By Staff
Staff Reports
WALLACE — Kevin Purkett’s 22-yard scoring toss to Carl McCray gave the Plymouth Vikings a 6-0 lead early in their N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A state playoff game against Wallace-Rose Hill. Unfortunately, it was all Bulldogs after that.
The Bulldogs (12-2), the No. 4 seed, scored the next 43 points en route to a 43-6 victory in this third-round game Friday night.
Wallace-Rose Hill will play host to No. 7 seed North Edgecombe (9-4) in the East Regional championship game next week.
Meanwhile, Plymouth, the No. 9 seed that stunned previously unbeaten and top-ranked Manteo a week earlier, finished the season with a 9-5 record.
Omar Carr led the way for the Bulldogs, galloping for a game-high 121 yards on 19 carries.
Plymouth’s defense had trouble with the Wallace-Rose Hill ground game, as nine Bulldogs accounted for 264 rushing yards. Four different players found the end zone.
Quarterback Dawan McKinzie also did his part, tossing for a pair of scores and 147 yards.
Plymouth, which had trouble moving the ball following the opening-possession score, finished with 151 yards of total offense.
Sevin Norman led the Plymouth rushing attack with 46 yards on six carries. McCray ran for 35 yards on eight carries. Elmer Cooper added 32 yards on 12 attempts, and Ronnel Blount had 14 yards on eight totes.
Purkett was 3 of 5 for 24 yards through the air, throwing one touchdown pass and one interception.
McCray caught the 22-yard scoring strike to lead the receivers.
Carr’s 6-yard run got the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. Christian Miller’s 3-yard run and McKinzie’s 27-yard TD toss to Tracy Murrell late in the first half made it 20-6.
Carr raced 46 yards for a score on the first play of the second half to boost the lead, while Devonta Herring’s 43-yard touchdown run made it 35-6.