The Union Pines football team finished its 2012 season Friday with a 42-7 loss to the Douglas Byrd Eagles at Woodrow Wilhoit Stadium in Cameron.

Although the final score was lopsided, Union Pines took the field ready for battle in the senior night 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference clash.

The homestanding Vikings grabbed an early lead less than three minutes into the first quarter.

The touchdown came on fourth-and-one when junior signal caller Emmitt Carden hit the right edge on a play-action option and found daylight near the sideline before sprinting to the end zone for a 61-yard rushing score.

Senior Adam Howard sent the extra point through the uprights to give Union Pines a 7-0 lead with 9:39 remaining in the period.

On their first possession of the game the Eagles turned the ball over on downs at the Viking 34. After Union Pines went three-and-out, Douglas Byrd used five plays to go 66 yards to pay dirt. Senior quarterback Breon Davis tossed a spot-on fade pass near the left pylon that Jose Sanchez caught over his head to cut the margin to 7-6 with 1:17 left on the first quarter clock.

A lost fumble on Douglas Byrd’s next drive, forced by senior linebacker Daquan Cotton and recovered by senior defensive tackle Trey McRae, gave Union Pines its third possession of the game with the ball spotted at the Eagle 41.

The turnover would eventually see Union Pines drive the ball deep into the red zone for a first-and-10 at the 13. Senior fullback Shakeem McRae picked up three yards on first down, but the Vikings stalled on the final two plays of the series. Ultimately, the drive ended with a missed 22-yard field attempt by Howard after a poor snap led to a late hold.

Much more damaging to the Viking cause than the failed red zone chance was a severe knee injury incurred by Carden. The injury occurred at the end of a sweep around the right end that finished near the sideline on the first play of the drive.

Carden left the field with the aid of two coaches, in obvious pain and unable to put any weight on his right knee. The exact extend of the injury was not disclosed but it did sideline Carden for the remainder of the night. Vikings Phillip Hall and senior Ethan Benitez shared the duties behind center through the rest of the tilt.

Following the missed field goal by Union Pines, Douglas Byrd took over possession at its own 20 and used just two plays to take a 13-7 lead. Senior running back Garry Lewis picked up 65 yards on a trap play to the left. Junior Alonzo Hurtado got the final 15 on a touchdown scamper around the right end. On the try for two, Davis hit Lewis in the near left corner on an out route to make it a 14-7 Eagle lead with 3:07 remaining in the first half.

The Eagles found the end zone once more in the second quarter, using four plays to go 60 yards after the third Viking punt of the half.

Lewis again provided the capper, this time on a 10-yard scoring reception from Davis. Omar Torres sent the extra-point try through the uprights to give Douglas Byrd a 21-7 lead that it carried into halftime.

Davis and Lewis provided the Eagles with a potent tandem in the tilt. Davis finished the game with a combined total of 316 yards, including 202 through the air by completing 9 of 11 passes with three scoring tosses, and another 114 on the ground on six carries.

Lewis did most of his damage in the first half, gaining 92 of his total 109 rushing yards on six first-half carries, while adding another 29 through the air. Overall, the senior tailback amassed 207 yards of total offense and made two trips to the end zone.

After the Eagles received the third-quarter kickoff, the Union Pines defense managed to force them to commit a turnover on their opening drive. An interception by senior cornerback Mike Quick on the second play of the drive gave the Vikings the ball on their own 29.

Shakeem McRae got the home team 30 yards downfield on the first play when he hit a hole off the right guard and rambled down to the Eagle 41. Union Pines was unable to move the chains another time on the drive as four plays equaled a turnover on downs.

Douglas Byrd responded with a five-play, 63-yard scoring drive to push its lead to 28-7 and take full control of the contest.

With the win the Eagles improved to 8-3 on the season and 5-1 in league action to finish their CFVC campaign in a three-way tie for first with Overhills and Gray’s Creek. Gray’s Creek missed a chance to win the conference title outright with a 27-20 loss to Overhills Friday in Spring Lake.

An on-site drawing for playoff seeding in Spring Lake resulted in Overhills (6-4, 5-1) receiving the first seed, Douglas Byrd taking the second and Gray’s Creek (8-3, 5-1) saddled with the third seed.

Over in Fayetteville, Westover (4-7, 3-3) won 34-7 against Western Harnett (3-8, 2-4) to clinch fourth place in the CFVC. Southern Lee (2-9, 1-5), which lost 48-13 in a nonconference contest Friday against Cleveland High, finished sixth in the league standings.

With the loss Union Pines (2-9) placed last in the CFVC standings with a league mark of 0-6.

Douglas Byrd 6 15 7 14 — 42

Union Pines 7 0 0 0 — 7

Scoring: (U) Carden 61-run (Howard kick); (D) Sanchez 22-pass from Davis (kick failed) (D) Hurtado 15-run (Lewis pass from Davis); (D) Lewis 10-pass from Davis (Torres kick); (D) Andrew Byrd 13-run (Torres kick), (D) Lewis 49-pass from Davis (Torres kick), (D) Hurtado 60-run from Davis (Torres kick).

Team stats: Rushing – (D) 29-367, 3 TD; (U) 41-159 TD; Passing – (D) 9-11, 202yds, 3 TD, INT; (U) 2-12, 33yds; First Downs – (D) 17; (U) 7; Penalties – (D) 12-120; (U) 2-15; All-Purpose (Total) – (D) 598; (U) 212; Fumbles/Lost – (D) 3/1; (U) 2/0; Punts (D) 1; (U) 6.

Individual stats: Rushing – (D) Davis 6-114, Lewis 9-109, Hurtado 3-75, Byrd 8-51; (U) Carden 4-72, McRae 15-59, Hall 13-22, E. Benitez 6-7; Passing – (D) Davis 9-11 202 3-1; (U) Carden 1-1 18 0-0, Hall 1-11 15 0-0; Receiving – (D) Lewis 3-98, Sanchez 3-79, Hurtado 1-11, M. Conley 1-10; (U) K. Rakers 2-33.