East Duplin is a perfect 6-0 against South Lenoir since September of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Panthers will be playing at home against the Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (East Duplin has four straight wins, South Lenoir has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Friday, East Duplin got the win against Pender by a conclusive 38-18. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by 20 points or more this season.
Dwayne Davis
| 10/24/25 @ Pender | 2 |
| 10/17/25 @ Clinton | 1 |
| 10/03/25 vs Southwest Onslow | 1 |
| 09/19/25 vs Jacksonville | 1 |
| 11/01/24 @ Southwest Onslow | 1 |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead East Duplin to victory, but perhaps none more so than Dwayne Davis, who rushed for 74 yards and a pair of scores on only seven carries. The dominant performance also gave Davis a new career-high in rushing touchdowns (two). Shawn Davis was another key rusher, rushing for 100 yards and one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: East Duplin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 240 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 197 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.
Another reason for the win was East Duplin's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Keeshon McKinnie, Bryson Brown, and Esiah Bannerman, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Pender's side was Zachary Ball, who made 12 total tackles and snagged an interception.
Meanwhile, South Lenoir fought the good fight in their overtime game against Southwest Onslow on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 14-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Stallions.
South Lenoir's loss dropped their record down to 3-6. As for East Duplin, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. East Duplin has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 244 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like South Lenoir struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 199.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for East Duplin against South Lenoir in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 63-0 win. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
