LELAND - The West Columbus Vikings left the field here Friday night with their third straight football loss of the season, but not before turning in a solid second -half effort.

The North Brunswick Scorpions, paced by standout back Josh Balloon, took a 27-19 victory after Coach Vernon Brigman’s West Columbus squad had battled back from a 27-6 deficit midway through the third quarter.

North Brunswick improved to 2-0 while West Columbus slipped to 0-3.

The game was marred by a total of 29 penalty flags.

Balloon rushed for 188 yards on 12 carries, while turning in scoring runs of 20 and 80 yards and threw a touchdown pass for Coach Garry Bishop’s North Brunswick squad.

Travis Leggett led West Columbus with 110 yards on 15 carried, including touchdown runs of 20 and 4 yards. Quarterback Tim Brown scored the other Viking touchdown on an 11- yard run.

North Brunswick took the lead for good early in the game with Anthony Gaines returned a Viking punt 81 yards for a touchdown. Herring’s extra point kick made the score 7-0.

West Columbus got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter on a 20-yard run by Leggett, but the Vikings failed to convert the extra point, leaving the score at 7-6.

Before the end of the half, Balloon scored on a 20-yard run and threw a six-yard option pass to Shawn Sanders that gave the Scorpions a 20-6 advantage at the midway point.

Balloon’s 80-yard TD run in the third quarter gave the Scorpions a 27-6 lead.

But Leggett scored from four yards out and Rhett White kicked the extra point in the final minute of the third quarter .Brown added his 11 yard scoring run in the opening minutes of the final quarter.

Detroy Jackson and Kenyarta Smith each rushed for 41 yards for West Columbus.

“We played hard and physical,” Coach Brigman said. “I was proud of the way our guys fought back in the second half.”

West Columbus will play host to longtime rival Whiteville this Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

NB - Anthony Gaines 81 punt return (Herring kick).
WC - Travis Leggett 20 run (kick failed).
NB - Josh Balloon 20 run (Herring kick).
NB - Shawn Sanders 6 pass from Balloon (kick failed).
NB - Balloon 80 run (Herring kick).
WC - Leggett 4 run (Rhett White kick).
WC - Timothy Brown 11 run (PAT failed).