McNeill Powers Northeastern Past Greene Central 54-28, Ending Rams’ Season

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Greene Central’s football season came to an end Friday night as top-seeded Northeastern defeated the No. 17 Rams 54-28 in the second round of the NCHSAA 3A state playoffs.

Senior running back Da’mari McNeill delivered a dominant performance for Northeastern, rushing for 288 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries, according to unofficial game statistics recorded at the game. McNeill averaged 13.7 yards per carry, breaking loose for scoring runs of 73, 6, 41 and 8 yards.

Greene Central (7-5) countered with a strong performance from junior running back Donovan Ingram, who rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

Despite falling behind 20-0, Greene Central fought back to make it a six-point game late in the first half before Northeastern pulled away.

Northeastern jumps ahead early

Northeastern wasted little time establishing its running game. On the Eagles’ opening possession, McNeill broke loose for a 73-yard touchdown run to give Northeastern a 6-0 lead.

After Greene Central quarterback Joshua Cetnar was intercepted on the Rams’ next possession, Northeastern took over at the Greene Central 32-yard line. McNeill scored again, this time from 6 yards out. A successful two-point conversion extended the Eagles’ lead to 14-0.

Greene Central got its first break when Northeastern muffed a punt. The Rams recovered, and Ingram immediately turned the opportunity into points with a 50-yard touchdown run.

Northeastern answered with another scoring drive, aided by a 71-yard completion on third-and-long. Quarterback Zak Ishman finished the possession with a quarterback sneak to make it 20-7.

The Rams responded with one of their best drives of the night. With Northeastern threatening to score again, Greene Central’s Ben Ramsey stripped the football from a receiver near the 5-yard line. The Rams recovered and marched 95 yards downfield.

Cetnar broke loose for a 32-yard run and added another double-digit gain before scoring on a quarterback sneak. The touchdown cut Northeastern’s lead to 20-14 with 2:53 remaining in the first half.

McNeill answered with a 41-yard touchdown run, sending the Eagles into halftime with a 26-14 advantage.

Northeastern pulls away in second half

Northeastern received the second-half kickoff and immediately extended its lead. Ishman connected with Brian Evans for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 9:45 remaining in the third quarter. A successful two-point conversion made it 34-14.

McNeill added an 8-yard touchdown run later in the quarter, pushing Northeastern’s advantage to 42-14.

Greene Central refused to quit. Cetnar found Christian McLaurin for a 23-yard touchdown pass with 1:25 remaining in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 42-21.

Ingram later added a 55-yard touchdown run, giving him two touchdowns and 160 rushing yards for the night.

Northeastern finished with 318 rushing yards and 249 passing yards, totaling 567 yards of offense. Greene Central produced 397 yards, including 253 on the ground.

Rams’ offensive leaders

Ingram led Greene Central with 160 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, averaging 11.4 yards per attempt.

Cetnar completed 13 of 29 passes for 137 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown.

Cody Gaitor added 38 rushing yards on nine carries, while Caleb Travis completed both of his pass attempts for seven yards.

McLaurin caught Cetnar’s 23-yard touchdown pass, while receiver Trey Bynum contributed to the Rams’ passing attack.

All statistics are unofficial and compiled from the game-day play log.

Wilson proud of his team’s fight

Following the game, Greene Central head coach Jay Wilson reflected on his team’s resilience after facing an early deficit against the top seed.

“I mean, we came out, we went down 14-0, and I think in years past, it would have been real bad, I guess,” Wilson said. “But the guys battled back.”

Wilson pointed to the way his players continued competing despite Northeastern’s explosive offense.

“That second half, no matter what the score may show, was one of the best halves of football that I had seen, and I’m just excited at how they finished the game,” Wilson said.

The coach also reflected on a season filled with close losses, impressive victories and memorable performances.

“I think we’ve had a little bit of everything this season,” Wilson said. “We had two-point losses. We had big wins. You know, we’ve had great moments.”

A senior class Wilson won’t forget

Greene Central will lose an experienced senior class led by its three-year starting quarterback Cetnar and several longtime contributors.

Wilson specifically acknowledged players along the offensive line and others who helped build the program.

“I had a great group of seniors,” Wilson said.

Replacing that experience will be one of Greene Central’s biggest challenges heading into 2027.

“There are going to be big holes to fill next year,” Wilson said.

But the coach made it clear that Friday’s loss would not erase what the seniors accomplished.

“This will be a team that, you know, I remember,” Wilson said.

Looking toward next season

Although the Rams will lose several seniors, Greene Central has younger players to build around.

Wilson said the returning players will have some time to enjoy Thanksgiving before preparation begins for another season.

“I told them, I said they’re gonna eat a little turkey and get a little cranberry sauce in them, and they better start protein loading because we get back at the beginning of December, and, you know, we’re loading for bear next year.”

Greene Central football finishes the season with seven victories, a first-round playoff win and a second-round appearance. For Wilson and the Rams, Friday’s defeat marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of preparations for another.