The Imps used a balanced offensive attack to move past the visiting Pirates. Cary (9-2) scored twice on the ground and in the passing game.

“We’ve been playing well on offense the last three or four weeks,” Imps coach Ben Kolstad said. “We try our best to be 50-50 (rushing to passing) with our play calling, but tonight we just did whatever we needed to to move the chains. And of course, our defense was solid.”

The Imps held Lumberton (7-4) scoreless for nearly for three quarters and allowed just 129 yards of total offense.

“We ran the ball great,” Cary quarterback Connor Chase said. “And I made the throws when I had to. But as usual our defense was outstanding.”

Chase and wide receiver Chuboy Umeadi accounted for all the scoring in the first half.

Chase’s first touchdown connection with Umeadi came with 5:51 left in the first quarter, but a failed extra point kept Cary’s lead at 6-0. Early in the second quarter, Chase found Umeadi in the end zone again, this time from 17 yards out. A successful point after pushed the Imps’ lead to 13, which they took into the half.

Running back Marquise Sherrod-Cooper made it 20-0 Cary when he plowed into the end zone from two yards out with 1:46 left in the third quarter.

Lumberton finally broke through with a score of its own early in the fourth quarter to pull back to within 13, but the Imps answered quickly with a 1-yard Chase touchdown run less than two minutes later. Chase’s sneak restored Cary’s lead to 20 with 10 minutes left in the game.

Lumberton never threatened again. The Imps will play at Fayetteville’s Jack Britt next week.