Columbus 10-0. Lost at American Leadership Academy Johnston 5-2.
The Highs: The 10-9 win against West Bladen at Russell Priest Field when Isaiah Lee ripped a three-run double in the bottom of the seventh … A six-game win streak at the start of conference play … A key late-season 15-3 win at East Columbus. The Gators are in the 1A East Regional championship series.
The Lows: Losing six of seven following the six-game win streak … Three 4-3 losses in the first four games of the season. Win any or all of those and it would have been a much different season.
SOFTBALL
West Bladen
Record: 9-12 overall, 6-4 Southeastern Conference
Playoffs: Lost to Greene Central 5-3
The Highs: Winning the first six conference games, outscoring opponents 77-16 during the streak … Beating rival East Bladen 10-0 and 10-5 … Losing to North Brunswick 2-1 after being beaten by the Scorpions 15-0 a week earlier.
The Lows: Losing the final four conference games, then losing in the first round of the playoffs when Greene Central rallied in the seventh inning for a 5-3 win … It was only the second time since 2011, not including the COVID-shortened season, that the Knights failed to win at least 10 games.
East Bladen
Record: 9-13 overall, 6-4 Carolina Conference
Playoffs: Beat Union 15-0. Lost at East Carteret 10-0.
The Highs: A three-game win streak late in the season by a combined score of 53-10 allowed the Eagles to move up in the standings … Jenna Brice pitched a no-hitter in East Bladen’s playoff win against Union … The Eagles won by the run rule seven times.
The Lows: A six-game losing streak that included three defeats in the West Brunswick Easter Tournament .. The Eagles lost by the run rule six times.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
East Bladen
Record: 16-7-1 overall, 10-4 Carolina Conference
Playoffs: Beat Rosewood 5-0. Beat North Duplin 1-0. Lost at Camden County 1-0.
The Highs: A pair of wins against conference co-champion North Duplin, including in the second round of the state playoffs … A seven-match win streak near the end of the season where the Eagles outscored opponents 29-0 … East Bladen shut out its opponents 15 times … It was the third consecutive season the Eagles won 16 matches..
The Lows: Three losses to conference co-champion Hobbton, including a 2-1 double overtime defeat in the first round of the conference tournament.
West Bladen
Record: 7-13-2 overall, 4-3-1 Southeastern Conference
Playoffs: Beat Pender 1-0 (forfeit). Lost at Wake Prep Academy 9-0.
The Highs: A 3-1 win at South Columbus on April 24 clinched second place … Advanced to the second round of the state playoffs for the first time in program history .. A pair of 2-1 wins against Red Springs, the first in double overtime … The seven wins were two more than West Bladen had won combined the past two seasons.
The Lows: Scoring only 29 goals in 22 matches .. West Bladen was shut out 12 times.
TRACK AND FIELD
East Bladen
The highs: Jaden Lewis placed third in the triple jump in the state 2A track and field championship with a school-record jump of 43 feet, 5¼ inches … The boys’ 4×200 relay team of Jayden Hawkins, Joel Lewis, Riley Collins and Tevin McLean and the girls’ 4×200 relay team of Ariel Cromartie, Nyasia Banks, Janiyah Grimes and Arian Fields placed seventh in the state meet … The East Bladen girls’ won the conference championship behind Kassidii Goodwin winning two events and relay teams winning three events … The East Bladen boys’ won all four relay races in the conference title meet.
West Bladen
The highs: Tahlela Bethea placed 12th in the 3A girls’ championship meet in the high jump at 4 feet, 8 inches … Bethea was second in the high jump in the conference tournament … Jennson Martinez was second in the boys’ 3,200 … Amiya McCarty had a pair of third place finishes.
BOYS’ GOLF
East Bladen
The Highs: Henry Simmons shot 76 and tied for third in the 2A Central Regional tournament in Kernersville to qualify for the state tournament … The Eagles finished second in the Carolina Conference tournament
West Bladen
The Highs: Jonathan Gooden, Jackson Pait and Evan Melvin placed in the top 9 in a conference match at Fairmont. Andrew Wren, Pait and Gooden played in the 3A Central Regional tournament.
BOYS’ TENNIS
East Bladen
Record: 6-3
Playoffs: First-round bye. Lost at Rosewood 9-0.
The Highs: Swept West Bladen and South Columbus by 9-0 scores.
West Bladen
Record: 0-10
Playoffs: Lost at South Columbus 5-1.
The Highs: Luke Beck and Jude Culbreth won in singles, then claimed a win in doubles in a 6-3 loss to South Columbus.
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