LAURINBURG — Carver Middle School football player Latrell Martin rushed for three touchdowns and threw for one more to help the Eagles defeat Rockingham 30-6 in the Southeastern Middle School Athletic Conference championship game on a frigid Wednesday night at Pate Stadium.
The win marked Carver head coach James McLean’s last game with the program. He didn’t need to spend much time educating his team on the importance of Wednesday night’s matchup.
“No motivation needed,” McLean said. “Any time you get to play those guys up 74, the kids are self-motivated. We had a great week of practice.”
Following a scoreless first period, Martin put Carver on the scoreboard with a shifty 62-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. Carver took an 8-0 lead after a successful 2-point conversion run by Emory Boyd.
But Rockingham quickly responded. Joe Parsons returned a Carver fumble 62 yards for a touchdown. That trimmed Carver’s lead to 8-6 after an unsuccessful extra-point attempt.
Martin struck again before halftime. He broke away for a 71-yard touchdown run, and Boyd was successful on another 2-point run. The Eagles held a 16-6 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Martin threw a touchdown pass that gave the Eagles a 24-6 lead following another 2-point run.
A 46-yard touchdown run by Martin Carver wrap up the victory in the fourth quarter.
And when the final whistle sounded, McLean received an ice bath as his team celebrated.
“I earned that one,” McLean said with a smile. “After all I put them through during the course of the year… To win, you don’t play football (just) for three months. You don’t train for three months. If you want to win, it becomes a lifelong, yearlong process.
“These guys will take a couple weeks off, and then they’ll get back at it again.”
The Eagles had previously defeated Spring Hill 20-8 to advance to the conference championship game. Carver allowed a combined 14 points this season.
