Kinston
Kinston, NC · Sports
roanokebeacon.com
Wildcats to host Panthers in first round of 1A state football postseason
BEAR GRASS — The Columbia High School Wildcats fell behind early Friday night, then scored 34 of the game’s next 38 points in a 34-14 win over Bear Grass Charter. Bear Grass Charter (1-8) took a 6-0 lead on the first scoring drive of the night. Columbia answered with a passing game that produced three touchdowns of 48 yards or more, and the Wildcats pulled away before halftime.
Newsweek
College Football Referee Facing Intense Backlash for Injuring East Carolina Player
A referee slipped and fell into an East Carolina player, which led to him being helped off the field.
WITN
ECU Baseball Head Coach returns following leave of absence
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - ECU Baseball Head Coach Cliff Godwin has returned to the team following a leave of absence he announced in September. Athletic Director Jon Gilbert announced Sunday he has returned to his regular coaching duties. Godwin took a leave of absence on September 16, citing personal reasons as the reason for his leave.
The Daily Reflector
High school football: All eight area teams set to kick off state playoffs
Every public school in the county, plus Greene Central and John Paul II, advanced to the upcoming NCHSAA football playoffs scheduled to get under way on Friday — but only one earned a bye. J.H. Rose’s first undefeated regular season in 20 years earned the Rampants the No. 1 seed in the East 6A bracket. Therefore, Rose (10-0), the Big Carolina 6A/7A Conference champion, has a bye through this week’s first round and will await the winner of No. 16 South Johnston and No. 17 Felton Grove (a new high school in Apex which opened its doors in 2025) on Nov. 13 at Percy Daniels Fields at the Farley-Minges Complex. The Rampants’ defense recorded four shutouts and yielded an average of 12.6 points per game, while the offense scored at least 20 points per outing and averaged 41.1 per game. A primary point of emphasis, though, could be cutting down on penalties. J.H. Rose committed 16 infractions, six of those personal fouls, in a 53-0 victory over D.H. Conley. “We have to do some extracurricular activities on those [practice] days,” Rampants coach Will Bland said, referring to extra sprints and running in practice. “We’ve got to clear up some penalties
Gridiron Heroics
The Freak Referee Collision That Left an AAC Player Needing Assistance Off the Field
East Carolina entered Saturday’s home game against Temple after a 41-34 loss at Memphis and needed a response. Freshman defensive back David Coleman Jr. was part of a young secondary trying to help deliver it. Instead, a moment between plays changed the afternoon for the Pirates. It involved Coleman, drew a strong reaction from head […] The post The Freak Referee Collision That Left an AAC Player Needing Assistance Off the Field appeared first on Gridiron Heroics .
Rocky Mount Telegram
WITN
J.H. Rose shuts out D.H. Conley in ENC high school GOTW for an undefeated regular season
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - The Cross-town Throwdown took place after much anticipation at J.H. Rose on Friday. The Rampants got things going quickly, forcing a three and out out of Conley on the first drive. They then scored first halfway through the first quarter. Both defenses rallied hard, forcing a...
MaxPreps
Football Recap: Tarboro Skates Past Kinston with Ease + How To Watch
Tarboro had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 35.7 points) and they went ahead and made it eight on Friday. They claimed a resounding 48-12 win over Kinston. The final result isn't all that surprising considering Tarboro's considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 46th, while Kinston is ranked 183rd).
Duplin Times
Panthers repeat as ECC champs
DEEP RUN — The younger talent grew up. A core group of experienced and hard-working players accepted their roles and embraced the program’s proven blue-collar system. The result? East Duplin, which lost 16 starters from 2025, repeated as the East Central 3A-4A champion with a 54-0 drubbing of South Lenoir last Friday evening. “The kids bought into what we’re doing,” said ED head coach Battle Holley. “I knew if we kept getting better each week, we’d have a chance. We overcame a lot of injuries early in the year we had to handle.” Holley credited coach Seth Sandlin for the kids’ work ethic in the weight room during the offseason. Veteran coach Brian Aldridge groomed a young offense into a cohesive unit. Their dedication allowed East Duplin to work through adversity, start to peak and keep their reputation as the benchmark program in the ECC. The Panthers blanked a league opponent for the third time this season. Their stifling defense permitted just 27 points in 20 quarters of play. “Everybody to got to play,” Holley said about the ECC finale. “We started off good [and] finished good. Our starters didn’t play the second. We brought some kids up from JV.”
FOX Sports
East Carolina hosts Charleston Southern to tip off season
Charleston Southern Buccaneers at East Carolina Pirates. BOTTOM LINE: East Carolina starts the season at home against Charleston Southern. East Carolina finished 22-10 overall with a 13-4 record at home during the 2025-26 season. The Pirates averaged 10.4 steals, 3.9 blocks and 14.2 turnovers per game last season. Charleston Southern...
MaxPreps
Chris McKenzie Game Report: @ Ayden - Grifton
Winning always takes teamwork, but on Friday Chris McKenzie stepped things up a notch to give Farmville Central the 'W'. McKenzie produced his best game of the campaign: he made 10 tackles (3.0 for loss). He has been all over the field lately: He's averaged 8.3 tackles per game over his last three games compared to 3.7 in his first seven games this season.
WNCT
Pirate defense, running game get job done against Temple in 17-9 victory
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — East Carolina’s defense picked Temple off three times in the second-half and held the Owls to just under 250 yards of offense, as the Pirates win it and get back to .500 on the year. TJ Engleman Jr. and Ashton Gray combined for 165 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. […]
templefootballforever.com
ECU-Temple: The tables are turned
One of the recurring themes about K.C. Keeler’s first two years at Temple in discussing American Conference play is that his view is that there are so many “50/50” games. By that, Keeler doesn’t mean Temple is as good as every team it plays but things like...
The Daily Reflector
From East Carolina walk-on to leading CFL receiver, Tyler Snead continues to earn respect
At just 5-foot-7, Tyler Snead has always known playing football at the highest levels would require mastering the intangibles. Discipline. Attitude. Work ethic. Toughness. Whether it was on Friday nights at Millbrook High, or Saturdays at East Carolina, Snead regularly displayed those characteristics. It helped counteract any limitations his stature presented and propelled him to become a feared playmaker. As the All-Canadian Football League receiver for the Montréal Alouettes preps for another playoff run, following a personal-best regular season, he can’t help but think of the daily lessons learned in Greenville that provided a foundation for his current successes. “Just playing undersize and growing up like that, I felt like I was always tough. And then once I got to ECU … I felt like I had to go in there and show up and show out every day, and get hit,” Snead said this week during a phone interview. “So I never took any of it for granted. I always kind of had to earn my spot, earn my respect, from teammates and coaches.” Getting props wasn’t a problem in his Pirates days, from 2018-21, when Snead went from walk-on to fan favorite. His ECU career ended with over
thewashingtondailynews.com
Pam Pack get positives from loss to North Pitt
While it wasn’t the victory every member of the Washington High School boys’ soccer team had hoped for, coach Noah Williams believes they got the next best thing going into the postseason. The Pam Pack battled Three Rivers Conference champion North Pitt tooth and nail before falling, 4-3,...