CHOCOWINITY — One doesn’t have to go deep into the history books to find Southside’s last spell of success against North Duplin.

But athletics is a “what have you done lately” business. The top-seeded Rebels came to Chocowinity for a Week 5 battle of undefeated squads earlier this season. Both were 4-0, and North Duplin flex its power in a 35-6 and has remained undefeated since.

North Duplin earned a first-round bye. Southside had to knock off a Northside team it had lost to three weeks prior to punch its ticket for the second-round rematch with the Rebels.

Here’s a look back to a recent encounter by the non-conference foes.

 

North Duplin at Southside, 2015

Southside and North Duplin had been opening the season with one another until they settled on a Week 4 meeting this year. The Seahawks hosted the 2015 opener between the two and soared to a 50-0 victory.

Southside was led by a group of senior veterans that included quarterback Johnny Sullivan and stud running backs Lawrence Brown and Matt Baxter. Brown paved the road to victory with 101 yards rushing and a touchdown. Baxter scored twice on his eight touches.

“Overall a great team effort tonight,” head coach Jeff Carrow said after that 2015 game. “The defense played their tail off. Special teams stepped up and we were better prepared this year. Offensively, I felt like we struggled with tempo a little bit, but we put points on the board. The whole coaching staff has done an excellent job encouraging the kids, staying on them.

“The kids have realized it’s a total team effort — multiple guys getting multiple carries in certain situations in ballgames. I like how the young guys stepped up and took advantage of their opportunity.”

The Seahawks got a glimpse at the talent that would lead it in this year’s playoff meeting with North Duplin when Sullivan hurled a 77-yard touchdown pass to then-sophomore Demetrius Ebron.

The script is flipped a bit two years later. The Rebels were young then. The quarterback-running back tandem of Williams Archer and Kenny Sheppard couldn’t muster anything against Southside’s experienced defense. They were sophomores then. The two, now seniors, have been the motor that makes the Rebels go this year.

Southside isn’t young, per se, but North Duplin certainly has the edge in experience that the Seahawks had two years ago.