WHITEVILLE, N.C. — Whiteville earned another playoff matchup with Northeastern, handling upstart Kinston 48-21 in the fourth round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A football playoffs Friday night.

The Wolfpack did the things it has been doing all season once again at a frosty Legion Field — running the ball with authority, bending but never breaking on defense and putting up points in bunches — to earn the long trip north next week for the East regional final.

Senior Nallegem Powell ran for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns while teammate Cameron McKvian ran for three touchdowns and played a key role on defense as Whiteville (13-1) topped the 40-point mark for the 10th time this season.

The Wolfpack jumped out to a 20-0 lead and then never let the Vikings (9-5) get within 13 points the rest of the night. In fact, each time Kinston cut the lead to a 13 points, Whiteville answered with a touchdown of its own.

Powell opened the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run with 7:37 to play in the first quarter, and the Wolfpack defense got the ball right back for its offense when Jaya Smith covered a Viking fumble. McKvian did most of the work on the ensuing drive with four carries that set up quarterback Layton McLean’s 2-yard sneak run for a 13-0 lead. McKvian notched his first TD run with 10:24 to play in the first half for a 20-0 lead.

Kinston’s passing offense — led by junior quarterback Tyler Jones — found its rhythm on the next drive with Jones opening the drive with a 50-yard connection with Alex Moore and then a 25-yard pass to Okie Edwards getting Kinston on the board.

It took Whiteville only a play to answer, however. On its ensuing possession the Wolfpack offensive line popped Powell free for a 57-yard run right up the gut to push the lead back to 27-7. Kinston, playing in the fourth round for the first time in 14 years, bounced right back with a TD drive of its own as Jeremiah Hart went in from 2 yards out with 5:20 to play in the first half.

The Vikings then had their only chance to get within a touchdown after Javen Dixon recovered a Wolfpack fumble. But Whiteville’s defense forced one of the few three-and-out possessions of the night with 1:33 to play in the half. The Wolfpack offense followed with an efficient drive — keyed by a 49-yard run from Powell — that ended on a 11-yard TD pass from McLean to Caleb Johnson with 5 seconds left in the half for another three-touchdown lead.

The Vikings undauntedly rolled right down the field (through the air) to open the second half with Jones finding Tyreek Copper on a 35-yard touchdown pass. Jones ended his season with a 350-yard passing night on 26 completions.

Whiteville wouldn’t let the Kinston offense score again, however. McKvian, who starts at both tailback and linebacker, broke up a Viking pass on fourth down midway of the third quarter. That play set up the second of his three TD runs on the night, a 2-yard jaunt, for a 41-21 lead. McKvian contributed 122 yards rushing of his own to go with Powell’s 209. Whiteville ran for 372 yards on the night.

Jones completed passes to seven different receivers. Copper, a 6-foot-3 junior, pulled in 8 of them covering 154 yards.

Whiteville 48, Kinston 21

KIN 0 14 7 0 – 21

WHI 13 21 14 0 – 48

Scoring Summary

WHI—N.Powell 10 run (P.Wheatley kick); WHI—L.McLean 2 run (kick failed); WHI—C.McKvian 2 run (P.Wheatley kick); KIN—O.Edwards 25 pass from T.Jones (J.Rouse kick); WHI—N.Powell 57 run (P.Wheatley kick); KIN—J.Hart 6 run (J.Rouse kick); WHI—C.Johnson 11 pass from L.McLean (P.Wheatley kick); KIN—T.Copper 35 pass from T.Jones (J.Rouse kick); WHI—C.McKvian 2 run (P.Wheatley kick); WHI—C.McKvian 2 run (P.Wheatley kick).

Team Statistics

Rushing: KIN 18-41; WHI 58-372

Passing: KIN 26-40-350; WHI 3-5-19

Individual Statistics

Rushing: KIN—J.Hart 10-69, A.Moore 2-(-10), T.Jones 5-(-8), A.Jones 1-(-10); WHI—N.Powell 23-219, C.McKvian 19-122, C. Rice 4-6, T.Lennon 3-13, S.Shipman 6-6.

Passing: KIN—T.Jones 26-40-350-1; WHI—L.McLean 3-5-19-1.

Receiving: KIN—T.Copper 8-154, O.Edwards 6-62, A.Moore 3-53, T.Bradshaw 1-4, A.Jones 1-11, J.Hart 4-32, R.McNeil 2-12; WHI—C.Johnson 1-11, H.Hagood 1-13, W.Fisher 1-(-3).