THE NEWS-TIMES Sunday, August 17, 2014 9A Mullet Bucket for West, East enjoys 50-year history: Part 5 Patriots win four Bucket loss in 1987. As big a moment as the fum- straight from ble recovery was for Arnold, Lasater also had a moment in 1989-1992 as the sun when he hauled in a Raynor rushes Mark Lee pass on fourth-and-12 and fought his way to the end for 280 yards zone to give his squad a 21-12 advantage. with 5 TDs in ’91 It didn’t matter that Lasater BY J.J. SMITH got hit before the ball arrived. NEWS-TIMES The ball was on target, and he twisted to bring it in to give his MOREHEAD CITY — The team breathing room early in the battle for that austere, painted fourth quarter. wooden trophy reaches its gold It was the play in the trench- anniversary this year. es, however, that decided the The Mullet Bucket will take game. West’s platoon system place for the 50th time Friday, wore down the Mariners, most Aug. 29 when East Carteret of whom played both offense travels to West Carteret. and defense. And to celebrate the mile- Tired legs didn’t become a stone, the News-Times is provid- factor until the final six min- ing a year-by-year historical ret- utes of the game when Terrance rospective running each issue Raynor, who rushed for 158 until the day of the game. yards on 24 carries, scored with Each issue will look back at 4:58 left to make it 28-19, and five years of the series. Steven Fox salted the game This is the fifth in a 10-part away with 2:50 remaining with series. a 5-yard score. 1993 East’s Tracy Johnson, who The Mariners used superb rushed for 74 yards, scored the defense, five West fumbles and second of his two touchdowns a big pass to score a shock- before Raynor’s score with a 2-yard run to pull his team to ing 12-6 victory in convincing th West Carteret’s 13 seniors flash four fingers, signifying the Patriots’ fourth straight Mullet Bucket win in the 28 edition of within two at 21-19. fashion. the game. (File photo) The West fumble recovery The Patriots had a four-year then changed the direction of winning streak in the series, out- West ran 18 plays in the third coach, and Smith scored three Mariners nightmares in the the board in the second quarter the game. weighed the Mariners on both th quarter, but an interception by second-half touchdowns while Friday the 13 game as the fleet- when Richard Smith blocked a The Patriots held a 14-12 sides of the line, and had more Allen and another fumble killed Jones added a fourth as both footed West junior amassed 280 Lee punt. Lee recovered in the edge entering the fourth quarter depth, more experience and two drives. runners broke the century mark yards on 21 carries and five end zone, giving up two points. after the Mariners had cut into more options. Panic began to set in as the in rushing yards. touchdowns in a thoroughly The Patriots scored two more the lead following a Jeff Hewitt But in the end, East con- Patriots were nailed for a slew Smith, who gained 184 dominating 42-2 victory. touchdowns in the final 1:52 of 40-yard scoring strike to Tony quered and had fifth-year coach of uncharacteristic penalties. By yards on 15 carries, broke the The Associated Press deemed the half. Charles Bryant capped Smith at the 9:17 mark of the Tom Frazier close to tears after the end of the night, the team game open with touchdown runs his performance the top effort a 9-play, 85-yard drive with a 5- third. Johnson had set up the seeing his team put on such an was penalized seven times for of 74 and 42 yards. Jones, who in the state by a high school yard run, and Raynor ran in the three-play scoring drive with an eye-opening performance. 105 yards. East drew only three gained 102 yards on 17 carries, running back for that week’s two-point conversion. interception. West kicked off to start the flags for 25 yards. set up Smith’s second score with games. Steven Ziegelholfer pounded West had scored to go up 12- game and forced the Mariners a 29-yard run. The Patriots tallied 418 yards As the fourth quarter counted on another East fumble, setting 6 late in the first half after driv- to punt after three plays but West racked up 306 rushing of total offense compared to down, West opened up its pass- the table for Raynor who scored ing 86 yards in nine plays. Lee fumbled the ball back to East on yards on 42 carries while limit- East’s paltry 72 yards. The ing attack to try and get back in his third touchdown of the open- floated the ball to Kevin Horton the first play from scrimmage. ing East to 102 yards on 39 car- Mariners gained all their yards the game. ing half to give his squad a 29-2 on a 26-yard touchdown pass Odell Benders, who gained 101 ries. The Patriots held a 359-174 on the ground as their quarter- Todd McLean got the Patriots lead at the break. with just 1:46 remaining in the yards on 19 carries, made the advantage in total yards. backs went 0-for-13 with an on the board with a 22-yard He added two more scores in second quarter to take a bit of Patriots pay for that mistake Early on, however, the interception in an ugly exhibi- touchdown pass from Ryan the fourth quarter at the 11:35 wind out of the Mariners’ sails. eight plays later, capping a 55- Mariners controlled the game. tion of offensive football. Upchurch with 30 ticks left on and 8:01 marks, respectively, Lee was a standout on the yard drive with a 22-yard TD The Patriots failed to stop the West got on the board first the clock. to bring down the curtain on a night, going 6-for-11 for 129 run. East attack as the squad forced when Raynor broke around left West tried an onside kick, wicked performance. yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots took the ensuing but it was recovered by the Raynor started the scoring kickoff and drove to the East 32- 1990 Mariners’ Drew Clayton. when he plunged in from the 3- yard line. But another fumble With 6:30 showing on the The Patriots held the edge in yard line at the 3:03 mark of the gave the Mariners the ball. clock in the fourth quarter, a total yardage 241-150 and first first quarter, capping a 68-yard After getting shoved around scramble for a loose ball at downs 12-7 but turned the ball dive. Williams then brought his through much of the first quarter, the Patriots’ 30-yard line had over six times to East’s one. team to within a point at 7-6 East linemen became as difficult coaches on both sidelines hold- when he scored from the 10- to move as the new 2,500-pound 1992 ing their breath. yard line with 4:26 left in the “lucky” anchor that was placed West coach Ed Hiatt saw his Led by running backs Nathan second quarter. at the entrance of the stadium ball carrier cough up the ball Smith and Eddie Jones, the Both teams moved the ball just one day before the game. just after a Mariners touchdown Patriots scored 28 points in the well, resulting in a combined 37 Mariner players had rubbed the had cut the Patriots’ lead to two final two quarters and rolled to first downs in the contest. anchor for luck before the start their fourth consecutive win in at 21-19, and East coach Tom of the contest and seemed to the rivalry with a 35-7 triumph Frazier saw the loose ball as a 1989 draw strength from the fixture. in a rare Saturday night game. golden chance for his squad to The Patriots captured their East scored its second touch- A Friday evening downpour seize the momentum. first Mullet Bucket in four years down with 7:28 left in the half as caused the contest to be delayed The ball stayed loose, momen- with a fumble recovery and pass Mason Allen capped a 12-play one night, which kept West tarily, slowly spinning on the interception by Daniel Lewis, a drive with a 21-yard reception coach Ed Hiatt from being on turf, and the usual scramble for fumble recovery by D.A. Ballou from quarterback Ben Horton. the sideline. it ensued. and an interception by Mike After the kickoff, a third West Hiatt, who had been hospi- From the bottom of the pile Homan making the difference fumble stopped the squad yet talized earlier in the week for emerged West offensive line- as West held off East in a 19-14 again. The Patriots got the ball a kidney stone problem, was its way up and down the field. end for a 71-yard touchdown man Bubba Arnold with the The Mariners hurry-up midway through the first quar- contest. back on a punt three plays later driven to the hospital 40 min- ball. East’s chance had passed, Facing the five-point deficit, but could do no more with the utes before the Saturday game offense seemed to confuse West, ter. Mark Lee’s extra-point kick and four plays later, the Patriots but the Patriots benefited from was good, and that was all the the Mariners began a drive mid- ball than attempt a 55-yard field for the same issue. Offensive scored to take a 28-19 lead. way through the fourth quarter goal. When it fell short, the coordinator Pete Pittman took two East fumbles inside the points the Patriots would need Another late score made the West 15-yard line. Both times, the rest of the night. at their 29-yard line. Timmy Mariners got the ball on their over in his place. final 35-19 and helped West Davis, who gained 106 yards the Patriots came up with the East fumbled away the very defend the bucket. 20-yard line and ran out the The Patriots vowed at half- on the night, picked up 25 of ball to thwart promising drives next possession, which was It was fitting, perhaps, that clock to end the first half. time to win the game for their those on a sweep around left that included a good mix of recovered on the run by defen- Arnold recovered the fumble end. Only the pursuit of line- running and passing – Mariners sive back Nathan Smith. It was when the game was on the line. backer David Donovan kept the quarterback Brian Way went 7- the first of two costly fumbles Being one of two seniors on the East halfback from taking it the for-12 for 102 yards in the first the Mariners coughed up, and roster who had been with Hiatt distance. half. Raynor made them pay, running in his four years at West (Robby With 3:54 left in the game, The third possession finally it in for his second touchdown. Lasater was the other), Arnold proved to be the charm for East The Mariners finally got on suffered through the 49-0 Mullet See Bucket / Page 10A when Danay Murrell plunged across the goal line from four yards out to cap a 10-play, 52- yard drive. It was the last time East would score. Patriots quarterback Ryan Upchurch, who went 4-for-8 for 110 yards, brought his team back last in the second quarter. He hit Terrence Bryant streaking down the sideline for a 60-yard touch- down to send his squad into the half tied 7-7. West came out of the break and scored on its first offen- sive play when Smith broke four tackles en route to his first score. The 74-yard romp put the Patriots ahead for good. West went up 21-7 at the 4:48 mark of the quarter on a Smith 2-yard run. The Patriots’ defense did its part after getting gashed in the first half, holding Way in the second half to 3-for-13 passing for 43 yards and two intercep- tions. Smith’s 42-yard touchdown run made it all but official at the 4:48 mark of the third quarter, and Jones closed the book on East with 4:33 left in the game West Carteret running back Terrance Raynor signals for a with a 3-yard score. much-deserved water break after rushing for a whopping 280 West Carteret’s Nathan Smith cuts the corner in the 29th annual Mullet Bucket battle. Smith yards on 21 carries and five touchdowns in the Patriots’ domi- 1991 ran for 184 yards on 15 carries and scored three second-half touchdowns in a 35-7 victory. nating 42-2 triumph. (File photo) Terrance Raynor gave the (File photo)

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