ROBERSONVILLE — Four different running backs scored in what was Southside’s best offensive performance of the six-week-old season. It helped the Seahawks soar to a 41-16 win — their fourth of the campaign — at South Creek on Friday evening.

The defense held South Creek to four plays on its opening drive before forcing a turnover on downs. Zikijah Crawford picked up where he left off last week with an 11-yard run to the Cougars’ 3-yard line. It set up Trajan Rhome to score the contest’s first touchdown, putting the traveling Seahawks ahead 6-0 less than four minutes into the game.

South Creek answered quickly. Quarterback Jahkene Clark connected with Zikeyai Cherry on a 32-yard pass that put the Cougars on the 1-yard line. Demond Ferguson punched in the short touchdown, and South Creek got the two-point conversion to take an 8-6 lead.

Rhome answered with another touchdown on the next possession. Southside converted on a fourth-and-3 at South Creek’s 39-yard line before Rhome ripped off a 23-yard run to the end zone.

“We have a well-balanced group right now,” coach Jeff Carrow said. “Right now, we’re really banged up at the running back position. We’ve had a lot of different guys filling in this week. … The line is stepping and blocking where they’re supposed to. Just growing in and starting to click a little bit on offense.

“I gave (Rhome) the chance to start tonight. He took advantage of it. We’ve got two outstanding fullbacks. Brandon Sullivan does a great job with it, too. He’s our bruiser guy. Trajan is a little bit quicker.”

Southside’s special teams shined, too. The Seahawks attempted and recovered an onside kick at the end of the first quarter. Kyle Hill took advantage of the opening to extend the lead when he exploded on a 42-yard touchdown run two plays later, giving his side a 20-8 advantage with 11:06 left in the first half.

“It was well scouted by our coaches watching film,” Carrow said of the onside kick. “They’ve played a little soft with it, as far as their front line. We knew that at a given point in the game, we were going to try it.”

The defense snapped back after South Creek’s response score in the first quarter. The Seahawks halted South Creek on the ensuing possession with a pair of tackles in the backfield.

“I feel like the first drive, we were kind of going through the motions a little bit,” Carrow said. “We made it a point of emphasis for the offense to not do that this week. Defense, same way, but they woke up and responded.”

The Cougars punted the ball to Southside’s 48-yard line. Crawford capped off another scoring drive — Southside’s fourth of the half — with a 28-yard touchdown. The defense made another stop to give Southside another chance to score before halftime, but the Seahawks ran out of time.

They received the ball to start the second half. Joe Myers capped off a drive that lasted over six minutes. He took the third-and-9 handoff and ran to his right, but didn’t see an opening. He stopped, ran back to the left and took the ball 22 yards to the house.

Hunter Sparks scored Southside’s last touchdown of the game — a 40-yard interception return on South Creek’s next possession. It pushed the lead to 41-8.

The massive lead allowed quarterback Marshall Medlock to end his night early. Backup signal callers Grant Jensen and Kevin White both got their chances under center, and other depth players got to see plenty of action in the fourth.

The Cougars struck with 3:27 left in the game when Jaylen Short scored from 11 yards out.

Southside faces a short week before opening 1-A Coastal Plains Conference play at home Thursday against a top-notch foe in East Carteret. That game will be televised.