This weekend kicks off with all eyes on Legion Stadium as the “Battle of the undefeated” kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs of St. Pauls come into Whiteville confident with a 10-0 record, scoring almost 500 (497) points this season. Whiteville comes into the game with a strong 11-0 record and an offense that has put up over 600 (606) points this season.
St. Pauls’ Senior QB Mikail Breedan has played all 10 games for the Bulldogs and has thrown for 17 touchdowns on 1,209 yards with an impressive completion percentage near 63 percent. The St. Pauls team likes to run the ball more than throw it. They like to try and keep the time of possession in their favor.
Junior KeMarion Baldwin is the centerpiece of the Bulldogs offense. He was a 2,124 yard rusher, with 32 touchdowns entering the playoffs. Baldwin also left last week’s game early with a knee injury. It is unknown if he will be ready for this week’s game.
On the other side of the ball the St. Pauls defense has only given up 178 points. Doing the math through the 10 games, that is almost 18 points a game (17.8). The Bulldog “D” will be challenged early and often by the fast-paced Whiteville Wolfpack offense.
The Wolfpack defense, in a word, is stingy! No other way to put it. They have only given up 77 points during the regular season and zero points during the playoffs.
It does not look like Coach Jarret Price and the Wolfpack have any intention on slowing down, outscoring their opponents 112-0 during the past two games. St. Pauls is going to have to play their game and slow the game down to have a chance against this potent Whiteville team.
The Wolfpack is a fast-paced, high-scoring offense. They like to run plays early on the possession clock and score often. You will be behind in the blink of an eye if you cannot hold Whiteville to a few three and outs. Toss in that bone crushing defense and many teams are facing halftime scores that are demoralizing and almost impossible to come back from.
In fact, the past two Wolfpack games have invoked the continuous clock rule. That means if a team is behind by more than 42 points after halftime, the clock continues to run unless there is an injury or a team uses one of its timeouts.
Let us look at how the Whiteville Wolfpack has gotten it done this season. Senior QB Zion Wilson has six touchdown passes with 238 yards in the air. Zion definitely is more than just a quarterback; he is a threat to keep the ball. He has 43 carries and over 500 yards (564) rushing this season entering the playoffs.
Wilson is just the tip of the iceberg, as the Wolfpack have so many options on the ground. They have a pair of 1,000-plus yard running backs. Senior Shaheem Shipman entering the playoffs had a staggering 1,232 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on 132 carries. Another senior, Brandon Tyson also has 1,187 yards rushing. He has 29 touchdowns on 128 carries entering the playoffs this season. Senior E.J. Mcleod has also been turning heads, averaging near 70 yards a game and has crossed the goal line for 13 touchdowns.
There were no statistics available on the defense at the time this article was written, but only giving up 77 points during the regular season and zero points the past two games speaks for itself. In an extra side note, St. Pauls knocked off the Wolfpack on their run towards the State Championship last season. That will add some fuel to the fire as Whiteville looks to return the favor this weekend. Kick-off is 7:30 Friday night at Legion Stadium.
If you cannot make it to the game, you can catch all the exciting Wolfpack action on 103.9 KOOL FM, Your Hometown Station. Jeff Jackson and Chandler Honeycutt are your game announcers. The game will also be streamed on www.kool1039radio.com . This game is part of the 2021 NCHSAA Football Championships – 2A tournament.
