By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
WILLIAMSTON — Kenny Brown couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first career touchdown.
After Edenton-Holmes’ Niko Capehart scored on a 60-yard run to give the Aces a 16-12 lead with 5:31 left in the game, Brown returned the ensuing kick off 86 yards to put Williamston back on top.
The returned gave the Tigers the lead for good, as Williamston escaped a wild finish with Edenton-Holmes, 24-22.
The kick return gave Williamston an 18-16 lead. After forcing the Aces to turn the ball over on downs on the next possession, the Tigers were able to stretch the lead to 24-16 with 1:43 remaining on a two-yard touchdown plunge by tailback Emery Griggs. The Tigers had a chance to seal it with the extra point, but kicker Cody Speller’s attempt sailed wide of the target, leaving Edenton Holmes with a chance.
That chance appeared to diminish early in the next drive as the Tigers’ twin tandem of DeBrian and DeBriant Everett recorded back-to-back sacks to set up a 4th-and-15 for the Aces.
With the clock now under a minute and the ball at their own 36 yard line, the Aces went for the home run ball and it worked. Scott Hall hauled in a 53-yard pass from quarterback Daquan Ford with 47 seconds left to set the Aces up at Williamston’s 11 yard line.
Once again, it looked as though the Tigers’ defense had rose to the occasion and stopped the Aces. But once again, Ford worked his magic. Facing a 4th-and-9 from the 10 yard line, Ford evaded a host of Tigers’ defenders and dumped the ball into the hands of Capehart, who eluded the Williamston defense and ran into the end zone untouched to cut the lead to 24-22 with eight seconds remaining.
After a false start penalty pushed the two-point conversion back to the 8 yard line, the Tigers finally got the stop they’d been looking for as DeBrian Everett batted away Ford’s pass attempt to Hall to secure the Tigers’ first win of the season.
It was a tight ball game throughout as Williamston held a 12-10 halftime lead thanks to a three-yard touchdown run by Griggs and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Cedric Moody to Kareem Bell. Edenton Holmes got on the board in the first half thanks to a 19-yard touchdown run by Tyquan Fleming.
It was also a sloppy game throughout as Williamston committed five turnovers and Edenton-Holmes had three turnovers.
Griggs led the Tigers with 111 yards on 20 carries including his two touchdown scampers, while Moody went 7-of-13 for 127 yards and a touchdown to go along with three interceptions.
The Aces were led by Capehart who had 89 yards on 11 carries, while Fleming added 60 yards on five touches.
The Everett twins also had a spectacular game for the Tigers, combining for seven sacks.
Williamston (1-1) will be off next week before returning to the field Sept. 12 against First Flight.
Edenton-Holmes Williamston
10 First Downs 12
35-233 Rushes-Yards 33-168
79 Passing Yards 127
4-14-1 Pass-Comp-Int 7-14-3
4-33.5 Punting 2-43.0
4-2 Fumbles-Lost 3-2
5-45 Penalties 7-65
Edenton-Holmes 7 3 0 12 — 22
Home 6 6 0 12 — 24
Scoring Summary
W — Emery Griggs 3 run (kick failed), 8:59, 1st
E — Tyquan Fleming 19 run (Corey Sackrison kick), :34, 1st
E — Sackrison 30 field goal, 5:39, 2nd
W — Kareem Bell 29 pass from Cedric Moody (2 pt. attempt failed), 3:12, 2nd
E — Niko Capehart 60 run (2 pt. attempt failed), 5:31, 4th
W — Kenny Brown 86 kick return (2 pt. attempt failed), 5:16, 4th
W — Griggs 2 run (kick failed), 1:43, 4th
E — Capehart 10 pass from Daquan Ford (2 pt. attempt failed), :08, 4th