Newton falls to Eagles
By By Robbie Robertson/The Newton Record
November 8, 2003
COLUMBIA Newton coach Pepper Posey has been looking for a "break" all season.
He finally got a few against East Marion Friday night.
Unfortunately, they weren't enough to overcome East Marion's overwhelming speed differential.
East Marion, ranked No. 8 in the AP Little 10 poll, overcame an early 7-0 deficit to rally for a 21-7 win over Newton in the first round of the Class 2A South State playoffs.
Newton ends the season with a 4-7 record while East Marion improved to 9-2 and will face top-ranked Lumberton, who beat Kemper County 58-0, next week.
The Tigers picked up right where they left off in last week's 51-7 whipping of Clarkdale.
On East Marion's first drive, Newton lineman LeRoy Bowden recovered a fumble at the East Marion 37.
The Tigers needed only five plays to find the end zone as senior fullback Cornelius Caraway ripped off a 20-yard gainer to put the ball at the East Marion 1. From there, Montez Moore scored on a 1-yard keeper with 8:16 left in the first quarter. Phillip Evans' PAT gave Newton a 7-0 lead.
Then disaster struck for Newton as East Marion back Kendall Newson returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. The PAT failed and Newton held a 7-6 lead.
After a 40-yard kickoff return by Newton's Eddie Washington put the ball at the East Marion 40, Moore fumbled on the first play to give the ball back to the Eagles.
The Eagles then drove 56 yards in 10 plays as quarterback Bernard Williams scored from a yard out with 3:21 left in the first. Adrian Clay's 2-point conversion gave the Eagles a 14-7 lead.
The Tigers had an opportunity to tie the game in the second quarter after Tyrone Waters recovered an East Marion fumble deep in Eagle territory.
But Caraway was stopped short on a fourth-and-three from the East Marion 5.
The Eagles then went on a 94-yard drive, highlighted by a 56-yard completion, that ended on a Williams' 1-yard sneak with 1:05 left in the half for the final score of 21-7.
East Marion had 209 yards rushing and 56 passing for 256 total yards and 11 first downs. Newson had 107 yards rushing on 26 carries.
Newton had 137 yards of total offense with nine first downs. Caraway led the Tigers with 75 yards on 13 carries.
