Kinston Defeats East Duplin 52-22 for First Win Over Panthers Since 2009

KINSTON, N.C— Kinston High School’s football team made history in dominant fashion Thursday night, breaking a 15-year drought against East Duplin with a 52-22 victory. The Vikings, who had lost their first two games of the season, are now on a four-game winning streak and look like a team coming together at just the right time.

Coming into the matchup, Kinston was 0-2 against East Duplin over the last two seasons, and East Duplin had never lost a football game in Lenoir County —until now. Kinston not only snapped that losing streak but did so in emphatic fashion, outplaying East Duplin in all facets of the game.

The Vikings wasted no time in asserting their dominance, as Alex Moore took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, electrifying the home crowd and setting the tone for the night. Even when East Duplin responded with a touchdown of their own, Kinston stayed aggressive. Quarterback Tyler Jones found Tyreek Copper streaking up the seam for a 65-yard touchdown on the next drive, just one of the many explosive plays for Copper, who finished with 184 yards and three touchdowns on just four receptions.

Jones had a career night, going 16-for-29 for 408 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. He spread the ball effectively, getting every starting playmaker involved. By the end of the night, all of Kinston’s top offensive threats—Exzavion Croom, Antwain Jones, Tyreek Copper, Okie Edwards, Jeremiah Hart, and Alex Moore—had at least two receptions.

Copper’s ability to turn small receptions into big plays was on full display, as two of his touchdown catches were for 65 and 87 yards, primarily yards after the catch. When asked about his mindset when he gets the ball, Copper kept it simple: "Don't get caught. If I can make one guy miss, I got a good chance to score."

Okie Edwards also came up big for Kinston with 89 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five catches. Meanwhile, Moore continued to make plays on both sides of the ball, contributing three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, three rushes for 26 yards, and his game-opening kickoff return touchdown.

While Kinston’s offense put up points, the defense ensured they stayed in control. After conceding a touchdown to East Duplin on their opening drive, the Vikings forced three consecutive turnovers—a turnover on downs, a pivotal interception by Exzavion Croom, and a fumble recovery by TJ Bradshaw. The defensive pressure allowed Kinston to build a 32-7 lead in the second quarter.

"We felt like going into halftime, they had momentum," said Gieselman. "We did a good job of it early in the first half, but they responded." Indeed, East Duplin rallied before halftime, closing the gap to 32-22. However, Kinston’s defense shut them out in the second half, allowing no points and enabling the Vikings' offense to pile on another 20 points to seal the win.

Croom, who was a standout on both sides of the ball, provided hard-hitting plays and defensive stops, showcasing his all-around impact. "He's huge," Gieselman said of Croom. "You see what he does on offense and on defense."

After allowing eight sacks in their Week 1 loss, Kinston’s offensive line put together one of their best performances of the season, allowing just two sacks and keeping Jones upright to make plays. “This was the first time this season we started the same line back-to-back weeks,” said Gieselman. “We’re just trying to keep Tyler up and get our playmakers the ball.”

Kinston’s ability to limit penalties and execute a clean game played a significant role in their success. After recording 17 penalties in their prior matchup against South Lenoir, the Vikings were called for just 2-3 penalties on Thursday. "We worked super hard," Gieselman said. "If you want to win big ball games and play late in the year, you can't beat yourself, and we did a pretty good job of that tonight."

Quarterback Tyler Jones gave credit to his wide receivers for their performance: "My wide receivers played great tonight. We did a lot better tonight than we did in the first couple of weeks, but we have been practicing it a lot.”

Kinston started the season with two straight losses, but this win over East Duplin marks a turning point. The Vikings’ balanced offensive attack, complemented by a swarming defense, has put them on a four-game winning streak. "We haven't beaten them in 15 years, so to be part of that history and one of the first Kinston teams to beat them, it feels good," Copper said.

With each win, Kinston looks more and more like a team ready to compete deep into the postseason. They’ve shown they can come together as a unit, find different ways to win, and overcome past challenges to create new history.