Seahawks Thrash N. Caroline for 5th Straight

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s varsity football team stayed on a major roll last week, thrashing visiting North Caroline, 42-6, for its fifth straight win.

The Seahawks wasted no time setting the tone for the night, recovering a North Caroline fumble just 51 seconds into the contest. Decatur running back D.J. Kee quickly converted a 10-yard touchdown run to put the Seahawks up, 7-0, before most of the big home crowd had taken their seats. On North Caroline’s next series, Decatur’s John Lewis recovered another fumble and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to increase the lead to 14-0.

Decatur would add two more touchdowns in the first half to take a 28-0 lead into the intermission. Early in the third, Kee dashed 22 yards to the North Caroline one-yard line and then finished the drive himself with a one-yard plunge to put Decatur ahead, 35-0. With the big lead, the clock was not stopping as the third quarter ended and the fourth quarter began.

With just under nine minutes left in the game, North Caroline avoided a shutout with a touchdown to cut the lead to 35-6 and stop the clock from running out. However, Kee returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to put the Seahawks ahead for good at 42-6.

With the win, Decatur improved to 6-2 on the season and improved its position among the Bayside Conference heavyweights.

The Seahawks now trail conference leaders Kent Island (8-0) and Wicomico (7-1). Kent Island handed Decatur its last loss, 28-21, way back on September 16. The Seahawks face Wicomico tonight on the road in what should be another big conference showdown, before finishing with county rival Snow Hill in the traditional season finale.

Meanwhile, Decatur also improved its position in the race for the state Class 3A-East playoffs. The Seahawks are currently in third place in the 3A-East standings with 36 total points. Atholton is first with 47 points, while River Hill is second with 40 points. Hammond is close behind Decatur with 34 points, while Reservoir and Howard are both tied for fifth with 32 points. The top four teams in the 3A-East will advance to the state tournament.