10/4/25
Complete Game Coverage: SWO - 12. East Duplin - 53. Final: SWO - 12. East Duplin - 53.
Photos (courtesy of Kay McCloskey): LINK
Stallion Video Highlights: LINK
Now this might give some of you nightmares, but I want you to think back to high school Algebra class just for a minute. In Algebra I, you were introduced to a very important property that you use virtually every day of your life — whether you realize it or not. It’s called the “Transitive Property.” In essence, the Transitive Property states that if Object A is related to Object B, and Object B is related to Object C, then Object A is related to Object C via the same relation. Trust me… it sounds more complicated than it really is.
Let me give you a football example:
SWO (Object A) barely lost to Richlands (Object B).
Richlands (Object B) barely lost to E. Duplin (Object C).
Therefore, SWO (Object A) should probably lose to E. Duplin (Object C), but not by a large margin. With the right breaks, maybe Object A could even pull off the upset. That’s what I thought anyway. I know several Stallion fans thought the same thing.
My SWO Algebra I teacher (Mr. Bethea, if I recall correctly) would not be happy! The Transitive Property didn’t hold form on Friday evening as the Panthers pounced on the Stallions early and often. This game was essentially over by the end of the first quarter with the Panthers comfortably on top, 29-0. East Duplin never punted the football and pretty much did whatever they wanted en route to a 53-12 stampeding of the visiting Stallions. In Algebraic terms… Object C >>>> Object A.
Let’s talk about E. Duplin for a moment. I have to confess… I’d call the Panthers my second favorite team in this area. I love their stadium and its “community feel.” The people are super nice. And they have a great team and program. I don’t know how in the world they only beat Richlands 14-7.
Granted… I did not see us play Croatan earlier this season, but E. Duplin is head-and-shoulders above all of the other teams we have faced. They’ve got it all. An absolutely brutal, pounding runner in #39 (thank goodness he is finally a senior). They’ve also got speed backs and a great-looking QB throwing to tall, lanky receivers. Their defense is stout — especially up front where they dominated the trenches.
Over the years, we’ve become friendly with the E. Duplin guys who pull the first down chains. It’s the same group every year — great group of guys. We told them how impressed we were with the Panthers and they kind of smiled, shook their heads and said, “This is the best we’ve looked all season. We never know which team will show up.” In essence, the Panthers’ main obstacles this season are consistency and motivation. But when they show up… boy do they show up!
For SWO, the game was a low point for sure. Frustration has reached ‘Code Red’ status and began to boil over just before halftime. Adversity can either tear you apart or pull you together. Whatever Coach Garvey said in the locker room at halftime must have worked because the Stallions did pull together and played much better in the second half. Granted, E. Duplin had subbed heavily by this point, enjoying a 50-6 halftime lead.
We all knew this year would be tough. Virtually everything is new. Virtually everyone is new. It’s a year to lay a foundation and begin building for the future.
We’re halfway through the 2025 season. If the season ended today, we’d all walk away extremely disappointed, frustrated, and angry. That’s the cold, hard truth.
At this point, it’s up to each of you personally… What do you want to do with this adversity? Let it tear us apart or pull us together? Years from now, do you want to remember the 2025 season as a low point in Stallion Football history? Or do you want it to be remembered as the year when all seemed lost but we somehow pulled it all together and had some success to finish out the season — setting the foundation for a resurrection of Stallion Football success?
Next week, we face another very daunting challenge in the form of an undefeated Pender team. No high school football analyst will pick the Stallions over the Patriots. On paper, it’s likely a comfortable win for Pender.
But the game isn’t played on paper; it’s played on dirt and grass. This week, I want to see some Stallion sweat and even a little Stallion blood on the dirt & grass! You’ve got to come together and give it your all. In high school football, there are typically less than 11 minutes of actual football action (from the snap to the whistle). These 11 minutes are spread out over roughly 2.5 hours of game duration.
Stallions… can you commit to giving 100% effort for 11 minutes next Friday night? If you can, then I think the adversity draws us together and you can accomplish a lot of positives in 2025.
Game Summary:
SWO wins the coin toss and defers
ED with a “made it look easy” opening drive TD and 2-pt conversion (all on the ground). ED 8-0, 9:57 Q1
SWO goes 3-and-out
ED with a 43-yard TD pass. ED 15, SWO 0, 6:26 Q1
ED with a 22-yard TD pass. ED 22, SWO 0, 3:00 Q1
“Ton” Bolden provides a spark in the SWO offense but is stripped of the ball
ED capitalizes quickly. ED 29, SWO 0
Bolden rips off a 66-yard run for the Stallions at the end of Q1
Jabri Williams darts up the middle for a 14-yard Stallion TD. ED 29, SWO 6, 11:13 Q2
ED offense is pretty much unstoppable. Back-to-back-to-back TDs push the lead to 50-6 at halftime
Second half is played with a running clock so it went by very quickly
Tito Escalera recovers an ED fumble at midfield
Davion Cephus with an exciting 32-yard TD for the Stallions. ED 50, SWO 12, End Q3
ED tacks on a 36-yard FG to close out the scoring
FINAL: ED 53, SWO 12
GO STALLIONS!!!
#OnceAStallionAlwaysAStallion
