Bethesda Academy took what was a liability on kickoff coverage and made it an asset, one of many the Blazers have in an undefeated football season.
Bethesda also adjusted in-game strategy on offense and defense to pull away from Colleton Prep 46-14 on Friday night in a SCISA Class AA Region I game at Daffin Park’s Morris Field.
Senior quarterback Triston Randall rushed for three touchdowns and threw three more on 9-of-14 passing for 247 yards. Senior running back Noah Jenkins, who came in averaging 158 yards a game, grinded out 118 yards on 16 carries before leaving in the third quarter with leg cramps.
The defense closed gaps in its zone coverage and shut out the War Hawks of Walterboro, S.C., in the second half.
This game, however, didn’t follow the trend this season.
The Blazers (8-0, 2-0 region) found themselves trailing for the first time in a game this season against the War Hawks (5-3, 1-1). Bethesda, which had outscored opponents 261-19 in the first six games played (not including a win by forfeit) with four shutouts, was down 7-0 and 14-8 in the second quarter.
“We found ourselves behind the eight ball,” Bethesda coach Antwain Turner said. “For us, it’s about playing each play. If we make a bad play, we always say forget the last play, play the next play, work hard, stay together. I thought we did that tonight.”
That was evident in how Bethesda responded to Colleton Prep’s first touchdown. The War Hawks won the battle of field position in the first quarter and scored on the first play of the second on Cole Davis’ 28-yard pass to Walker Bryan.
On the following series, Randall scrambled away from tacklers and dumped the ball off to his final option, Jenkins, nearby in the right flat. Jenkins took it from there, cutting across the field and all the way to the end zone.
“The last read,” Jenkins said of Randall going through progressions while on the run. “Triston, my guy, got it to me.”
With Randall’s knee bothering him, he didn’t try an extra-point attempt. Instead, he passed the ball to Thomas Peters for two points as Bethesda stuck with attempting conversion runs or passes the entire game.
What happened next changed the complexion of the game, as Colleton Prep’s Caleb Davis took the ensuing kickoff from his left side all the way around to the right and down the sideline for a touchdown and the lead.
“We didn’t want to kick it deep in the first place,” said Turner, who has sophomore Luke Larson booting kickoffs. “He just let one get away from him. We only had six guys on one side of the ball. (Caleb Davis) ran to the four-man side. We didn’t like that (return) so we had to make an adjustment. We said we’re going to squib it.”
Bethesda regained the lead on Randall’s 4-yard keeper and two-point conversion run for 16-14 with 6:55 left in the second quarter. But the Blazers twice knocked the kickoff out of bounds and were penalized before the War Hawks downed the ball on the third kickoff at the 50.
After Randall avoided a sack and connected with Charles Greene for a 16-yard score with 30 seconds remaining in the half, the ensuing kickoff stayed in bounds, but Colleton Prep had no time to do anything with it and trailed 24-14.
Bethesda really got separation on the scoreboard in the second half, when Larson’s opening squib was recovered by the Blazers and the drive culminated with Randall’s 3-yard TD run for a 30-14 lead.
It happened again on the ensuing kickoff, with Larson’s knuckleball bouncing off a War Hawks player and into the arms of a Blazer. Randall crashed in from less than 1-yard out and Jenkins ran in the conversion for 38-14 with 6:28 left in the third quarter.
Colleton Prep’s defense had focused on stopping Bethesda by clogging the rushing lanes, so Turner, also the offensive coordinator, took what the defense gave him.
“Tonight was one of the pass-first nights,” Turner said. “We had to do what worked.”
Jenkins added: “They were kind of trying to stop me, filling the holes, but it’s a team sport. You’ve got to throw the ball. Our receivers did their thing.”
Randall launched a bomb to Peters, who had two steps on the nearest defensive back, for a 68-yard touchdown with 10:50 left in regulation and the final score.
“I saw how they were overpacking our box and they were trying to man up on our slots (receivers),” Randall said of one-on-one coverage. “I don’t think any team in SCISA can up man on our slots, so we just took advantage of that.”
Bethesda Academy 46, Colleton Prep 14
CP | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | -- 14
BA | 0 | 24 | 14 | 8 | -- 46
Second quarter
CP – Walker Bryan 28 pass from Cole Davis (Connor Nettles kick)
BA – Noah Jenkins 46 pass from Triston Randall (Thomas Peters pass from Randall)
CP – Caleb Davis 72 kickoff return (Nettles kick)
BA – Randall 4 run (Randall run)
BA – Charles Greene 16 pass from Randall (Caleb Dillon pass from Randall)
Third quarter
BA – Randall 3 run (pass failed)
BA – Randall 1 run (Jenkins run)
Fourth quarter
BA – Thomas Peters 68 pass from Randall (Jordan Cheever run)
RECORDS: Behtesda (8-0/2-0 region), Colleton Prep (5-3/1-1 region)
FINAL SCORES WEEK #8
Oct. 5, Thursday
GHSA Class 3A-Region 3
Savannah Country Day 38, Liberty County 14
Oct. 6, Friday
GHSA Class 7A-Region 1
Camden County 35, Richmond Hill 33
GHSA Class 6A-Region 2
Effingham County 35, Grovetown 32
Glynn Academy 35, South Effingham 0
GHSA Class 3A-Region 3
Coffee 62, Bradwell 6
Ware County 56, Jenkins 0
GHSA Class 4A-Region 3
Benedictine 38, Burke County 30
Wayne County 56, Islands 10
New Hampstead 50, SE Bulloch 34
GHSA Class 3A-Region 3
Long County 58, at Beach 29
Calvary Day 60, Groves 0
Savannah Christian 42, Johnson 6
GHSA Class 1A-Division 1
Bryan County 21, Metter 20
Claxton 7, Savannah High 0
SCISA AA Region 1
Bethesda 46, Colleton Prep 14
GIAA A Region 2
Pinewood Christian 43, Memorial Day 27
GIAA AAAA/AAA District 2
St. Andrew's 42, Trinity Christian 0
PHOTO CREDIT: RDP Productions - Kyunie Shuman
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