Despite a phenomenal run in the regular season, East Duplin couldn't carry that success into this playoff game. They fell just short of the SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars by a score of 44-41 on Friday. The Panthers' loss signaled the end of their six-game winning streak.
Shawn Davis
| 11/21/25 vs SouthWest Edgecombe | 144 |
| 11/14/25 vs North Johnston | 173 |
| 10/31/25 vs South Lenoir | 18 |
| 10/24/25 @ Pender | 100 |
| 10/17/25 @ Clinton | 75 |
| + 7 more games |
East Duplin's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Shawn Davis, who rushed for 144 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. With that strong performance, Davis is now averaging an impressive 100.6 rushing yards per game. Aaron Hall was another key rusher, rushing for 143 yards and one touchdown while picking up 7.2 yards per carry.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for East Duplin, adding 11 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Hall, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Andre Downey Jr was his usual excellent self, rushing for 215 yards and a pair of TDs on only 13 carries, while also picking up 88 receiving yards and one score for SouthWest Edgecombe. Those 215 rushing yards gave Downey Jr a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Devion Mayo Jr, who threw for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 90.9% of his passes.
East Duplin's loss dropped their record down to 9-3. As for SouthWest Edgecombe, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 8-5.
East Duplin does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for SouthWest Edgecombe, they will challenge West Craven at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
