SPRINGFIELD – Effingham County held on for a 43-35 victory over Bradwell Institute Friday night, giving the Rebels a much-needed homecoming win and a potential springboard toward the postseason.
The Rebels (2-2, 1-1) jumped out to a 15-0 advantage and carried a 22-7 lead into halftime. But Bradwell refused to go away, staying within striking distance until Jmere Doe-Davis, who ran for 164 yards and three touchdowns, broke free for a 27-yard score with 7:36 left to play.
Bradwell answered quickly and had a chance to tie in the final minutes, but Effingham’s defense held firm. The Tigers (1-2, 1-1) were their own worst enemy at times, flagged 20 times for 190 yards despite piling up 585 total yards behind quarterback Jhbari Felix, who threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Cameron Keeve, who ran for 175 yards and scored twice.
Effingham head coach John Ford credited his team for finding a way to finish. “Bradwell did that last week against Glynn,” Ford said. “They got down and came back. That’s the kind of game those guys are comfortable with. We’ll learn from this and keep getting better.”
Ford praised the offensive line for opening holes for Doe-Davis and Jr McKenzie, who added 94 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Quarterback Tucker Perkins threw for 103 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Brown.
“We played two top-10 teams, we fought them, and learned lessons,” Ford said. “We have a young defense that is growing up before our very eyes.”
Doe-Davis called the win a turning point. “Our line was blocking great,” he said. “This game elevated us, and we know what we have to work on. We’re turning it around now.”
McKenzie echoed that sentiment. “After last week, we had to remind ourselves how good we can play,” he said. “It’s a pretty big win for us, and we gained our confidence back.”
Perkins pointed to team chemistry as the Rebels prepare for rival South Effingham next Friday night. “We’re getting to the point where we are settled,” he said. “We’re capable of scoring 40 every week. We’re going to take another big leap next week, come out and beat them, and stay confident.”
| EFFINGHAM 43, BRADWELL INSTITUTE 35 | |||||
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
| Bradwell Institute | 0 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 35 |
| Effingham | 15 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 43 |
| First Quarter | |||||
| E – Jmere Doe-Davis 16 run (Devaughn Jones pass from Noah Reese) | |||||
| E – Isaiah Brown 17 pass from Tucker Perkins (Jackson Wilhote kick) | |||||
| Second Quarter | |||||
| BI – Cameron Keeve 77 run (Daren Dudley kick) | |||||
| E – Jr McKenzie 21 run (Wilhote kick) | |||||
| Third Quarter | |||||
| BI – Jacobi Pasley 16 pass from Jahbari Felix (Dudley kick) | |||||
| E – Doe-Davis 3 run (Wilhote kick) | |||||
| BI – Pasley 36 pass from Felix (Dudley kick) | |||||
| Fourth Quarter | |||||
| E – McKenzie 23 run (Wilhote kick) | |||||
| BI – Marlon Torres 17 pass from Felix (Dudley kick) | |||||
| E – Doe-Davis 27 run (Wilhote kick) | |||||
| BI – Keeve 17 pass from Felix (Dudley kick) | |||||
| Records – Effingham 2-2, 1-1; Bradwell 1-2, 1-1 | |||||
Photo: Courtesy Gilbert Miller
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