Eaton throws six TDs as Kinston rolls past White Oak, 45-6

JACKSONVILLE — Kinston appears to have found its rhythm.

A week after picking up its first victory of the season, the Vikings followed it with an even more impressive offensive performance as sophomore quarterback Michael Eaton threw for 433 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-6 victory over White Oak on Friday night.

Kinston improved to 2-2 with its second consecutive win after opening the season with losses to South Central and Washington. The Vikings revenge their 32-26 heartbreaking loss as time expired from last season.

“Getting our first win was big for us,” Kinston coach Ryan Gieselman said. “We got to build off that. Getting rid of simple mistakes to correct, I feel like we did a good job of that.”

Eaton was the centerpiece of Kinston’s offensive explosion.

The sophomore completed 16 of 25 passes for 433 yards and six touchdowns with one interception, averaging more than 27 yards per completion. Through four games, Eaton has thrown for 916 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I felt great,” Eaton said. “I just stuck to the game plan. A bunch of practice, we do it a lot. We game plan a lot and really just execute, and you see it got the job done.”

Kinston’s receivers made the most of Eaton’s shots downfield.

Senior Justin Gooding caught two passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns, including an 81-yard reception. Junior Pap Brown finished with four catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, including a 77-yard reception.

Senior Reginald McNeil had two catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, sophomore Taylin Small caught four passes for 46 yards and a score, and sophomore Jaquel Waters added two receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Bryson Davidson had a 21-yard reception and freshman Kaysen Williams added a 12-yard catch. The full names match Kinston’s 2026 roster. MaxPreps.com

Senior Kendarius Bey gave Kinston its lone rushing touchdown, carrying six times for 48 yards. Through four games, Bey has rushed for 337 yards and four touchdowns on just 30 carries, an average of 11.2 yards per attempt.

Kinston scored in every quarter and took control early. The Vikings led 13-6 after the first quarter before scoring 14 unanswered points in the second to take a 27-6 advantage into halftime. Kinston added 12 points in the third quarter and six more in the fourth.

The defense made sure White Oak never answered.

After allowing a first-quarter touchdown, Kinston held White Oak scoreless for the final three quarters.

“Our goal every Friday night is to have a shutout on that scoreboard,” Gieselman said. “It just takes the coaches from our defensive staff making all the adjustments and putting players in the right place. We got the shutout in the second half.”

Senior Jahmeire Brown led Kinston with 12 tackles, including five tackles for loss, while senior Nor’Rice Bell finished with 10 tackles. Senior Christian Ham added eight tackles, and senior Jemari Rosber recorded seven tackles with two tackles for loss.

Kinston finished with 10 tackles for loss as a team. Senior Emanuel Sutton recorded an interception, while junior Marcus Smith-Baker recovered a fumble.

The win also avenged Kinston’s 32-26 loss to White Oak last season.

After starting 0-2, the Vikings have responded with back-to-back 39-point victories. Next comes another Lenoir County matchup.

Kinston travels to South Lenoir on Friday, Sept. 18, with the Vikings entering at 2-2 and the Blue Devils at 3-1. South Lenoir suffered its first loss of the season Friday, falling 57-0 to Eastern Wayne.