Bear’s speed trap

WALLACE – Coach Kevin Motsinger warned his team about slow starts the entire second half of the season.

It cost Wallace-Rose Hill big time during a 58-44 loss to Hertford County in the second round of the 2A playoffs Friday night.

Things couldn’t have been any better for the Bears or worse for the Bulldogs early-on as Hertford built a 28-0 lead.

WRH (8-4) fought back in the second half to cut it to 12 points twice. Yet the Bulldogs couldn’t get stops and the two schools traded scores.

The Bulldogs trailed by 20 points last season at Northeastern, but rallied to win 35-31 in the same round.

This time the comeback by the East Central 2A Conference champions would be thwarted by Rimirez Williams and Keveon Rodgers.

Williams had three TD catches, a scoop and score and a kickoff return.

QB Rodgers ran, scrambled, maneuvered and passed his way into one of the better games by any signal caller in the state.

WRH couldn’t put pressure on him in the pocket, keep him from scrambling for time nor stop him on designed runs.

The Bears (10-2) play No. 4 Nash Central (10-2) on Friday in the second round.

“The ray of sunshine was how we fought in the second half,” said Motsinger, whose team trailed 38-8 at halftime. “The kickoff return was the straw that broke our back.

“Their QB, WRs and RBs have all played since they were sophomores, and they would have beaten Northeastern (43-42 loss to the No. 2 seed early in the season) if not for turning the ball over four times. They’re a track team

“We haven’t started well all year, which I’ve constantly warned this team about. We didn’t play well against Kinston, East Duplin, James Kenan or Greene Central, though no one sees it because of the scores.”

WRH just didn’t get enough defensive stops, especially in the second half when they mounted a comeback.

“We started with a five-man line,” Motsigner said. “We had to stop No. 3 (RB Elijah Outlaw) who no one has stopped all year. We just didn’t have the speed to match up against them.

“They made a couple of long third downs and we failed to score when we got really close twice. It all added up.”

The Bears needed nine plays to make it 7-0,

WRH then drove to the 6 before a fumble, scoop and score from 76 yards made it 14-0.

HC forced a three-and-out and nine snaps later was in front 20-0.

WRH drove to the 5 and was again turned away.

Two plays later it was 28-0 with 8:19 to play in the first half.

Irving Brown (26-287) hit pay dirt from the 41 and Corbin Kerr added the 2-point conversion.

A pooch kick was then returned to the WRH 14 and Hertford County’s QB scored from the 1 two plays later.

A bad-snap fumble recovery ended WRH’s drive at the 5 with 5:15 to play in the second quarter.

WRH also failed to convert on fourth-and-2 from the 2 near the end of the half.

Scoring-fest second half

Javyn Frederick set up the Bulldogs’ first score early in the third period with a 33 yard run. Brown ran for 12 and nine yards, with Kerr (23-221) scoring from the 9 to make it 34-16

It was 42-16 after the kickoff return and 42-22 after Brown scored two snaps later.

WRH got a three-and-out and eight plays later Brown fired a TD pass to cut it to 42-30 after Kerr added the 2-point run.

WRH was playing without starting QB Reid Page, who was hurt early in the game.

HC scored early in the fourth to up the ante to 50-30.

A Brown score trimmed it to 12 again five snaps later.

Hertford’s next drive put the nail in the coffin for WRH.

They chewed up clock with 12 plays and went on top by 14 with 3:33 to play, making WRH’s final score by Kerr irrelevant.

’Dawg Bites

Kerr finished with a Duplin County season-high 2,252 yards rushing and 26 TDs. He had 12 games of 100-plus yards and 4,864 for his three-year career.

Brown finished with 1,696 yards, which was 74 more than last season in fewer games. He hit the end zone 23 and 28 times in the past two seasons.

WRH graduates 19 seniors.

“My heart breaks for them,” Motsigner said of his players. “For their talent, their potential and just the kind of kids they are.

“These kids were freshmen during Covid and didn’t get to lift in the weight room for two years. Everyone had that going on, but we need that and were behind because of it and pressing to make up for it the past two years.

“That’s how we got to the East Region final last year and did as well as we did this season.”