ROANOKE RAPIDS — Some things just don’t matter to this Roanoke Rapids football team.

Randy Wrenn| The Daily Herald Roanoke Rapids tailback Tyrell Everette (20) slips pass a North Brunswick defender Saturday night during the Yellow Jackets opening round win over the Scorpions. Advertisement

The 2009 Yellow Jackets didn’t care that Roanoke Rapids had never won a playoff football game. It didn’t even bother this squad that the game, scheduled for Friday, had to be changed to Saturday because of bad weather. All that mattered was another team was on the field and they stood in the way of another Yellow Jackets victory.

Roanoke Rapids scored on their second play from scrimmage and never trailed as they defeated North Brunswick, 40-28, in the first round of the NCHSAA playoffs. Justin Rawles scored five touchdowns and Kareem Martin picked off a Scorpions pass to ice the game, setting off a wild celebration on the Yellow Jacket’s sidelines.

Rawles fifth touchdown at the 5:13 mark was the nail in the coffin for North Brunswick. The junior QB went in from the 1-yard line and gave the home team a comfortable two touchdown lead. On the Scorpions last, desperation drive, Martin stepped in front of a pass from A.J. Perkins and used his 6 foot, 6 inch frame to haul down an interception. From that point on Roanoke Rapids ran out the clock and ran into the second round of the playoffs.

North Brunswick pulled with a touchdown with 11:06 remaining in the game after a 47-yard run by Jirese Thomas. The extra point made it, 33-28, and momentum was suddenly wearing a gold jersey. But the Yellow Jackets went on a long, clock killing drive and found themselves on the 1-yard line. Roanoke Rapids was unsuccessful on their first three attempts, but on fourth down Rawles lowered his head and punched it in. With the win the Yellow Jackets venture into round two for the first time ever after a tough win over North Brunswick.

The Scorpions put the ball on the ground on their first play from scrimmage and Roanoke Rapids recovered on the 22-yard line. Two plays later Rawles got his night starting with a 15-yard score. Taylor Archer’s extra point was good and the Yellow Jackets led 7-0. North Brunswick answered with a score of their own when Perkins went in from the 1-yard line.

On the ensuing drive Roanoke Rapids went to work again and Rawles found his favorite target D.J. Epperson for a 28-yard score. The extra point was failed and the Yellow Jackets led by six. After a failed trip to the endzone on their next drive, the Yellow Jackets forced a turnover and this time made North Brunswick pay, this time with Rawles going in from 7-yards out.

The next two minutes were as exciting as any on the football field. The Scorpions, not content with going into the locker room down 14, scored on an 85-yard hook and ladder play. The extra point made the score, 19-14, in favor of Roanoke Rapids, but the Yellow Jackets were shocked. Enter John Motley. The senior cornerback took the ensuing kickoff 90-yards for a score that sent Roanoke Rapids into the locker room with a, 26-14, lead and all the momentum they needed.

Motley returned the opening kickoff of the second half 70-yards to the 20-yard line and a few plays later Rawles went in from the 1-yard line. Timmy Walls extra point made it 33-21 with 9:57 left in the third. The Scorpions showed they were in the post season for a reason and answered with a 5-yard run by D.J. Graham. A Roanoke Rapids score was taken off the scoreboard after Tyrell Everette’s 64-yard TD was called back because of a holding penalty. After a punt it took the Scorpions just two plays to reach paydirt and pull within five. But the Yellow Jackets showed a lot of guts and determination, melting the clock and punching it in to seal the deal.

The win sets up a rematch versus Tarboro who defeated Croatan, 49-6, last night. The Vikings defeated Roanoke Rapids, 40-7, earlier this season.