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PEMBROKE — One of many mantras heard usually round The College of North Carolina at Pembroke’s soccer program is that just a few momentum performs in every sport are what decide the end result.
4 of them got here from the defensive secondary Saturday towards Wheeling — with two in fast succession in a key second-quarter sequence and two extra in a second-half flip of occasions that preserved the UNCP lead — resulting in a 34-28 victory for the Braves at Grace P. Johnson Stadium.
“It undoubtedly gave us life, the need proceed to maintain on,” UNCP working again Joseph Early mentioned. “That’s one thing that our staff wants, as a result of I do know generally when our again is towards the wall we might attempt to put our heads down, nevertheless it’s stuff like coach at all times tells us, when (adversity) comes you’ve received to battle again. These had been some large performs proper there.”
The second-quarter sequence started with UNCP (3-3, 3-2 Mountain East Convention) main 10-3 when the Braves’ Devin Jones intercepted Wheeling’s Brennon Norris with 8:32 remaining within the second quarter. An obvious 71-yard return for a landing by Jones was negated by penalty; as a substitute, the Braves drove 52 yards in seven performs and scored on a 2-yard landing run by Joseph Early to take a 17-3 lead with 5:35 left within the half.
“It was an enormous emotional increase, and no matter if it received taken again, we scored,” Jones mentioned. “It was an incredible increase for the staff and I feel we actually wanted it. The offense did an incredible job punching it in, capitalizing on the turnover.”
On the primary play of the following Wheeling (3-3, 3-2 MEC) drive, Norris was intercepted once more, by Dante Bowlding on the 50-yard line, the primary of his two picks.
“Coming into the sport, (defensive backs coach Chi-Emeke) Worthington was telling us we’ve received to capitalize off their errors, and I really feel like that’s what we did as a unit,” Bowlding mentioned. “That was an enormous momentum change. That was very essential; I really feel like that helped us quite a bit.”
Early scored once more two performs afterward a 35-yard landing run, extending the Braves’ result in 24-3 with 4:43 till halftime.
“I’ve been dying to interrupt one and actually present my pace and present that I may be of use and make large performs on the sector,” Early mentioned. “In order that was large for me, and large for the staff as effectively.”
Whereas the Braves run sport nonetheless wasn’t as robust as desired, totaling 93 yards on the day, the 2 scoring performs present a degree to construct on for UNCP’s dashing assault.
“I assumed Joe was in a position to make some stuff work, and up entrance we’re taking part in new combos and making an attempt to get the proper individuals in the proper spots, and I feel guys up entrance did job of with the ability to open up just a bit one thing,” UNCP coach Shane Richardson mentioned. “We’ve nonetheless received to search out methods to extend that and be higher than that.”
From that 24-3 rating, Wheeling closed to 24-18 late within the third earlier than the second momentum-shifting sequence saved the Braves on the proper aspect of the end result.
Taking up after a security, the Cardinals drove so far as the Braves’ 8-yard line earlier than UNCP received the purple zone cease — sustaining the lead — and compelled a discipline objective try, which Matt Greenwood transformed from 25 yards to make it a 24-21 sport with 56 seconds left within the quarter.
Wheeling then tried an onside kick, which UNCP’s Jaden Richeson recovered on the Cardinals’ 47.
“I assumed when Jaden was in a position to get well the onside kick proper there, we had been already throughout the 50-yard line; that was an enormous morale booster, an incredible feeling to have the ability to have the offense begin in that discipline place there,” Richardson mentioned.
UNCP turned the great discipline place into factors with a 19-yard discipline objective by Gerardo Guerra Rivera, extending its result in 27-21 with 13:48 remaining.
UNCP’s Luke Brooks intercepted Norris on the subsequent drive, resulting in a 4-yard landing cross from Josh Jones to Faheem Diaab with 6:45 remaining that gave the Braves some respiration room once more with a 34-21 benefit.
“It was good to complete the drive,” Josh Jones mentioned. “Faheem learn an incredible route. Coach Cox referred to as an incredible play and set us up for achievement proper there, and we simply went on the market and executed it.”
Bowlding secured his second interception with 6:27 remaining, however this time UNCP didn’t convert the choose into factors and punted. Wheeling scored on a 21-yard cross from Norris to Jaquan Davidson with 2:34 left to make it 34-28, however Rodney Smith recovered the onside kick try; UNCP needed to punt it again to Wheeling, who drove so far as the Braves’ 27-yard line, earlier than Ben Jaramillo sacked Norris on the ultimate play of the sport to seal the win.
“Ben, he’s an incredible chief,” Richardson mentioned. “He’s been locked in to this season, and each week making an attempt to determine what we may do higher and making an attempt to guide guys, and I couldn’t be extra thrilled for him to have the ability to make that play.”
The Braves’ 4 interceptions are the staff’s most since selecting off 4 Virginia-Clever passes on Nov. 16, 2019.
Josh Jones was 21-for-25 passing for 191 yards; Tyshawn Carter caught six passes for 68 yards and Rodney Smith caught six passes for 51 yards. Early totaled 72 yards on 18 carries.
Norris threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns for the Cardinals regardless of the 4 interceptions.
Wheeling fumbled on the primary play from scrimmage, resulting in an opening-drive discipline objective for UNCP as Rivera transformed from 26 yards for a 3-0 lead a minute into the sport.
Josh Jones threw an interception on UNCP’s subsequent drive, however one possession later led a 15-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a 2-yard landing run by Jones to present the Braves a 10-0 lead with 14:18 left within the first half.
Wheeling’s Matt Greenwood kicked a 30-yard discipline objective 10:24 earlier than halftime to get the Cardinals on the board. The Cardinals’ subsequent possession started the two-interception, two-rushing-touchdown sequence by UNCP; Wheeling used what was left of the clock on its subsequent drive and scored on a 2-yard cross from Norris to Ryan LaFollette because the half expired. The additional level was blocked and UNCP led 24-9 on the break.
Rivera missed a 24-yard field-goal try on UNCP’s first second-half drive; Wheeling then drove 80 yards, scoring on a fourth-down play on a 15-yard cross from Norris to Davidson to tug inside a 24-16 rating with 7:56 left within the third. Wheeling’s security got here two UNCP drives later, adopted by the sequence that introduced the momentum again to the Braves sideline.
Saturday’s win got here seven days after the Braves misplaced a lopsided 51-21 contest at Frostburg State, because the staff responded to earn its first win since a Sept. 18 victory over Glenville State. The Braves journey to West Virginia State for a 1 p.m. kickoff subsequent Saturday earlier than internet hosting Charleston for homecoming on Oct. 23.
“Final week was a tricky loss; we had been proper there with them for a number of the sport and it sort of received away from us,” Josh Jones mentioned. “For us to return on this week hungry, humble, and get the win, and it was a hard-fought win … undoubtedly one thing to construct (on) going into West Virginia State.”
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