Aycock–Hunt rematches, Spring Creek’s triple-overtime comeback and memorable county rivalries lead this week’s look through Wayne County football history. Revisit standout performances, dramatic finishes and original Neuse News coverage from Sept. 14–20 and the surrounding days.
Rosewood defeated North Johnston 34-18 in Kenly for its first win of the season. The Eagles rushed for 310 yards, forced three turnovers and had five different players score touchdowns.
Despite dropping two tight non-conference matches late in the week, the Hawks responded with a 7-2 victory over North Johnston to lock in their fourth consecutive conference championship. North Lenoir finished a perfect 10-0 in conference play and 13-5 overall heading into postseason competition.
South Lenoir wrestling completed one of its busiest stretches of the season last week, competing in three events over seven days: the Paul T. Mills Jr. Memorial Invitational, a conference dual at Pamlico County, and the East Central 3A/4A Championship. The Blue Devils logged multiple placers, six total pins in championship competition, and more than 20 individual match wins during the week.
North Lenoir’s boys overcame the absence of leading scorer Julian Veal to earn a 65–54 conference win and snap a three-game skid, while the girls saw a strong start fade in a 52–30 loss as North Johnston pulled away late.
Check out the Neuse News Sports teams basketball team records and how they shape up with the other teams in their conference headed into the second half of the season.
North Lenoir rallied late to defeat North Johnston 2–1 in overtime to advance to the 4A second round, while Greene Central, Jones Senior, and Spring Creek also moved forward in playoff action.
#14 North Lenoir (11-12) hosts #19 North Johnston (7-15-2) in a 4A first-round rematch of conference rivals, while #10 Spring Creek (11-12-1) welcomes #23 South Lenoir (6-13-2) in 3A action, with the Gators holding a 7-0 all-time edge in Tuesday’s playoff openers.