Grading Out: Panthers, Seahawks light it up on the ground
Published 2:25 pm Tuesday, November 8, 2016
- Kyle Hill evades the tackle of a Pamlico County defender during Friday’s thumping of the Hurricanes. Along with Brandon Sullivan, Hill was one of two Seahawks to run for more than 100 yards.
Southside and Northside each won big in their respective season finales last Friday. Both were expected to be successful against the 1-A Coastal Plains Conference’s worst teams, but they were each able to assert their dominance.
The Panthers lambasted Lejeune, 50-0. James Barrow led the charge, but they had a complete-team effort. The big lead allowed some younger players step in, allowing a glimpse into the team’s future.
The Seahawks routed Pamlico County, 66-12, in the Fossil Bowl. Like Northside, Southside had one player take over — fullback Brandon Sullivan — but also had impressive contributions across the board on offense and defense.
Washington dropped a 33-6 decision at North Johnston, ending its undefeated run in the 2-A Eastern Plains Conference and putting it in a must-win scenario on Friday against Southwest Edgecombe. Even so, there were still a few bright spots for the Pam Pack.
Here are last week’s Beaufort County standouts.
BRANDON SULLIVAN
Brandon Sullivan managed to stand out on an evening in which 10 Southside players got multiple chances to run the ball. On his seven carries, Sullivan torched Pamlico County’s defense for 124 yards (17.7 per carry) and four touchdowns.
The Seahawks’ fullback proved too powerful for the hosting Hurricanes. He rumbled time again, proving to be a threat anywhere on the field. His first two touchdowns came from deep in the red zone. His last two were runs of 32 and 46 yards, respectively.
JAMES BARROW
Northside had a running back amass over 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in two seasons. Barrow’s effort against Lejeune made him the first to reach the milestone since Rockne Butler did it in 2014.
Seven Panthers scored in the decimation of the Devil Pups. Barrow was the only one to find the end zone twice. Even as Northside spread the wealth on offense, he had no trouble making a significant impact. He and the rest of the Panthers’ ground attack are firing on all cylinders as the playoffs approach.
KYLE HILL
In addition to Sullivan, Kyle Hill was able to light up Pamlico County for over 100 yards. He took 15 handoffs for 109 yards and a touchdown. His 8-yard score in the first quarter stood as the decisive touchdown.
Hill also ran in a pair of 2-point conversions to account for 10 of Southside’s 66 points. It was yet another explosive effort from a Seahawks running back who has proven to be one of the offense’s most consistent commodities this year.
NAZZIR HARDY
Washington defensive back Nazzir Hardy had yet another exceptional performance last week at North Johnston. The junior cornerback notched his sixth interception of the season, which leads the Pam Pack.
He did so in a losing effort, but he and Washington’s defense remain one of the more consistent bright spots of the team this year. Hardy and the rest of the Pam Pack will need to be ready to go Friday against a Southwest Edgecombe team that is also fighting for a share of the EPC championship. Washington won’t make the playoffs without the title.