A freshman, Tanner added two additional goals in the second half as the Chargers widened their advantage. Freshmen Ryan Jackson and Johnny Gallman each added one goal in the win. Eighth-grader Cody Neal delivered four assists.

"I am proud of the way we worked together and moved the ball," said Chargers head coach Baron Heinemann. "We seem to get better each time we go out and that's all I can ask of this young bunch."

The Chargers (3-6 overall) entertain 2-A Parrott Academy today.

Falcons prevail

LAGRANGE -- Tyson Pearson played the role of distributor and dished out three assists as state-ranked Charles B. Aycock topped North Lenoir 4-0 on Wednesday.

Alex Rodriguez, Tucker Pearson, Gavin Forrest and David Brook each scored goals for the Golden Falcons.

The shutout was the fifth of the season for Aycock in its first six games, and effort that head coach Kevin Adkins was quick to praise.

"We played a man down for 32 minutes in the second half, but our defense held tough," said Adkins. "They held North Lenoir to five shots."

C.B. Aycock will host perennial power Wilson Fike on Monday at 7 p.m. The Golden Falcons won the team's first meeting, 1-0.

Cougars halted

KENLY -- North Johnston struck early and held on for a 5-0 victory over Goldsboro on Tuesday.

The Cougars have not tallied a goal through two games, but did look much improved from their season-opening loss to Hobbton last week.

Goldsboro (0-3 overall) will host Hobbton on Sept. 10.

Volleyball

Hawks riding high

LAGRANGE -- The North Lenoir volleyball team picked up its second win in as many days with a 25-13, 25-14, 25-17 decision over Kinston.

Marissa Lanier led the Hawk attack with 10 kills and 15 points on serve. Jordan Hudson chipped in 36 assists and two blocks for North Lenoir.

The Hawks (7-0 overall) visit Rosewood on Monday.

Golf

Saints top Bruins

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Southern Wayne Saints picked up an early-season victory over Wilson Beddingfield 153-186 at Southern Wayne Country Club on Wednesday.

Taylor Reaves earned medalist honors by carding a 44. Darion Edwards fired a 53 and Taylor Scott added a 56 to cap the Saints scoring.

Southern Wayne will host the season-opening Eastern Carolina 3-A conference match on Monday at SWCC.

Tennis

Gator bait

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek made the best of its 2008 tennis debut on Wednesday with a 9-0 victory over Carolina/Super Six 1-A foe Wallace-Rose Hill 9-0.

Mary-Elizabeth West, Jaime Johnson, Ivey Best, Rachel Lewis, Lauren Player and Jana Kutsche all contributed a singles point to the Gators' cause. The teams of Johnson-Lewis, Best-Player and Jessica Pittman-Rebecca Edwards each won in doubles play.

Spring Creek (1-0 overall) will host Rosewood today.

Warriors stopped

WILSON -- Mollie Musgrave won the Warriors' only point in singles play as Eastern Wayne dropped an 8-1, non-conference decision to No. 3-ranked Wilson Fike on Wednesday.

Eastern Wayne (1-1 overall) continues defense of its Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference title today at Wilson Hunt.

J.V. sports

* North Lenoir volleyball d. Kinston 18-25, 25-23, 25-13 -- Heidi Milliken powered home five kills as North Lenoir beat county rival Kinston in three games on Wednesday. Jenna Rouse was 16 for 18 serving for the Hawks (3-4 overall).

* Eastern Wayne volleyball d. North Lenoir 25-9, 20-25, 25-6 -- Lura Hulse stood out defensively and scored 13 service points for the Warriors (3-1 overall) on Tuesday. Morgan Smith and Jasmine Benjamin each recorded seven points.

* Rocky Mount Academy tennis d. Eastern Wayne 8-1-- The team of Brandi Watson and Leslie Wiggins tallied the only point of the afternoon for Eastern Wayne in doubles play. The Warriors (0-1 overall) wil play Greene Central today.

And Mount Olive College men's and women's cross country coach Bill Hodge is thankful to have a full 365 days to recruit, prepare and practice for the 2008 season.

"I was hired about 15 minutes before this (preseason) banquet last year," joked Hodge. "I didn't even have time to get a shirt with the school logo on it."

Or time for anything else.

Hodge spent numerous hours going door to door in the student dorms.

"I tried to get bodies ... people to come out and run cross country who had little or no experience," said Hodge. "The difference this season, even though we are still a really young team, is that we recruited high school runners from all over the state which will give us a more competitive team."

Nine freshmen are on the men's team. Three freshmen and two sophomores comprise the women's team.

While youth leads to pessimism, Hodge prefers the opposite view.

"I never bought into that young or old stuff," said Hodge. "I have had young runners that were great right away, and I have seen old runners turn out to be losers. If your heart is in it and you are ready to work hard, you can be competitive."

Hodge has seen the competitive edge in the offseason, particularly from Cape Fear Community College transfer Melissa Moore.

"I want to thank the college for the opportunity to further my running career," said Moore. "I am happy to be a part of a team within a Christian college, and I am looking forward to the upcoming season."

Hodge admitted that Mount Olive's historic campus and Christian background made recruiting capable runners, like Moore, a relatively easy task.

"This campus sells itself, there's no doubt about it," said Hodge. "Kids come for their unofficial visit and they spend the day here, and they see what we are all about. It usually doesn't take a lot of convincing.

"But the scholarship money doesn't hurt either," the quick-witted New Jersey native added.

With multiple-scholarship athletes taking to the course this fall, the mentality of the program seems to be shifting away from last season's "just happy to be here" attitude.

"We aren't just going to show up at meets this year and run," said Hodge. "We are going to show up with new goals and we are going to surprise some people."

In the annual Conference Carolinas preseason poll, the men's cross country team was picked to finish 10th, while the women were tabbed to finish 11th.

Mount Olive opens the season Saturday at the UNC Pembroke Invitational.

Especially James Goodridge.

The Mount Olive College women's assistant volleyball coach, hired less than a month ago, was promoted less than a week before the team's season opener at Carson-Newman (Tenn.) last weekend.

However, he'll gladly play the hand he's been dealt.

"I was hired as an assistant and I came in here with that mentality," said Goodridge. "I have had to adjust my style from helping here and there, and preparing for certain situations, to being ready to call the shots all the time."

Gutor announced his resignation Aug. 22. His departure comes after five seasons with the Trojans and leaves a coaching vacancy in the men's program. School officials have not moved toward hiring a new men's coach.

Goodridge was the obvious choice to guide the women's team.

"I know the girls, and I have previous head coaching experience at the high school and the club level," said Goodridge. "I have been involved with coaching in some capacity for eight years now."

The transition has been a success.

"We have had our kinks, but I think the girls understand what I expect out of them," said Goodridge. "We had a team meeting and talked about our expectations, and most of the things that they want from me I can do.

"There were a few small things that aren't a part of my coaching style, so we've had to adjust, but as a whole it has been pretty smooth."

Mount Olive returns five starters off last year's team which finished 17-15, including a 13-7 record in Conference Carolinas play. Goodridge expects leadership from middle Racey Bartley, a second-team all-conference pick last season, and senior Corie Skislak.

"We have a new coach, but that doesn't change the team's goals," said Skislak. "We still want to win the conference and make it to the (NCAA) playoffs."

The Trojans opened their season in the Carson-Newman (Tenn.) Labor Day Classic and earned a 2-2 split. Goodridge's squad defeated West Virginia Wesleyan and Augusta State (Ga.) University.

The two-day event is part of 13 consecutive road matches the Trojans will play before their home opener Sept. 23 against conference rival Barton. The schedule structure deviates from recent seasons since the NCAA realigned its Division II regions for postseason play.

Mount Olive is now grouped with teams from the South Atlantic and highly-competitive Peach Belt conferences. An unintended side effect from the change, however, is an unbalanced number of home and away matches.

"It is good for us to play such strong competition early," said Skislak. "It's a good test."

Goodridge agreed.

"Playing strong teams early will keep us on our toes," he said. "When you see the same teams over and over, like in conference play, you prepare for what they do well and let other aspects of the game slide.

"I am excited to get started and see what we can do. I think we will be able to play fast and compete with anybody we match up against."

It was game in their best-of-five, Northern Division championship series.

Maybin belted a three-run shot in the third inning. Cousins drilled a long ball in the sixth inning. The duo finished 3-for-6 with four RBI and three runs scored.

The series continues today.

Ranked No. 6 in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll, the Trojans improved to 3-0-0 overall this season. All three wins, ironically, have been 2-1 results.

Chowan (0-3-0) led 1-0 at halftime.

Less than midway through the second half, Mount Olive tallied the equalizer. Angelo Acquah played a ball from midfield to senior forward Matt Wallin, who dribbled past the Hawks' defense and knotted the contest at 1-1. Acquah has scored at least one point in all three Trojan matches this season.

Nearly 20 minutes later, Keener picked up a deflection off the Chowan keeper and knocked it in for the 2-1 finale.

Mount Olive led 29-11 in shots on goal. Trojans goalie Chris Slaughter notched four saves.

Women fall

MURFREESBORO -- Alyecia Higgins delivered the game-tying goal midway through the opening half, but Chowan University pulled away 3-1 in their non-conference, women's soccer match Wednesday afternoon.

Higgins scored off Lindsey Stanley's assist in the 25th minute.

The Trojans missed a game-tying chance in the 55th minute when Stanley's 19-yard shot hit the crossbar. The Hawks put the game out of reach with a third goal in the 68th minute.

Mount Olive (0-3-0 overall) took 20 shots on goal. Trojans keeper Lyndsey McIntyre recorded seven saves.

Winless a year ago and riding a 13-game losing streak, the Hawks are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2000. They'll try to make it 3-0 tonight against county rival Kinston, which mauled South Lenoir on Monday.

"We are really excited to be where we are at this point," said North Lenoir head coach and alum Wayne Jackson. "Our group of seniors has taken a leadership role, and even though we only have six of them, they are doing a great job leading this young team."

The Hawks established their running offense in a season-opening victory over Richlands. The unit has steadily improved within the old wing-T system.

"The kids are starting to understand what we are trying to teach," said Jackson. "We have been able to run the ball effectively and that is always the key to our game."

Marquez Powell has emerged as North Lenoir's top running back. The senior has compiled an area-leading 414 yards on 49 attempts, and averages 8.7 yards per carry.

"Marquez has game speed. For his size at six feet tall and 230 pounds, he has burst," said Jackson. "On his final touchdown run last week, there were players in the secondary that had the angle on him, and he just out-ran them all."

The same effort from Powell and his teammates will be needed to beat Kinston.

"Our best defense will be our offense if we can control the ball," said Jackson. "Kinston has a strong stable of backs, and they are a very good team, so it will be a tall order."

Despite an 0-2 start in Pikeville, Charles B. Aycock head coach Randy Pinkowski hasn't fallen into the tunnel vision trap. His young squad has matured over the past two weeks and could be on the doorstep for its first victory in 2008.

The Golden Falcons, weather permitting, entertain Greene Central on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Hardy Talton Stadium.

Limited offensively in a season-opening loss at perennial 2-A power Bunn, Aycock turned its fortunes around against Clayton. Pinkowski's team compiled 216 yards of total offense and lost 33-28 against a bigger, stronger squad.

However, the Golden Falcons have struggled to slow down opposing offenses. They've surrendered an average of 30 points and 361 yards of total offense in those two defeats.

"We are growing up and if you look at stats from two weeks you've seen four touchdowns this week versus none the first week," said Pinkowski. "We put up a couple hundred yards in offense. I'm pleased, but we definitely still have a couple of lessons to learn.

"We've had to learn it again the second week when you see kids in the right spots but doing something in technique that is incorrect but easy to fix."

Greene Central won last year's meeting in triple overtime, 27-21.

"We've some had pretty good football games with (Greene Central) over the years," said Pinkowski. "I think their coach is getting his stuff installed. They're a young team, too. Whichever team learns their lessons and stops making those mistakes is going to have a good chance to win."

Katie Swanzey turned in five kills, four digs and three service aces. Sam Cates added eight assists and three kills. Felicia Lynch had five assists, three aces, two kills and a dig.

"The girls played outstanding," said Rebels head coach Heather Best. "Lakewood is an exceptional and fundamentally sound team, but we never quit and kept fighting. I hope this shows the girls the level at which they are capable of playing, and how hard work and playing together can produce awesome ballgames."

North Duplin (1-2 overall) travels to Hobbton on Thursday.

Eagles dealt loss

Wayne Christian fell to Crossroads Christian 22-25, 25-21, 18-25 and 21-25 on Tuesday.

Senior Katie Daniels recorded a career-high 14 kills for the Eagles to go along with 14 digs and six aces. Cynthia Burroughs also added four aces. Devan Isenhower had nine kills and a block, while Crissi Brogneaux tallied 11 digs and Britney O'Hara had 10 digs.

Wayne Christian (7-3 overall) travels to Community Christian in Wilson on Friday.

Midways bags Gators

MIDWAY -- Midway turned back Spring Creek in four games 21-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-21 on Tuesday.

Randi Oxendine recorded 20 assists for the Gators and senior middle hitter Kristin Smith added nine kills, six aces and a block. Shaquita Brooks chipped in five blocks and five kills.

Spring Creek (2-3 overall) visits Southern Wayne on Thursday.

GC outlasts CBA

PIKEVILLE -- Greene Central handed Charles B. Aycock a 25-27, 25-13, 25-19, 19-25, 15-10 non-conference loss on Tuesday.

Beth Carter had 14 kills for the Golden Falcons and Anna Sullivan tallied seven aces.

Aycock (2-4 overall) begins Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play when it hosts Wilson Beddingfield on Thursday.

Dawgs bite Union

CLINTON -- Princeton overcame a game-one loss to earn a 15-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-15 victory at Union on Tuesday.

Ashley Braswell had 22 kills, five aces, two digs and two assists for the Bulldawgs. Erin Shultz finished with 26 kills and Devon Murphy chipped in 14 kills. Danielle Mitchell added nine kills.

Princeton (5-1 overall) entertains Clayton on Monday.

WCDS tops Cape Fear

WILMINGTON -- Wayne Christian downed Cape Fear Academy 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 18-25, 15-8 on Tuesday.

Bridgette Briggs led the Chargers with eight kills, three aces, two blocks, 10 assists and five digs. Brooke Norris finished with 10 assists, eight kills, five blocks and five digs. Jessica Lewis added 10 kills and five blocks and Kayla Flannagan had 10 digs.

The Chargers visit Harrells Christian on Thursday.

Eagles hang on

FARMVILLE -- Rosewood nearly saw a two-game lead evaporate before hanging on to defeat Farmville Central 25-15, 25-23, 16-25, 23-25, 15-13 on Tuesday.

Taylor Johnson finished with 10 kills, 10 blocks, three aces and two digs for the Eagles. Jennifer Hall had six digs, two assists, two aces and two kills. Caroline Tart pitched in five kills, four digs, three aces and an assist.

Rosewood (1-4 overall) hosts Union on Thursday.

Boys soccer

Hawks down SL

LaGRANGE -- Hugo Garcia and Grayson Phillips each scored twice as North Lenoir prevailed 5-1 over visiting South Lenoir on Tuesday.

Jamie Ellison also found the back of the net for the Hawks (2-2 overall) and Lane Sampley registered five saves in goal.

North Lenoir entertains Charles B. Aycock at 5 p.m. today.

SC knocks off GC

SNOW HILL -- Ricardo Rangel and Eric Fuentes each found the back of the net as Spring Creek knocked off Greene Central 2-0 on Tuesday.

The Gators (2-0 overall) host Union at 5 p.m. today.

Tennis

CBA routs Bruins

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock began Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play with a 9-0 rout of Wilson Beddingfield on Tuesday.

Ashley Howell, Kristen Fischer, Abbey Strickland, Hollie Baker, Harlie Howard and Alicia Sodoma each earned singles wins for the Golden Falcons.

The doubles tandems of Howell-Fischer, Strickland-Nicole Kessler and Baker-Amanda Farmer were also victorious for Aycock.

The Golden Falcons (2-3 overall, 1-0 ECC) travel to Kinston on Thursday.

Eagles tame Chargers

Wayne Christian picked up a 9-0 victory over rival Wayne Country Day on Tuesday.

Brooke Barfield, Faith Sutton, Jentry Carlyle, Savannah Sutton and Lindsay Whaley each recorded singles victories for the Eagles. The Chargers forfeited the final singles match.

The doubles teams of Barfield-Samantha Reaves, Carlyle-Reagan Hinton and Faith Sutton-Savannah Sutton were also winners.

Wayne Christian visits Eastern Wayne's JV team on Thursday.

Rams blank Panthers

BETHEL -- Greene Central got the Eastern Plains 2-A Conference portion of its schedule off to a good start with a 9-0 win at North Pitt on Tuesday.

Elizabeth McLawhorn, Lauren Carraway, Samantha Taylor Jessica Gray, Abby Sugg and Abbey Dail each gained singles wins for the Rams. Greene Central dropped just one game in singles play.

The doubles tandems of McLawhorn-Carraway, Sugg-Taylor and Gray-Dail were also victorious.

"It's always good to open conference play with a win," said Rams head coach Donald Clark. "North Pitt was very competitive today under new head coach Ron Butler, and I believe they will continue to get better."

Greene Central (4-2 overall, 1-0 EPC) travels to Southern Vance today.

Cross Country

WCS earns split

Wayne Christian earned a split with Trinity of Durham and Cresset Christian on Tuesday.

The Eagles boys only competed against Cresset and outlasted their competitors 15-57. Wayne Christian's Josh Magnus finished first with a time of 18:35. Teammate Justin Brathwaite was second with a 20:21 and Noah Kearney took home third place with a time of 21:46.

Connor Jones, Anthony Mulligan, Mark Sawyer, Will Massey and Nick Sullivan also finished in the top 10.

Trinity recorded a team score of 13 to win the girls' portion of the meet. The Eagles compiled a 33 ahead of Cresset's third place finish of 36.

Wayne Christian's Jennifer Price earned a second-place finish with a time of 25:30 and Kayla Kennedy was eighth after crossing the finish line in 33:52.

The Eagles visit Trinity of Durham next Tuesday.

CBA battles WB

WILSON -- Charles B. Aycock and Wilson Beddingfield each recorded wins in Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference cross country action on Tuesday.

The Bruins captured the boys' portion of the meet with a team score of 23 ahead of the Golden Falcons 23.

Eric DuBose was Aycock's top finisher with a time of 20:17, which was good enough for third place. Elliot Gonzalez finished sixth. Teammates Cameron Taylor, Randall Fulgham, Chase Brabham and Nickolas McGee all placed in the top 10.

Aycock's Megan Hales finished first with a time of 25:30 on the girls' side. Lorena Estrada was second with a time of 25:42. Jessica Kyer, Courtney McGowen, Kendra Speight and Ronjae Perry also finished in the top 10.

The Bruins did not have enough runners to field a team.

JV sports

* C.B Aycock volleyball d. Greene Central 25-14, 25-11 -- Rachel Jordan served four aces for the Golden Falcons (4-1 overall) and Ivy Hartzell and Connor Davis each had four kills. Courtney Gilbert added three aces.

* North Duplin volleyball d. Lakewood 25-21, 26-24 -- Ansley Hill finished with five aces and Tearra Ammons had five kills and four aces. Hannah Brock chipped in four aces and Alonna Pate recorded two kills, two aces and two digs. The Rebels improved to 2-1.

* Cape Fear volleyball d. Wayne Country Day 25-13, 25-22 -- Sterling Coggins finished with five assists for the Chargers (1-3 overall) and Anna Harris had three kills, two aces and one block. Jordan Jackson added three aces.

* Rosewood volleyball d. Farmville Central 22-25, 25-15, 25-21-- Rachel Kornegay finished with three blocks and two kills and Chelsea Sawkiw had three digs and two assists. The Eagles improved to 3-2.

But North Lenoir prevailed 19-25, 25-17, 27-29, 25-21, 15-8 and spoiled the Warriors' appetite instead.

"This was a heartbreaker ... a real tough loss," said Warriors head coach Steve Gregorcyk. "We played so well early, and looked a lot better in our transition game, but it wasn't enough."

With the match tied at one game each, the Warriors battled to take the third game behind strong serving by Anna Hajjar and two timely kills by Megan Hruby. The Hawks were unable to establish any continuity offensively, and failed to string together more than three points in a row.

"It looked to me, by the looks on their faces, that nobody out there wanted the ball to come to them," said North Lenoir head coach Heather Carson. "I don't know if it was because we didn't have school, and weren't practicing because of the holiday, but I told them that we would never do that again."

In game four, the Hawks regained their composure despite continued serving woes.

Marissa Lanier provided four of her team-high 15 kills as the Hawks took control of the back-and-forth match. Jordan Hudson finished the effort with a perfectly placed serve that was played but never returned by the Warriors.

"One thing I will give this team is that they never quit," said Carson. "They got behind, but they stayed in it and they battled until the final point."

Despite the early action, the deciding fifth game was the most decisive North Lenoir triumph of the night.

The teams traded serves for the game's first eight points.

With the game tied at four, Jaime Phillips took over and delivered eight consecutive service points. The rally put North Lenoir in front 12-4 and essentially sealed the Warrior's fate.

"We executed pretty well with the bump, set, spike strategy that I wanted to see, but we were a little out-gunned in height," said Gregorcyk. "We weren't able to stop them at the net and in the end it caught up with us."

Brittney McKinney served three aces for the Warriors, while teammate Caitlin Turner contributed four aces.

Eastern Wayne (0-4 overall) returns to action Saturday at Havelock.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, North Lenoir improved to 6-0 heading into today's match with Kinston.

"We played four games against Eastern Wayne last time, and five today, but at least we know we can go the distance," said Carson. "We just need to get back in the habit of talking to each other and improving our communication."

Strong winds and heavy rains are expected Friday when Hanna makes landfall on the East coast as a possible Category 2 hurricane, and her awaited arrival has prompted significant changes in schedules involving football teams. As of this morning, five teams have rescheduled their respective contests for Thursday evening.

* Goldsboro (2-0 overall) entertains perennial Class 3-A power Durham Hillside (2-0) at 7:30 p.m.

* Spring Creek (0-2) will play Midway at 6:30 p.m.

* Princeton (1-1) entertains Holly Ridge Dixon at 7 p.m.

* Eastern Wayne (1-1) welcomes unbeaten South Central for a 7 p.m. game at Little Big Horn.

* Defending 1-AA state champion James Kenan (2-0) is the guest of Heide Trask. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Rocky Point.

Charles B. Aycock plans to host to Greene Central on Friday, but could move the game to Monday or to late September since both teams have the same open date.

Coaches from Rosewood, North Duplin and Southern Wayne will more than likely play Monday since they each played this past Monday. None of the coaches felt their teams would be ready with just two days of preparation.

Doubles: No. 1 Hirsch-Cox (SW) d. Frederick-Musgrave 8-4; No. 2 Daniel-Yates (EW) d. Tucker-Roberts 8-0; No. 3 Delbridge-Warner Wooten (EW) d. Bowden-Best 8-2.

Records: Eastern Wayne 1-0 overall, 1-0 Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference; Southern Wayne 2-1, 0-1 ECC.

Next match: Today, Eastern Wayne at Wilson Fike.

A couple of rainouts placed Rosewood into that precarious situation on Tuesday and the end result was an 8-0 loss that should serve as an opportunity to grow up fast.

"In our starting group we had six players that this was their first varsity game," said Eagles head coach Daniel Mitchell. "We're young, we're inexperienced and we played an outstanding team. Hopefully we just need some time against opponents to try to get people in positions."

The Golden Falcons needed less than six minutes to get on the board as Alex Rodriguez had the ball inadvertently played to his feet by a Rosewood defender. Rodriguez caught Eagles keeper Will Grantham off his line and his blast put Aycock ahead 1-0.

Tucker Pearson beat Grantham in the right corner less than three minutes later. Tyson Pearson headed home David Burke's throw-in in the 17th minute to give the Golden Falcons a 3-0 advantage.

Aycock (6-0 overall) dominated possession in the first half, keeping constant pressure on the Eagles' defense. The Golden Falcons registered 16 shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes while Rosewood failed to get a shot off.

Travis Musselman's cross through the box in the 27th minute landed squarely at the feet of Chase Thompson. Thompson's sliding goal increased Aycock's cushion to 4-0. Thompson tallied a goal off a Rodriguez throw-in before adding his third score of the half just before intermission.

"Right now we're just working on our passing and moving the ball," said Golden Falcons assistant Scott Summers. "This really helped us."

The Golden Falcons focused more on polishing their passing in the second half and less on scoring. Tyler Lynch and C.P. Cranford found the back of the net to cap the scoring.

Rosewood managed to get a shot on goal in the second half. Grantham made several noteworthy saves and the Eagles gained some valuable experience in the process.

"We knew it was going to be tough coming in and what type of team that they had," said Mitchell. "The main thing for us is to try to learn from it and try to improve and get ready and just try to get better each game."

Rosewood entertains Hobbton at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Up to fifth in the latest state 3-A rankings, Aycock will have a final tune-up at North Lenoir on Wednesday before hosting previously ranked Wilson Fike on Monday. The Golden Falcons earned a 1-0 victory at Fike earlier this season.

"We try to tell them to take it one day at a time, one game at a time," said Summers. "We definitely have some big games coming up and we do plan on playing hard in that (Fike) game. We're still working up to playing to our full potential because these guys have a lot of potential."

Goldsboro has looked impressive in a pair of routs over county foes Rosewood and Eastern Wayne. The Cougars have recorded over 340 rushing yards in each of their first two games behind the three-headed monster of running backs Andre Montgomery, Freddie Jones and A.J. Parker.

"They're doing a wonderful job," said Goldsboro head coach Eric Reid. "They're really bringing it to the table and those three guys are putting in some good work. It's hard to stop just one of them but when you have three it makes the job a little harder."

The Cougars, without question, face their biggest test of the season when they host Durham Hillside on Thursday. The Hornets, led by Duke recruits Corey Gattis (quarterback) and Desmond Scott (receiver/running back), have averaged 39 points in their first two outings of the season.

James Kenan has also been strong in its first two game, earning victories over Clinton and Ayden-Grifton. The Tigers should roll when they visit Heide Trask on Thursday before Pender visits Warsaw next week in a rematch of last season's N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-AA (large-school) state semifinals.

Outside of its meeting with Pender, Kenan may not be challenged again until Nov. 7 when it visits archrival Wallace-Rose Hill.

Winless a year ago, North Lenoir is quietly turning some heads with its 2-0 start.

Meanwhile, Eastern Wayne (1-1) was sent back to the drawing board after a 37-6 loss at Goldsboro last week. Warriors head coach Jeff Price admitted his team isn't as good as it appeared.

Eastern Wayne had a balanced and effective attack in its opener against West Carteret, but was outgained 474 to 191 by Goldsboro and was plagued by five turnovers.

Price and company will look to right the ship when South Central (2-0) visits New Hope on Thursday.

Princeton shook off a rough home opener and responded with a shutout at North Moore on Friday. If the Bulldawgs can continue to find the same offensive balance and play the same solid defense they did Friday, keeping pace in a down Carolina 1-A Conference should be within reach.

Finally, Charles B. Aycock, Spring Creek and Greene Central will each look to get in the win column this week. The Golden Falcons and Rams meet in Pikeville either Friday or Monday, while the Gators entertain Midway on Thursday.

Editor's note: Teams competing on Monday evening were not included.

RHS -- Holmes 29 pass from Ash (run failed), 2:40

RHS -- Holmes 15 pass from Ash (pass failed), 0:05.8

Third quarter

RHS -- Willis 20 pass from Ash (Holmes run), 7:43

Fourth quarter

SHS -- Sparks 8 run (O'Neal run), 7:24

RHS SHS

First downs 9 12

Rushes-yds 45-129 44-161

Passing yds 84 28

Total yards 213 189

C-A-I 3-5-0 2-8-0

Fumbles-lost 3-1 9-6

Punts-avg. 7-27.3 3-26.3

Penalties-yds 5-33 6-43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Rosewood -- Joshua Holmes 32-99; Eric Martel 8-37; Logan Waters 1-1; Brandon Ash 4-(-8). Southside -- Dash Spruell 10-70; Marcus O'Neal 8-42; Kevin Sparks 11-25, TD; Derick Cannon 8-26; Lonnie Williams 2-3; Terrill Moore 2-2; Team 1-(-8).

PASSING -- Rosewood -- Brandon Ash 3-5-0 84, 3 TDs. Southside -- Kevin Sparks 2-8-0 28.

RECEIVING -- Rosewood -- Joshua Holmes 2-64, 2 TDs; Joseph Willis 1-20, TD. Southside -- Kendrick Reddick 1-14; Dash Spruell 1-14.

Trailing 16-0 after one quarter, the Rebels' offense came alive for two scores in the second period. Akeem Cox capped the second touchdown with a 12-yard plunge.

Cox finished with 203 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

Quarterback Marcus Kornegay put the Rebels ahead with a 2-yard run in the third quarter. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 154 yards, including a first-quarter scoring strike to Quentin Graham.

Cox added fourth-quarter TD scoring runs of 9 and 1 yards.

Following Cox's third touchdown, Northside marched into North Duplin's red zone with two minutes left in regulation. Three plays later, the Panthers' drive stalled on a holding a penalty.

Northside's final possession ended with a botched snap which led to a missed 40-yard field goal.

The Rebels (2-0 overall) entertain Jones Senior on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at H.E. Grubbs Field.

North Duplin 0 12 7 13 -- 32

Northside 16 0 8 7 -- 31

Second quarter

ND -- Graham 7 pass from Kornegay (pass failed), 9:43

ND -- Cox 12 run (pass failed), 2:23

Third quarter

ND -- Kornegay 2 run (Credencio kick), :27

Fourth quarter

ND -- Cox 9 run (run failed), 8:02

ND -- Cox 1 run (Crednecio kick), 2:10

ND NS

First downs 19 14

Rushes-yds 41-273 41-243

Passing yds 154 51

Total yards 427 294

C-A-I 13-23-0 2-5-0

Fumbles-lost 4-3 4-2

Penalties 9-80 12-85

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- North Duplin -- Akeem Cox 24-203, 3TD; Devin Oliver 9-68; Toderick Gadberry 2-8; Marcus Kornegay 5-(-7), TD; Shelton Johnson 1-1.

PASSING -- North Duplin -- Marcus Kornegay 13-23-0 154, TD.

RECEIVING -- North Duplin -- Troy Swanzey 5-66; Quentin Graham 7-83, TD; Shane Deaver 1-5.

Southern Wayne permitted Wallace-Rose Hill to reach the end zone only once and that was enough. The Bulldogs defense held on and preserved a 7-0 victory at the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex.

"We weren't able to establish much on offense, but we will take it," said first-year W-RH head coach Glenn Sellers. "We would rather have a 7-0 win to open our season than a high-scoring loss."

A fumble led to the Dogs' lone score.

Wallace-Rose Hill recovered the ball on Southern Wayne's second play from scrimmage. Working from the Saints' 47-yard line, the Bulldogs' running attack grinded out 16 yards on nine plays.

On fourth-and-14, Southern Wayne's defense appeared to smother W-RH quarterback Dawan McKinzie. But McKinzie side-stepped the defense and rolled to his right.

The sophomore signal caller threw a touchdown strike to Jahronn Johnson in the back of the end zone. The Dogs converted the PAT for their 7-0 advantage.

"I thought our defense played a very good game tonight," said Southern Wayne head coach Bob Warren. "Just one or two breakdowns cost us."

The Saints' offense couldn't establish any rhythm in the first half.

Four of the team's six possessions went three plays and out, and one ended in a fumble. At the intermission, the Saints had only one first down and 28 yards of total offense.

"We need to go back and take a look at the tape and see what wasn't working for us early," said Warren. "It looked like we made some decent blocks, but we weren't able to sustain any drives. And in the wing-T, we know we have to be able to run the ball consistently."

The defensive struggle continued.

Southern Wayne (0-2 overall) forced a fumble in Wallace-Rose Hill territory, but couldn't convert the miscue. Quarterback Jordan Williams kept the drive alive with a 12-yard completion to Ryan Mesimer as the Saints moved inside the Dogs' 10-yard line.

Three failed rushing attempts and a false-start penalty wasted the scoring chance. Williams misfired on a 28-yard field goal.

"I thought our defense kept us in the game... at big times they came through," said Sellers. "Our kids played hard and made some good stops against their running game."

The Saints had 55 yards rushing, including James Jones' 29-yard effort on 16 carries.

"It's tough because we don't have blocking rules like a lot of teams," said Warren. "We have schemes that we try to teach, but it takes some time for that information to sink in. We just couldn't seem to come up with the big block when we needed it."

Jones gave Southern Wayne one last chance to force a possible overtime. He picked off McKinzie and returned the ball to the W-RH 37-yard line. But the Saints turned the ball over on downs.

McKinzie later picked off Williams, took a knee and ran out the clock.

"I was really proud of our kids effort... they played with a lot of heart and a lot of intensity," said Warren. "If we continue to improve from week to week, I think we will be fine. We need to take these three days to prepare (for Farmville Central), and to fix things that we didn't do well.

"We have to continue to improve."