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Pauly Seeley threw three touchdown passes and Malachi Lonnon caught two of them to help guide New Hampstead to a 34-22 victory over visiting Southeast Bulloch on Friday, October 7 at Pooler Stadium. New Hampstead was celebrating Seeley and several others on senior night for the program, and the seniors didn’t disappoint in the region 3-4A game.

A senior headed to play at Wofford College next year, Seeley threw for 166 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-24 passing. Fellow senior Kaleb Smith bounced back from a tough first half to finish with 120 yards rushing and a touchdown on 17 carries. A junior, Lonnon led the team with five catches for two scores and 79 yards.

New Hampstead (5-1, 1-0 region 3-4A) was flagged 13 times in the game as was Southeast Bulloch (2-5, 1-1). Including penalties declined by both teams, more than 30 flags were thrown in the three hour affair.

Sophomore Messiah Worriels recovered a Yellowjacket fumble on the opening drive of the contest but neither side was able to sustain any momentum. The first quarter ended with a 0-0 score, but New Hampstead struck for a touchdown four minutes into the second.

Seeley found Lonnon on a 26-yard post pattern for a touchdown, but the PAT was wide right and the Phoenix led 6-0. A long, methodical SEB drive was capped off by Collin Jackson’s 10-yard running score and the visitors led 7-6 with 3:18 remaining in the opening half.

After a quick drive ended in a punt for the Phoenix, SEB had possession and the one-point lead deep in its own territory. A bad snap couldn’t be handled by senior quarterback Gage Digiovanni and after a few quirky bounces, the ball was recovered in the endzone by New Hampstead’s Alijah Lacey for a touchdown.

NHHS entered the game scoring 37.4 points per game on average while the Phoenix defense came in allowing 14.4 points per game. Seven penalties and three dropped passes cost Kyle Hockman’s team in the first two quarters, but Lacey’s recovery TD still gave the Phoenix a 14-7 lead at halftime and NHHS never trailed again.

Having rushed for only 10 yards on four first half carries, Smith made an immediate impact once the third quarter began. He pushed the NHHS lead to 21-7 with his 12-yard TD run to finish off the opening drive of the second half. Showing some fight, the Yellowjackets answered again on their following drive.

Digiovanni threw a beautiful 29-yard pass to a streaking Collin Smith to pull SEB to within seven, 21-14, midway through the third. Seeley’s second touchdown pass to Lonnon late in the quarter made it 27-14 in favor of the Phoenix heading into the final quarter of play. Seeley’s third touchdown toss of the evening came in the fourth quarter, a 21-yard rollout pass to Elijah Walker to make it 34-14.

Damion Donaldson’s 39-yard run late in the proceedings was ultimately inconsequential as the game was already out of hand, but it did make the final score more respectable. Digiovanni finished with 161 yards on 14-of-26 passing and Jackson tallied a game-high six catches for 41 yards while rushing for a score and 18 yards on two carries.

Both teams play region road games next week. New Hampstead plays on the road at Class 4A No. 8 Wayne County on October 14 while SEB travels back to Savannah again, this time for a date with No. 6 Benedictine at Memorial Stadium.

SEB – 00 - 07 - 07 - 08 – 22

NHHS – 00 - 14 - 13 - 07 – 34

HALF: NHHS, 14-7.

RECORDS: SEB 2-5, 1-1 in region 3-4A; NHHS 5-1, 1-0 in region 3-4A.

NEXT: SEB at Benedictine (Oct. 14); NHHS at Wayne County (Oct. 14).

 

FINAL SCORES WEEK #7

THURSDAY NIGHT   OCT. 6

GHSA 4A Region 3

Benedictine 28, Burke Co. 3

 

GHSA 3A Region 3

Calvary 49, Groves 8

 

FRIDAY NIGHT   OCT. 7

 

GHSA 7A - Region 1

Camden County 21, Richmond Hill 14

 

GHSA 6A - Region 2

Effingham County 28, Grovetown 14

Glynn Academy 13,  South Effingham 7

 

GHSA 5A- Region 1

Ware County 36, Jenkins 14

 

GHSA 4A - Region 3

Wayne County 56. Islands 7

New Hampstead 34, SE Bulloch 22

 

GHSA 3A - Region 3

Long County 44, Beach 0

Savannah Christian 14,  Johnson 6

Liberty County 30, Savannah Country Day 6

 

GHSA 2A - Region 3A

Brantley County 24,  Windsor Forest 12

 

GHSA A D1 Region 3

Metter 30,  Bryan County 0

Claxton 56, Savannah High 18

 

GISA AAAA/AAA District II

St. Andrew's 48, Trinity Christian 8

 

GIAA AA/Region2

Pinewood Christian. 54, Memorial Day 12

 

SCISA AA Region 1

Colleton Prep 25, Bethesda 14

 

FOLLOW Travis Jaudon on Twitter/Instagram @JaudonSports. Email him at travisLjaudon@gmail.com.

 

PHOTO CREDIT: New Hampstead High School Football Facebook page

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