Paulk leads Northeast past Bartram

Amir Paulk's voice was low and his face was tight during an interview after the Northeast junior led the host Vikings to a 40-18 Public League Class AAAA quarterfinal win against Bartram on Friday.

Head coach Phil Gormley, walking behind Paulk and heading off the field, delivered his support.

"I want to thank my offensive line," Gormley prompted.

"Oh, yeah," Paulk said, springing to life, "I want to thank my offensive line!"

This might be his first season of high school football, but the 5-foot-7, 160-pound running back had no reason to be nervous.

The hard part was over.

Paulk finished with 201 rushing yards and three touchdowns for the undefeated Vikings (10-0, 8-0).

Not bad for someone who fumbled frequently early this season as he struggled to adjust after playing youth ball for the CYA Gators last season.

"I used to think about fumbling before I'd get the ball, but now I just get it and tuck it," he said.

Later, he added: "At first I didn't think I was going to be good because I didn't think I was ready. I was underestimating myself. Not anymore."

A determined 27-yard touchdown run in the first quarter provided proof.

Paulk bounded through the middle, bounced off a defender, plowed through three arm tackles and then broke down the right side for a touchdown.

The score gave the Vikings, top seed in the Liberty division, a 12-0 lead that swelled to 20-6 by intermission.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Bartram's Answered Gleplay made things interesting with a 67-yard touchdown run that gave the No. 4-seeded Braves (7-3, 5-2) reason to believe.

Paulk and Northeast's Keith Moore, however, quashed that with an 11-play, 60-yard response that was capped by Moore's 3-yard score.

Paulk broke the game open later with an 86-yard touchdown run with 10 minutes, 52 seconds left in the fourth.

"This was very important," Paulk said. "We work very hard in practice to stay [undefeated]. Not let-ups. We work hard until there are zeros on the clock."

Moore finished with 126 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Elijah Wilcher added 97 yards and a score on just five carries (19.4 per attempt). Bejon Pryce also blocked two punts for the Vikings.

Gleplay finished with 118 yards and two ground tallies for Bartram. He also added a pair of catches for 39 yards.

Next week, the Vikings will play the winner between No. 2 Ben Franklin and No. 3 Central, who meet Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Simon Gratz Supersite.

Bartram 12 8 8 12 - 40

Bartram 6 0 6 6 - 18

NE: Amir Paulk 24 run (run failed)

NE: Paulk 27 run (run failed)

B: Deshane Hylton 42 pass from Dequan Ollison (run failed)

NE: Elijah Wilcher 21 run (Wilcher run)

B: Answered Gleplay 67 run (pass failed)

NE: Keith Moore 3 run (Paulk run)

NE: Paulk 86 run (run failed)

NE: Daniel Scott 2 run (run failed)

B: Gleplay 2 run (no attempt)