Northeastern High School took control early, building a big lead at halftime and then clinching a 28-6 win over Hertford County.
The victory over the bears [4-2, 2-1 Northeastern Coastal Conference] held the eagle [5-0, 3-0 NCC] undefeated and wholly owned first place in the Northeastern Coastal Conference.
A large, home-coming crowd roared their approval as the Northeastern Spread Offensive took the opening kick, marching 72 yards to the game’s first touchdown in seven games. The first big game was a pass from quarterback Jalen Melson to EJGatling, who took the short pass in the left plane and turned it into a 32-yard catch and run.
Two games later, Melson found his other favorite receiver, Shamar Sutton, looping over the center for 35 yards and a first and a goal at the Hertford two-yard line. From there, Rashawn Lister rushed to the center and crossed the goal line to give the Eagles the lead at 8:21. The 245 lb. Senior was very effective in short range situations as well as being a loyal midfielder in defense. Melson linked up with Gatling on the conversion pass and Northeastern led 8-0.
The bears tried to respond with their first possession. When quarterback Keveon Rodgers passed and ran, Hertford made two first downs and had the ball on the northeast 27-yard line. However, the Eagles did not allow any additional yards and took on their own 28-yard line.
A Gatling jet sweep was compounded by a Horse Collar Tackle Penalty, which brought the ball to Eagle’s 46-yard line. Two games later, Melson matched Alanda’s Williams, who slipped a tackle on the sideline for an 18-yard win. Melson ran for six and then passed Gatling for another 14. After losing two yards, Jordan Jones won 10 hard yards to move the ball within the Hertford 10-yard line. After a quarterback draw over half the distance, Melson passed the ball to Tyselle Spencer, who walked away with the right tackle for a 4-yard touchdown. The conversion failed, but the Eagles led 1:03 in the first quarter 14-0.
Hertford was forced to poke after a third combined sack by Northeastern defenders Ahmad Fisher and Jamison Fletcher. After the bear kick, the Eagles had a good field position on their own 40-yard line. Two passes from Gatling resulted in a first down and a quarterback draw on the fourth down brought the Eagles to a first down on Bear 28. It was a great call when everyone expected Melson to pass in the situation. After a brief win, Melson passed Sutton on the left flank.
The junior cut hard inward, lost the first tackler, accelerated, and raced all the way to a 24-yard touchdown. Conversion not good, but Northeastern was leading 20-0 and had all the momentum.
Blazing hot in the first half, Melson made his first six passes and nine of his first eleven attempts. The “Touchdown Twins”, Sutton and Gatling, made it difficult for the opponents in the pass defense. Northeast trainer Antonio Moore moves the two to use their speed and skill.
“Yes, it’s a game of cat and mouse with the two of them. If the defense is pushing, they can run past them. If the defense keeps playing, they can catch a short pass and turn it into a long play.”
By the end of the first half, the Bears made a mistake that really hampered their comeback effort. With just five seconds to go, Rodgers completed a short pass from his own 19-yard line. The Hertford receiver tried a flea flicker, but the side was too high. Strong Northeast Security Randall Ferguson picked up the ball carefully and ran it in for a defensive touchdown. Jones plunged into the conversion and the lead was 28-0 at break.
The northeast offensive brought no points in the second half. Hertford showed a stronger pass frenzy, and the Eagles injured themselves with penalty shootouts. In addition, the Eagles could not get a constant running game.
“We have to get the ball running better. We’re going to need a better running game,” said coach Moore. “We made too many mistakes in the second half. Maybe it was the lead and the lack of concentration, but we have to fix those mistakes and play better.”
The eagle defense was bent in the second half, but could not be broken. They allowed yards but only got a result two minutes before the end of the game. Rodgers, who would complete 19 of 33 passes for 152 yards, would link up with Jahaun Bond for a 33-yard touchdown to complete the score.
Melson was 14 of 26 for 232 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He would also lead the Eagles with 51 net yards. Gatling had six receptions for 96 yards and Sutton also had six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.
