ELIZABETH CITY – In a high-stakes showdown at Roebuck Stadium, the Elizabeth City State Vikings clashed with the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls in a game that kept fans on the edge of their seats. The Saturday afternoon matchup, which was part of the homecoming celebrations, showcased both the indomitable spirit of the Vikings and the unyielding determination of the Golden Bulls.

First Half: Vikings Surge Ahead

The Vikings got off to a roaring start when Carson Hancock kicked a 34-yard field goal, setting the tone for a hard-fought contest. The Vikings' formidable "Code Blue" defense made several crucial stops, allowing junior quarterback Donoven Davenport to capitalize with a remarkable 37-yard touchdown run. Hancock's successful field goal attempt added to the momentum, giving the Vikings a commanding 10-0 lead.

As the first quarter unfolded, the Vikings maintained their grip on the game. Hancock continued to impress, nailing a 26-yard field goal. Demorian Smith led the defensive charge, racking up a team-high six tackles. A blocked Vikings field goal attempt led to a Johnson C. Smith score, but with only 10 seconds remaining in the half, Davenport connected with Ian Edwards for an 18-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings entered halftime with a comfortable 20-7 lead.

Second Half: Golden Bulls Stage a Comeback

The second half saw a remarkable turnaround as the Golden Bulls mounted an impressive comeback, outscoring the Vikings 21-0. The Vikings' lead slowly slipped away, and their hopes of securing a homecoming victory began to fade. In the end, it was the Golden Bulls who emerged victorious with a final score of 21-20, spoiling the Vikings' homecoming festivities.

Key Takeaways

• The game showcased the tenacity of both teams, with the Golden Bulls displaying incredible resilience in the second half to secure the win.
• Robert Adams played a pivotal role for the Golden Bulls, completing 11 of 19 passes for 125 yards.
• Ja'Qun Wilkins was a defensive force for the Golden Bulls, blocking a kick, returning a missed field goal for a touchdown, and recording an interception.

What's Next

The Vikings football team will return to Roebuck Stadium on October 7th for their annual pink game in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, where they will face off against Virginia Union with a kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. On the other hand, the Golden Bulls will hit the road for their third consecutive away game as they take on the Shaw University Bears on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Durham County Stadium.

The gridiron at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium is set to ignite as the No. 17 Duke Blue Devils gear up to host the No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a high-stakes showdown under the Saturday night lights. Kickoff for this epic battle is slated for 7:30 p.m., and fans across the nation can catch all the action live on ABC.

This year's eagerly anticipated contest marks the eighth gridiron meeting between Duke and Notre Dame, with the Fighting Irish holding a 5-2 series lead. Duke's first triumph over the Fighting Irish dates back to December 2, 1961, when they secured a resounding 37-13 victory on their home turf. As for recent history, Notre Dame enters the fray on the heels of two consecutive victories, including a convincing 27-13 win during their last encounter on September 12, 2020.

Duke's recent triumph over Connecticut added to the excitement, marking their fourth consecutive in-season win—a feat not seen since 1970. The Blue Devils also made history by kickstarting the season with four consecutive 20-plus point victories. In the wake of their impressive performances, Duke has risen to No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches' polls. This ranking signifies the team's highest national standing since October 25, 1994, when they held the No. 16 spot.

When it comes to winning the turnover battle, Duke has demonstrated prowess under the guidance of head coach Mike Elko. In their last game against Connecticut, they outperformed their opponents 2-0 in turnovers, including a memorable fumble recovery and scoop-and-score by defensive tackle DeWayne Carter during the third quarter. Coach Elko's tenure has seen Duke emerge victorious in the turnover battle in 12 out of 17 games, amassing an impressive 115 points off those turnovers, featuring 15 touchdowns, three field goals, and one two-point conversion.

Coach Mike Elko's tenure has been nothing short of extraordinary, boasting a remarkable 13-4 record, translating to an impressive .765 winning percentage, through his first 17 games at the helm of the Blue Devils. Notably, this milestone is the best 17-game start for a head coach in Duke's storied history. Furthermore, Coach Elko's record at this juncture surpasses that of all current ACC coaches when they began their respective tenures at their current institutions.

Campbell Set to Take on No. 15 NC Central

The Campbell Camels (2-2, 1-2 CAA) are gearing up for an exciting face-off against the 15th-ranked North Carolina Central Eagles (3-1, 0-0 MEAC) this Saturday, September 30. The game will kick off at 4:00 p.m. at the iconic O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

The Camels enter this matchup with one of the most potent offenses in the FCS. They are currently ranked 10th in scoring, averaging 37.2 points per game. Additionally, they rank 13th in total offense nationally, averaging 440.0 yards per game. Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams has been exceptional, boasting the FCS's third-best completion percentage at 75.0%. He has completed 96-of-127 passes, averaging 282.5 passing yards per game, with six touchdowns and only one interception. Williams has also been a threat on the ground, contributing four rushing touchdowns.

The North Carolina Central University Eagles, ranked 15th, enter this matchup with a formidable defense. They have excelled in third-down conversion defense, ranking 18th in the nation in FCS, with a conversion rate of just 29.2%. NCCU also leads the MEAC in scoring defense, allowing an average of 32.3 points per game. The Eagles have several standout performers on the defensive side, including Jayden Flaker, who leads the team with 24 total tackles, 4.5 stops for loss, and 3.5 sacks. The defense has been adept at generating turnovers and creating opportunities for their team.

Elizabeth City State Hosts Johnson C. Smith on Homecoming

Johnson C, Smith, off to a fast 3-1 start, will travel to take on the Vikings of Elizabeth City State at Roebuck Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Vikings come into the game at 1-3 after a close loss to Shaw last Sunday. The Golden Bulls have been outscoring their opponents 29-13 through the first four weeks of the season. A balanced backfield, led by Tim Newman, Jr., Jacob Newman, and Shydem McCullough have averaged 187 rushing yards per game coming into this week’s game. Benari Black and Jack Smith lead a linebacker corps that have given opposing offenses fits so far. ECSU head coach Marcus Hilliard, himself a Vikings alumnus, will look to his sophomore signal caller to try and find a weakness in the JCSU defense. Dual-threat quarterback Chase Williams leads the Vikings in passing yards and rushing touchdowns. Demorian Smith and Teonne Porter lead an ECSU defense that is giving up less than twenty points per game so far this season.

RALEIGH – Mount Airy’s Tyler Mason came into Saturday’s game having scored forty-one touchdowns through fifteen games and needing one-hundred-thirty-seven yards to reach two-thousand yards on the season. The junior lived up to his billing, rushing for three touchdowns and 139 yards and leading his team to the NCHSAA 1A state championship with a 20-7 victory over Tarboro on Saturday afternoon.

The Mount Airy defense entered Saturday afternoon’s 1A state championship against Tarboro giving up less than ten points per game on average. The Granite Bears defense had pitched shutouts in four of its last five regular-season games and two more in the playoffs. Mount Airy was able to hold the Vikings off the scoreboard for the first twenty-seven minutes of the game, finally surrendering a score in the third quarter.

Tarboro finally found its way in the third quarter. After Omarion Lewis picked off a Mount Airy pass and returned it into Granite Bears territory, Vikings running back Mason Satterfield barely broke the goal line on a run around the right side of the formation to get Tarboro on the board for the first time on the afternoon, but it was not enough to dig out of the hold the Vikings found themselves in after surrendering three touchdowns first.

In a twist seen more in 1A football than in other classifications, both team’s quarterbacks made strong defensive efforts on the other side of the ball. Mount Airy’s Ian Gallimore led his team with fourteen tackles and Tarboro’s Omarion Lewis snagged an interception to go along with eight tackles.

The win was the Granite Bears’ seventh title and first since a 2008 win over Williamston. Tarboro, making its sixth straight title game appearance, drops just its second title game in that span.

CHAPEL HILL – The 1A state championship game started off as two teams who were trying to figure out the weakness in their opponent. Both teams made it to the title game by heavily relying on their run games with Mitchell quarterback Ty Turbyfill coming into the game with the fifth-highest rushing total and the vaunted "Tarboro T" offense amassing over four-thousand yards on the season. Stopping these offenses would be a tall task for anyone, but it was Tarboro's day as the Vikings won their eighth state championship, 28-7, over Mitchell on Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium.

Tarboro was the first team to break the scoreless tie. After a punt pinned the Mountaineers deep at their own one-yard line, the Tarboro defense stepped up and forced Mitchell to punt from their own end zone. The Vikings, with excellent field position, marched eight plays down the field with Trevon White hitting paydirt from three yards out to give Tarboro a 7-0 lead going into the second quarter. 

Mitchell was finally able to find some offense in the second stanza. A pop pass from Turbyfill to Gage Young near the goal line tied the game, showing that neither team was going to back down from the challenge. After trading punts, Tarboro was in business again after a Mitchell punt wobbled out of bounds at the 31-yard line. Eight seemingly long plays later, Trevon White, on a 4th and goal from the one-yard line and with only six seconds left on the clock, punched it in for his second score of the game and gave Tarboro a 14-7 lead going into the half.

Receiving the second-half kickoff, Tarboro went right back to what they do best: run the ball. When Tobias Joyner raced thirty-five yards to extend the Vikings' lead to two scores, Mitchell was on its heels. Forcing the Mountaineers to go to the air to cut the deficit, the Tarboro defense smelled blood and it was junior cornerback Nathan Sherrod who stepped up, intercepting a Mitchell pass and returning the ball across midfield. The Mitchell defense held, though, stopping Tarboro on fourth down and taking possession as the game entered the fourth quarter.

Just as Mitchell was poised to move the chains, Tarboro's Omarion Lewis, the team's starting quarterback on offense and safety on defense, intercepted a pass and returned it to the Mitchell thirty-yard line. From that, it was a race to all zeroes on the clock with the Vikings adding another Joyner touchdown for the final score of the day.

MVP – Tarboro #24 Tobias Joyner

Tarboro MOP Offense - #10 Trevon White

Tarboro MOP Defense - #3 Treheem Daniels

Mitchell MOP Offense - #2 Ty Turbyfill

Mitchell MOP Defense - #32 Enrique Huaroco 

Viking running back
Tobias Joyner was a wrecking crew with the ball in his hand. He galloped for
two long touchdown runs on sweep plays, sprinting 56 and 31 yards,
respectively, to paydirt in the opening half of play and helped Tarboro open up
an 18-0 halftime advantage. In all, Joyner carried the ball 12 times for 179
yards, posting an average carry of just under 15 yards. He was selected as the
game’s Most Valuable Player.

After East Surry’s
opening drive stalled and the Cardinals missed a 35-yard field goal attempt,
Tarboro took the ball nine plays and 80 yards to go up 7-0. The Vikings capped
off their opening drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge by Jalen Razor, who
was selected as the Vikings’ Most Outstanding Offensive Performer in the game
finishing the game with 45 yards and a score on his 14 carries.

The Viking defense
was equally dominant in the game, led by Most Outstanding Defensive Performer
Xzavion Pitt. Pitt amassed 8.5 tackles and a quarterback hurry on his way to
the award. He helped lead the Tarboro defense that held a potent East Surry
attack to just 257 yards of total offense just one year after the Cardinals
hung 56 points on the Vikings in the 2019 1AA State Title Game.

The Cardinals were
led by Luke Bullington who had 20 carries for 105 yards in the game on his way
to winning the Most Outstanding Offensive Player award for East Surry.
Defensively Benji Gosnell led the way for East Surry, racking up nine total
tackles in the game, six of them of the solo variety, on his way to being
chosen as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player for the Cardinals.

The game was the
third straight year that teams from East Surry and Tarboro met in the State
Championship Game. It marked only the second time in the 108-year history of
the NCHSAA Football State Championships that the same two teams met for the
State Championship three years in a row. The only other time was in the Class A
Championship Games from 1931 to 1933 when Durham beat Charlotte two out of
three years.

Tarboro wrapped up
the season 9-0. The Vikings were 4-0 in Coastal Plains 1A play, winning the
championship. Tarboro secured the program’s fourth straight Regional Title.

East Surry finished
the season 9-2. The Cardinals were 5-0 in Northwest 1A play, winning the league
title. They won the program’s third straight regional title and appeared in the
State Championship Game for the third time since in program history.

The NCHSAA is
committed to recognizing and promoting good sportsmanship and has partnered with
the NC Farm Bureau to highlight individuals from each State Championship event
who exemplify the ideals of outstanding sportsmanship. The 2020-2021 1AA
Sportsmanship Award recipients were Evan Morris from Tarboro and Will Hiatt from
East Surry.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

5:29 – TAR – J.
Razor 1 yard run (N. Farmer pass failed) – TAR 6-0 ( 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:07)

0:12 – TAR – T.
Joyner 56 yard run (N. Farmer run failed) – TAR 12-0 (6 plays, 85 yards, 2:56)

Second Quarter

10:16 – TAR – T.
Joyner 31 yard run (N. Farmer pass failed) – TAR 18-0 (2 plays, 43 yards, 1:22)

Third Quarter

8:38 – TAR – T.
White 5 yard run (L. Dupree kick good) – TAR 25-0 (6 plays, 44 yards, 3:22)

Fourth Quarter

3:14 – ES – T.
Needham 23 yard pass from F. Boaz (D. Sutterby kick good) – TAR 25-7 (7 plays,
82 yards, 1:51)