East Bladen’s Chris Harding heads for the endzone earlier this seson.
ELIZABETHTOWN — The East Bladen Eagles gear up to take on the South Columbus Stallions in their Waccamaw Conference opener this Friday at home. The Eagles are coming off two straight losses and will be looking to get back to winning ways against a familiar foe. East Bladen took last season’s game against the Stallions in a 35-14 victory away from home. South Columbus will hope for a different result as they come into Elizabethtown off two straight victories after their week one loss to West Bladen.
The Stallions defense has allowed an average of 33 points per game despite a shutout victory against Union last week. South Columbus plays a run-first style of offense and utilizes the athleticism of their junior quarterback Rush Blackwell on quarterback keepers. Blackwell will be key to the Stallion offense as he’s dangerous with both his arm and legs. He had 471 yards of total offense against South Brunswick in their week two win.
South Columbus senior wideout Demonta Gore has stood out as Blackewell’s favorite target of the season so far. Gore is capable of lining up as a receiver or lining up in the backfield as a running back to give defenses different looks. The Stallions are fully capable of putting up numbers on offense but their struggles have come mostly in the defensive area.
The Eagles struggled to get their run game going last week but this week’s defensive match-up favors their strength. The Stallions defense gave up an average of 149 yards on the ground in their first two games of the season. East Bladen has a committee of capable runners on the depth chart and senior Masion Brooks spearheads the Eagles ground attack.
East Bladen junior quarterback Kewone Maynor has been efficient throwing the ball this season and was responsible for two touchdown passes last week. The Eagles lost some key guys to injuries last week and will have to rely on their depth chart to fill the gaps. South Columbus has some speed at the linebacker position and junior Jack Earley is a player to watch on the defensive side of the ball.
East Bladen senior defensive-back Darius Williamson will be key for his team on the defensive side of the ball as they’ll need him to help stop the Stallions attack through the air. The Eagles have allowed their opponents to score an average of 26 points per game so far this season. James Kenan won last week’s game against the Eagle by running the ball almost every play but this week’s opponent will provide a much different look.
Kickoff will be at 7:30 under the lights this Friday at Lenon Fisher Stadium to start East Bladen’s Waccamaw Conference campaign.