It was a defensive stop Friday night that set the tone for Jacksonville.

The Cardinals were in a bind, having muffed an early punt to gave Union Pines the ball at Jacksonville’s 27-yard line.

But the Cardinals responded moments later as senior linebacker Blake Moses recovered a fumble at the 3-yard line – a stop that led to top-seeded Jacksonville’s 34-7 win over fourth-seeded Union Pines in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 6-A football playoffs.

“The kids played lights out,” coach Beau Williams said. “We just made a couple of plays and forced a couple of turnovers to change the momentum of the game.”

The momentum certainly changed.

One play after Moses’ recovery, junior Amari Pearson darted 97 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. Jacksonville (12-0) never looked back en route to advancing to its second consecutive East Regional final and fifth overall under Williams.

The Cardinals host third-seeded Middle Creek (10-2), which topped second-seeded Northern Nash 31-24. Union Pines ended 11-2.

“We knew that their defense was really good and that we needed to step up and show who the real defense was,” Moses said. “We went out there and did what we were supposed to and what we were coached on all week.”

Just how dominating was Jacksonville’s defense?

The Cardinals allowed just 140 yards of total offense, including a mere 54 in the first half. The Vikings mustered just two first downs in the opening half.

Union Pines also turned it over four times as seniors Dylan Casebolt and Heavin Mason also had fumble recoveries, and sophomore Domonic Williams had a fourth-quarter interception.

“The early stop gave us a lot of momentum, and we carried on that energy all game,” senior defensive end Blair Morrison said. “I think we were more explosive, we got in our gaps and we stayed disciplined.”

The defense sure did, senior linebacker Avery Apicella said.

“We heard all the talk going in, but our coaches, Coach Beau, Coach Butch (Rogers) and Coach (Dustin) Johnson had us ready,” Apicella said. “We knew what was coming and we knew how to handle it.”

The solid defense also featured senior defensive backs Jah’quez Robinson and Yondez Baker, senior lineman Quentin Xavier-Burns and Kapono Tuiasosopo-Seiuli, senior linebacker Jackson Henry and junior defensive back Sammie Rogers.

The effort came one week after the Cardinals allowed 282 yards rushing, including 241 to freshman Mike McLean, in a 35-34 win over Scotland County.

“We took that personal, and it drove us,” Xavier-Burns said. “We were able to come together as a team and stay in our gaps.”

Jacksonville’s second touchdown was also set up by the defense.

Henry made a tackle on fourth-and-four at the Jacksonville 43 on a fake punt attempt late in the second quarter. It paved the way for senior quarterback Anthony Washington to score on a 3-yard run with 5.5 seconds left in the first half to make it 14-0.

Jacksonville made it 21-0 late in the third when Washington found junior SaRonn Thompson for a 13-yard score. Washington then hit senior Jessie James for a 54-yard strike early in the fourth before scoring a 30-yard run to make it 34-0.

The win, however, was a painful one as Pearson and senior running back Amaree Betton and senior Bradley Ruse all went down with injuries.

The Cardinals, however, kept going.

“We knew the lord blessed us with another opportunity with that close win last week,” Moses said. “We knew we couldn’t let it be that close again.”

And the Cardinals didn’t.

Next they prepare for the regional final against Middle Creek, which is in the regional final for the first time since 2016. The Cardinals feel like they have unfinished business after falling in last year’s regional final.

“We still have to finish it this year,” Apicella said.

Chris Miller can be contacted via email at cmiller@jdnews.com. Follow him on X @jdnsports.