Sports

WATCH: Former Marvin Ridge star Emeka Emezie catches game-winner for NC State vs. Pitt

N.C. State wide receiver Emeka Emezie (86) keeps hold of the ball during practice in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, March 6, 2020.
N.C. State wide receiver Emeka Emezie (86) keeps hold of the ball during practice in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, March 6, 2020. ehyman@newsobserver.com

Former Marvin Ridge High star Emeka Emezie had one of the biggest catches of his career Saturday, which helped N.C. State rally to beat nationally ranked Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Emezie, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior, caught a touchdown pass from Devin Leary with 25 seconds left in the Wolfpack’s 30-29 win over No. 24 Pitt.

It was Leary’s fourth touchdown pass of the day and came after the Wolfpack converted a fourth-and-9 earlier in the drive, which covered 79 yards on eight plays in just 81 seconds.

Emekie’s catch — and Leary’s back-shoulder throw — helped N.C. State bounce back from an embarrassing 45-24 loss at Virginia Tech last week.

Emezie, whose parents are from Nigeria, finished with seven catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

In high school, Emezie made plenty of catches like the one he had Saturday. At Marvin Ridge, he finished his career with 236 catches for 3,584 yards and 38 touchdowns.

This story was originally published October 3, 2020 at 4:25 PM.

Jessaca Giglio
The News & Observer
Jessaca Giglio is a McClatchy Flex Editor and Pulitzer Prize Finalist who started at The N&O in 1994. Since then, she’s been planning and enterprise editor, breaking news editor, sports editor, assistant metro editor, retail columnist, small-business editor and assistant design editor. She is a graduate of Campbell University.
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