THE NEWS-TIMES Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014 9A Mullet Bucket for West, East enjoys 50-year history: Part 3 West wins five straight from 1999-2003, including one postponed by Hurricane Floyd

BY J.J. SMITH NEWS-TIMES MOREHEAD CITY — The battle for that austere, painted wooden trophy reaches its gold anniversary this year. The Mullet Bucket will take place for the 50th time Friday, Aug. 29, when East Carteret travels to West Carteret. And to celebrate the mile- stone, the News-Times is pro- viding a year-by-year historical retrospective running each issue until the day of the game. Each issue will look back at five years of the series. This is the third in a 10-part series. 2003 West Carteret celebrates during after-game festivities at McDonald’s following its fifth straight Mullet Bucket win over East Carteret in the 39th annual edi- West won its fifth straight in tion of the rivalry game. (File photo) the rivalry, despite going score- less in the second half, and held its first playoff win in school rivalry, edging East 14-12 in a He propelled West down the the Mariners blocked a 28-yard run and threw a 13-yard pass to on for a 23-13 win. history, while East capped the game that saw a lightning delay field on a 10-play, 70-yard drive field goal attempt by Chalk, and Justin Bourbeau. The Patriots jumped ahead worst five-year run in its history, in the fourth quarter. in the third quarter. The drive Henry nearly returned the ball The Patriots answered right 23-0 in the first half, and the going a combined 6-47. The Mariners seemed to have ended when quarterback Chase for a before getting back beginning with a 37-yard the upper hand at the outset, Martin tossed a scoring lob to Mariners never recovered. The 2002 tackled at midfield. kickoff return from Nate Jones. win wasn’t a cakewalk, howev- especially on defense where junior tight end Brandon Bryant With no time showing on the Three plays and 43 yards later, er, with East taking a 6-0 advan- The Patriots overcame two linebacker Terrell Henry got in the left corner of the end zone. clock, East went into the locker Hiram Hankins tage in the last two quarters. early to capture their things started with an 80-yard Bryant made a leaping catch just room amid raucous celebration scooted around left end on a The Mariners’ rally was too fourth straight Mullet Bucket in return for a touch- inside the out-of-bounds marker and a feeling it could beat the reverse for a 35-yard score. little, too late for a struggling a 35-12 triumph. down with 4:42 left in the first for the go-ahead score. Patriots and bring the Mullet Josh Luther, who went a per- squad that temporarily lost a Jude Jones gave the Mariners quarter. Henry also led East’s Martin led the way for West Bucket back to Beaufort where fect 6-for-6 on PAT kicks, nailed couple of key players in the first an early 6-0 lead with 8:42 offense with 46 yards on 17 with 66 yards on 13 carries and it had resided for four straight the extra-point to give his team half due to injuries, including left in the first quarter when carries. threw for 75 yards on 5-for-16 years before a loss the previous a 7-6 advantage. He also had running back Sterling Walls. he scooped up a fumbled punt Buddy Lewis’ PAT attempt passing. year. two punts for a 37-yard average West drew first blood with return and scooted 26 yards to But those hopes were dashed and placed one punt inside the Matt Dodge’s 15-yard field goal the end zone. when Patriots running back East 5-yard line. in the first quarter. East had a Joe Watford, son of West Ricky Jones punched the ball in The teams traded quick series, lasting just over coach Gregory Watford, then the end zone, capping a 65-yard before West finally found some a minute, and Patriot quarter- fumbled on the next Patriots dive on eight plays with 6:04 breathing room. Holding a 14- back David Chambers increased drive but more than made up for left in the third period. 12 lead and time running out in the lead after finding Brandon it thereafter. Following the score, Chalk the first half, Jones found tight Bryant for a 4-yard touchdown Watford led all rushers in the attempted a PAT kick, but it was end Ed Ofalt over the middle pass. contest with 131 yards on 23 wide right amid a big Mariners for a 6-yard TD pass. Luther’s West running back Jacob carries and three touchdowns. rush. West got a second chance, kick gave his team a 21-12 edge Anfinson was able to pick up his After a West touchdown, however, when East was called at the half. first touchdown of the night on East sophomore quarterback for roughing the kicker, and this Jones was the standout on the first play from scrimmage T.J. Courman gave his team its time the Patriots converted on the night, rushing for 133 yards after the Mariners fumbled the second and last lead of the night a pass from quarterback Nate on 16 carries and a touchdown ball on their own 15-yard line. at 12-7 with an 80-yard touch- Jones to tight end Luis Herron. and going 4-for-8 passing with The Mariners were stopped down run at the 5:14 mark of the And that was all the points 74 yards and two touchdowns, on the following series and opening quarter. West needed in a game that including a 39-yarder to wide called for a facemask penalty Courman led the Mariners was closer than many thought it receiver Ralph Berry in the first on the punt, putting West in with 108 yards on nine carries. would be. quarter. excellent field position at East’s After his score, it was all Jones led the Patriots with 85 Not to be outdone, Vann 32-yard line. West as the Patriots rattled off yards on 11 carries, followed came back from a second-quar- Chambers hooked up with 20 unanswered points. was blocked, giving the Patriots Chalk’s PAT kick was again by Ellison with 65 yards on 12 ter ankle sprain to throw a pair Anfinson on a 17-yard pass In addition to Watford’s three the opening it needed. perfect for the final margin. carries. West held a 298-103 of second-half touchdowns to to set him up for his second scores, including a 3-yard run West was thrown off track Following a 30-minute light- advantage in total yards and 12- split end Daniel Johnson and straight touchdown. Anfinson at the 1:29 mark of the first offensively coming into the ning delay at the 7:48 mark of the 7 edge in first downs. also rushed for 122 yards on 17 then scored West’s final points quarter, a 7-yard run at the 5:11 game with the loss of Jejuan fourth quarter, play resumed. carries and a touchdown. of the game with another 15- mark of the second quarter and a Tripp, who suffered a broken East launched a drive from 1999 Bourbeau filled in for Vann yard touchdown with 2:06 left 14-yard run at the 5:35 mark of collarbone the previous week. midfield in the final minutes and The Patriots snapped a four- and connected with Johnson on in the first half. the fourth quarter, Jejuan Tripp Joe Watford was also gone due got as close as the Patriots’ 35- game losing streak in the series a 28-yard scoring toss in the East’s Ralph Williams finally barreled into the end zone from to a sprain to an already injured yard line where it faced fourth- in a 42-26 shootout and got to second quarter. put his team on the board on the four yards out with 5:13 left in ankle on the Patriots’ first play and-7 with 2:06 to go. do it at home on a Monday night After a scoreless third quar- ensuing kickoff. After finding the third quarter. from scrimmage. Mariners coach Cliff Conway after Hurricane Floyd forced the ter, both teams went to work a seam down the sideline, he Tripp rushed for 63 yards on The Morehead City squad elected to give Lewis a chance game to West. again, combining for 35 fourth- opened up and outran every- 10 carries. did manage to take a 7-6 lead to win a game with a field goal With the Mariners’ field too quarter points. one for an impressive 86-yard David Chambers went for 56 at the close of the first quarter for the second straight week. soggy to play on and one goal West extended its lead to 35- touchdown. yards on seven carries. when junior return ace Anthony The week prior, in a 16-14 loss post broken from the strong 12 on scoring runs by Jones The Mariners dominated the West pounded East for 352 Beamon fielded a punt and to James Kenan, his kick from storm, West athletic direc- (35 yards) and Terence Parmley ball for most of the third quar- yards on 53 carries while limit- broke several tackles down the 37 yards out was just wide right. tor Ralph Holloway offered (five yards). Parmley, a 250- ter, and Walls, at less than 100 ing the Mariners to 146 rushing left sideline for a 59-yard scor- This time, he lined up from 52 East administrators use of the pound lineman, lined up at full- percent, punched it in from the yards on 24 carries. ing flash. yards out but never got a foot on Patriots’ field for the game orig- back in the second half. 3-yard line to pull his team to And while the Patriots turned Stephen Chalk was perfect on the ball. With a steady rain fall- inally scheduled the previous With the outcome all but within 10 points with 1:55 left the ball over twice early in the the extra-point attempt. ing, the snap slipped the grasp Friday. decided, Vann refused to quit, in the frame. game, East committed four turn- The Mariners continued the of holder Devin Daniels, and East benefited from use of uncorking two fourth-quarter The squads played to a 0-0 overs in the contest. seesaw battle by taking a 12-7 all West had to do was run out the Patriots’ field and facilities TD passes to Johnson in the standstill in the fourth. The victory held extra signifi- lead into halftime when quarter- the clock. by taking in all gate receipts and closing minutes. Aaron Terrill led West with cance for West with the squad back Joel Hancock sneaked in 2000 concessions, but the game drew Those two scores were sand- 97 rushing yards, followed by dedicating the game to former from the 1-yard line with 4:28 a smaller-than-usual crowd. wiched around an 11-yard touch- A heavily favored West squad Chambers with 64 and Anfinson teammate Brad Boyd, who was left in the second quarter. A two- The game proved a godsend down from Patriots sophomore eked out an 8-0 victory over with 40. killed in a car accident the pre- point conversion run failed. for both offenses with West running back Maurice Ellison, East to capture back-to-back Jude Jones led East with 71 vious spring. Boyd’s No. 61 jer- It was the Kenny Hill show in entering the game averaging Mullet Buckets. who was strong with 113 yards rushing yards followed by Jon sey was displayed on the front the second half. Coming in against an East four points a game in four con- on 20 carries. Willis with 52 and Walls with of the press box, and after the Though he measured out at team that had been blown out by tests and the Mariners averaging East running back Chris Plair 38. 5-5, 148 pounds, the powerful win, all the Patriots pointed to it a combined score of 90-9 in its three points in two. also played well with 70 yards The Patriots held a 250-152 running back often carried two in celebratory tribute. first two games, many foresaw a West entered the tilt as the on 10 carries. advantage in total yards and or three Mariners on his back lopsided Patriots win. favored team, but East got on edged the Mariners 21-18 in 2001 before going down, amassing If the game ended at halftime, the board first on a 23-yard run (Note: The fourth in a 10- first downs. Though it isn’t pretty, West most of his 50 yards on 12 car- however, any onlooker would by quarterback Guy Vann on part series on the history of the West ended the year with won its third straight in the ries in the final two quarters. have thought the contest had his team’s first possession. The Mullet Bucket rivalry between resulted in a win for the under- seven-play, 65-yard drive pro- East Carteret and West Carteret dog Mariners. vided a steady diet of Vann, who high schools will appear in the Shortly before the half ended, also scampered for a 27-yard Friday edition.) East stopped West at its own 1- yard line with a recovery to register its third big play late in the quarter. Moments earlier, Joel Hancock prevented a near-cer- tain Patriots score. After toss- ing a lateral pass to Vincent Davis, resulting in a fumble that West’s Maurice Ellison scooped up and headed for an apparent six points, Hancock ran Ellison down with a rodeo, calf-roping at the East 8-yard line. Still with a golden opportuni- ty to score, the Patriots couldn’t take advantage. Chase Martin fumbled into the hands of Henry at the 1-yard line. Jude Jones stiff-arms a West Carteret defender on his way to a team-high 71 rushing yards Then shortly before the half, Aaron Terrill led West Carteret with 97 rushing yards in 2003 for the Mariners in the 39th annual Mullet Bucket in 2003. (File photo) with West threatening again, in the Patriots’ 23-13 win over East Carteret. (File photo)

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