Hilton Head Christian Academy, a team Bethesda Academy had beaten soundly five weeks earlier, stood between the Blazers and a return to a state championship game.
When the Eagles scored a touchdown on the game’s opening drive on Friday night, the host Blazers fumbled on their third play from scrimmage; there was a chance that Bethesda’s march through the SCISA Class 3A playoffs could come to a halt in the semifinals.
But then the Blazers showed their championship mettle, scoring the next 43 points in a 43-14 victory that featured a running clock starting midway in the third quarter.
Bethesda’s star quarterback Jordan Turner, in three quarters of action, was 7-of-10 passing for 108 yards and one touchdown – an 18-yarder to Zhyir Witcher. Turner also ran the ball 11 times for 151 yards, including TDs of 93 and 7 yards.
Fellow junior Jeffrey Armstrong, also playing only the first three quarters, had 14 carries for 152 yards, including TD runs of 1 and 57 yards.
The Blazers will go for their third state title in four seasons next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against First Baptist School for the South Carolina Independent Schools Association Class 3A crown. Played at Charleston Southern University, it will be a relative home game for the Hurricanes (10-2) of Charleston, who defeated visiting Wilson Hall 34-21 in the other semifinal on Friday.
Bethesda (9-1) won at home against First Baptist 44-14 on Oct. 30.
The Blazers captured the school’s first state football title in 2023 at Class 2A, then lost to Pee Dee Academy in the 2024 final before avenging that defeat by routing Pee Dee 55-15 in the final to complete a 12-0 campaign in 2025.
Bethesda will make its fourth straight appearance in a state final and its first at Class 3A in a season that head coach Antwain Turner has themed “The Gold Standard.”
Zhyir Witcher goes up for a catch in Bethesda’s 43–14 win. Photo: Kyunnie Shuman/RDP Productions.
Junior linebacker Ka’Mond Young, who has been on the team since he was a freshman, made a key interception on Friday night to help keep momentum in Bethesda’s favor. He said playing again for a state championship game has been on his mind since January.
“That’s always been the mission for us,” Young said after Friday’s game. “We hold up to the gold standard. We know what it takes, and we know what to do. We’re going to take every game one by one, and we’re going to get it done.”
Hilton Head Christian (8-4) suffered half of its losses this season against Bethesda, including 30-6 on Oct. 9, when the host Blazers opened with the first 30 points.
On Friday, however, the Eagles drove 65 yards on 11 plays, including one Blazers 5-yard penalty, to score first. Senior quarterback Kres Langhals slung the ball with quick passes to receivers, who were adept at turning and running for extra yards after the catch.
With an empty backfield and no interest in a running game all night, Hilton Head was up 7-0 on Langhals’ 10-yard pass to top receiver Jackson Richardson with 8:31 left in the first quarter.
The Eagles failed to recover a squibbed kickoff, but they got the ball back three plays later when Jordan Turner fumbled at the HHCA 32-yard line. The Bethesda defense yielded only 18 yards on the drive before forcing a punt – a sign of tough times to come for the HHCA offense.
Turner delivered the equalizer on his first carry after the fumble, speeding through the line and getting to the left sideline, breaking a foot tackle before reaching the end zone for a 93-yard touchdown. When Turner ran in the two-point conversion, Bethesda led 8-7 with 4:58 remaining in the first quarter.
Jordan Turner breaks into the open field during Bethesda’s semifinal win over Hilton Head Christian. Photo: Kyunnie Shuman/RDP Productions.
“They gave us their best shot in the first quarter,” said Turner, one of the head coach’s sons. “We had a couple of mistakes at first, but we showed our resilience and fought back into the game. We didn’t have any penalties or mistakes to hold us back.”
The teams’ earlier meeting was a physical and sometimes heated contest, especially in the first half when the Blazers were whistled for 12 penalties. They totaled 17 for that game, including offsetting penalties on one play. Hilton Head Christian was called for eight accepted penalties.
Turner said the team was “a little undisciplined the first time we played them, but our coaches got us right.”
Antwain Turner said: “We preached to our guys, it’s not just being physically but also mentally able to overcome (adversity). That’s what resilience is all about. It’s not just about the hitting. The hitting is great. But you also have to know what you’re doing. So we talked about emotional intelligence, controlling your passion, being able to be physical but also being cerebral.”
Jeffrey Armstrong runs behind his blockers against Hilton Head Christian. Photo: Kyunnie Shuman/RDP Productions.
Penalties were not a major issue on Friday night, and the Blazers’ starters did not have another turnover. They turned to Armstrong on their next possession for four running plays for 36 yards and a 22-yard catch to set up junior Devrin Davis’ 2-yard TD run. Armstrong ran in the two-point conversion with 21 seconds left in the first quarter.
Young, who intercepted Langhals twice in the October game, stemmed the Eagles’ ensuing drive by returning a pick to the HHCA 35.
Bethesda cashed in when Jordan Turner waited patiently for a receiver to get open, then scrambled before setting his feet and launching a pass to the end zone. The 6-foot-6 Witcher went high over a defender to snag the ball for the score and a 22-7 lead.
“I was just trying to find open grass, really, stay open,” Witcher said. “(Turner) trusts me. He knows to throw it up, and I’ll come down with it.”
The Eagles were stopped on fourth-and-5 at the Bethesda 25 with 6:07 left in the second quarter. The Blazers then drove for another score with Armstrong getting in from the 1 for a 28-7 advantage with 32 seconds before halftime.
Bethesda’s defense brings down a Hilton Head Christian ball carrier. Photo: Kyunnie Shuman/RDP Productions.
Armstrong scored again after Bethesda took the kickoff to open the second half. He rumbled 57 yards and senior Dezrin Davis (Devrin’s brother) caught a conversion pass for a 36-7 lead.
“(Armstrong) had been battling injuries at the beginning of the year, but we knew – that’s why we stuck with him – when he gets back healthy, that he’s going to be a force,” Antwain Turner said. “I was really proud of how he ran that football.”
Jordan Turner scored the Blazers’ final TD on a 7-yard run and also earned his father’s praise.
“It speaks to (Jordan’s) resilience,” said the coach, who also lauded the entire team’s effort after the Eagles’ fast start. “You make a mistake early on, but you come right back. Your ability to overcome your mistake, not worry about it, and play the rest of the game and manage your team – I thought he did a phenomenal job.
“I’ve been watching our guys,” the coach said. “They’ve played all year resiliently. I’m just proud of the way they finished.”
Bethesda’s Calvin Russell hits Hilton Head Christian quarterback Kres Langhals during the SCISA Class 3A semifinal. Photo: Kyunnie Shuman/RDP Productions.
Langhals had a busy first half, completing 20 of 39 passes for 195 yards. For the game, Langhals was 26 of 50 for 273 yards, two TDs and one interception.
BETHESDA 43, HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN 14
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| HHCA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| BA | 16 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 43 |
First Quarter
HHCA—Jackson Richardson 10 pass from Kres Langhals (Tripp House kick)
BA—Jordan Turner 93 run (Turner run)
BA—Devrin Davis 3 run (Jeffrey Armstrong run)
Second Quarter
BA—Zhyir Witcher 18 pass from Turner (pass failed)
BA—Armstrong 1 run (pass failed)
Third Quarter
BA—Armstrong 57 run (Dezrin Davis pass from Turner)
BA—Turner 7 run (Hociel Hernandez Garcia kick)
Fourth Quarter
HHCA—Joseph Houpt 10 pass from Langhals (House kick)
Records—Hilton Head Christian Academy 8-4, Bethesda Academy 9-1.
Next game: Bethesda Academy (9–1) vs. First Baptist School (10–2), SCISA Class 3A Championship, Saturday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at Charleston Southern University.
Photos courtesy of rdpproductions (Kyunnie Shuman)
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Optim Orthopedics presents Prep Sports Report's 2026 high school football coverage.
Optim Orthopedics team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent's Academy).
