CREEKVILLE – In a season defined by improvement, Northampton County High School – East is ahead of schedule.

The football Rams leaped to the front of the Tar-Roanoke Conference here last night when they defeated North Edgecombe 14-6. It was the first time East has defeated the Warriors since the two were aligned into the Tar-Roanoke Conference.

The upset win over the defending league champions pushed the Rams to 3-1 in the league and 4-5 overall, allowing East to qualify for the post-season for the first time in three years.

Despite being underdogs to the heavily favored Warriors, Northampton – East never trailed in the contest, grabbing an early 8-0 advantage and never looking back.

After taking their first possession deep into Warrior territory, the Rams turned the ball over at the 32-yardline of the Warriors.

The visiting team returned the favor just eight plays later when the Warriors coughed up the ball.

East took advantage of the turnover, marching 43 yards on 10 plays to grab the lead for keeps.

After picking up a first down on fourth-and-two, the Rams’ Deryell Anderson broke a 12-yard gainer to push the drive to the Warrior 17-yardline.

Five plays later, it was a Demonte Lassiter four-yard run to paydirt with one minute to play in the first quarter. After a penalty, Lassiter took it in from one yard out on the conversion to put the Rams up 8-0.

From there, all was left was to turn it over to the defense.

The Rams held North Edgecombe to 201 yards of total offense on the night and held them to a single score while also forcing a trio of turnovers.

The Rams worked deep into the Warriors’ territory again in the second quarter, but came up short on a fourth down that ended at the North Edgecombe 10-yardline.

The Ram defense forced another turnover, however and East setup shop at the 31-yardline of North Edgecombe.

Despite driving to the seven-yardline, the Rams couldn’t get into the endzone and turned the ball over on downs, leaving the score 8-0 at the intermission.

After a 28-yard kickoff return by Landon Johnson gave North Edgecombe good field position at their own 42-yardline, the Warriors took advantage.

On the next play from scrimmage, T.J. Dickens went 58 yards for a score, but the Rams held them out of the endzone on the two-point conversion, preserving an 8-6 advantage.

That score held throughout the third quarter as the Warriors couldn’t get in the endzone, despite driving to the five-yardline late in the quarter.

East sealed the win with a 15-play drive that started with the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Lassiter, who had 136 yards on the night, carried the ball from the five to the 24-yardline with three consecutive carries.

After moving the ball out to the 27, the Rams’ Travis Mason hooked up with Jeremy Taylor on a 27-yard pass play that moved the ball to the 46-yardline.

It took nine more plays before Mason threw his only touchdown pass with 3:47 to play in the final period. The conversion failed, but the score sealed the Rams’ upset victory.

After grabbing the win, the Rams now set focus on non-league foe Spring Creek where they travel next week before heading to Franklinton to close out the season November 5.