They don’t share a city, a region or a GHSA classification. But when Benedictine and Ware County share the football field, it’s as intense as more conventional rivalries.
As evidence, the latest edition Friday night, when Benedictine fans crowded into their side of Memorial Stadium from start to finish, and a strong showing of Ware County supporters traveled from Waycross.
When it was over, Cadets coach Danny Britt and his charges were jubilant in a 31-24 victory over Gators that lived up to the hype – and there was quite the build-up in a game-of-the-year context.
“It's huge,” Britt said. “This is our rivalry right now. We haven’t had any because we moved classifications so many times and all the things. This is it. (Ware County) coach (Jason) Strickland, when he came out, shook my hand, he hugged me and said, ‘Coach, I love this game. We get better from it; you get better from it.’ We feel the same way. It’s really good to play that caliber of team.”
Ware County (now 3-1) is the defending Class 5A state champion after an undefeated 2022 season, including a 14-10 win over Benedictine in Waycross that was the Gators’ closest game. They came into Friday ranked No. 1 in their class.
Benedictine (4-0) is the two-time defending Class 4A champion and a consensus No. 1 in its class in six different state polls. The Cadets were the last team to beat the Gators in the regular season before Friday, having won 49-42 on Sept. 24, 2021, in Savannah.
“It ends up being our rival every year just because they come here and they give us a game every year and it’s always a tough battle,” said BC senior quarterback Luke Kromenhoek.
That includes the Gators’ 43-21 home win over the Cadets in 2020, meaning the home team has held serve for three consecutive seasons.
Benedictine looked like it was going to hold up its end from the start, when Kromenhoek connected with RaSean Matthews on a simple flare pass on third-and-9 from their 28, and Matthews turned upfield along the left sideline for an apparent 72-yard touchdown with 11:11 left in the first quarter.
However, the score was erased by an illegal shift penalty which mystified Britt at the time and after the game.
The Gators responded by driving a short field for Dae’Jeaun Dennis’ 1-yard touchdown, then recovered a fumble on the Cadets’ next possession. They went for the kill on the first play as Gators quarterback Luke Hooks launched a 52-yard bomb to Quintin Orange for a stunningly quick 14-0 advantage with 7:59 left in the opening quarter.
When the Cadets then drove from their 25 to the Gators’ 3, only to miss a 20-yard field-goal attempt, the misery continued.
And that’s when the game turned in favor of the host Cadets, who scored the next 31 points in what could be a season-defining comeback.
First, sophomore defensive back Micah Williams picked off the first of his two interceptions. (He also recovered a fumble.)
On the next play, Kromenhoek handed off, then got the ball pitched back to him and he threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Matthews for a 14-7 deficit before the end of the first quarter.
“We know what we can do,” Kromenhoek said. “Our coaches have taught us, it doesn’t matter if we’re down 50 (points), you fight every play. We knew we were going to claw our way into this game. It started off not how we wanted it. Got to give props to our whole team for sticking in it and not giving up and continuing to fight.”
Benedictine started establishing its run game, then tied the contest with 6:45 left in the second quarter when Kromenhoek, a Florida State commit, under heavy pressure, jumped and lofted a pass to tight end John Lilly in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.
After senior linebacker Bryce Baker strip-sacked Hooks and recovered the fumble, the Cadets had time for one more scoring drive to end the half. Connor Ferguson’s 42-yard field goal provided Benedictine’s first lead, 17-14 with 20 seconds left before halftime.
Baker showed his running skills by taking a handoff, making one cut and zooming to the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown and 24-14 lead with 8:00 left in the third quarter.
“Coach called my number and I kept doing my thing,” said Baker, crediting the offensive line.
“We knew he could do that,” Britt said, noting Baker’s abilities on both sides of the line. “We’re trying not to crush him and let him build his stamina. He is a difference maker all over the field. Obviously, when he gets the ball in his hands, he’s special.”
Perhaps the most special play of the game on offense came with 4:10 left in the third. Kromenhoek, who had rumbled for significant yards in scrambles and designed runs, shook off a potential sacker and dumped a short pass to running back Ack Edwards, who took it from there by breaking a tackle, cutting away from defenders and sprinting 28 yards to the end zone for a 31-14 advantage.
Kromenhoek explained later that the Gators defender “gave me a little pop. It just shows (to) never count this team out. I had some lineman come in and knock the dude off of me. It allowed me to get free. Me and Ack just have that great connection. All the wide receivers do from continued reps. He just made a play and he ended up making me look good, so super thankful for him.”
Ware County got back on the scoreboard on a pretty 16-yard pass from Hooks to Orange to close within 31-21, and added a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Benedictine’s Jeremiah “Tank” Thomas delivered one of the special plays on defense by sacking Hooks on the Gators’ final possession to force a punt with 4:25 left.
“That might have been one of the most legendary sacks I’ve had in a minute,” said Thomas, who complimented Ware County for “putting up a really good fight.”
That was a word Britt used, too.
“Great job by the boys. Just kept fighting, kept fighting,” the coach said. “Came back and took the momentum, but when Ware County – as a great team does – took the momentum back, we hung in there, didn’t duck our heads and found a way to take it back and win the game.”
BENEDICTINE 31, WARE COUNTY 24
WC | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | -- 24
BC | 7 | 10 | 14 | 0 | -- 31
First quarter
WC—Dae’Jeaun Dennis 1 run (William Bates kick)
WC—Quintin Orange 52 pass from Luke Hooks (Bates kick)
BC—RaSean Matthews 32 pass from Luke Kromenhoek (Connor Ferguson kick)
Second quarter
BC—John Lilly 15 pass from Kromenhoek (Ferguson kick)
BC—Ferguson 42 FG
Third quarter
BC—Bryce Baker 48 run (Ferguson kick)
BC—Ack Edwards 28 pass from Kromenhoek (Ferguson kick)
WC—Orange 16 pass from Hooks (Bates kick)
Fourth quarter
WC—Bates 33 FG
WEEK #4 FINAL SCORES & SCHEDULE
Sept. 7 (Thursday}
Windsor Forest 21, Islands 7
Sept. 8 (Friday)
SE Bulloch 20, Effingham County 13
South Effingham 52, Bradwell 36
Benedictine 31, Ware County 24
Camden County 51, New Hampstead 7
Calvary Day 41, Charlotte Christian (NC) 10
Claxton 35, Groves 6
Johnson 18, Brantley County 12,
Pierce County 49, Liberty County 6
Butler 20, Savannah High 0
Bethesda 34, Carolina 0
Memorial Day 28, John Paul 14
St. Andrew's 44, Hilton Head Prep 0
Sept. 9 (Saturday)
Creekside (FL) at Richmond Hill, 4 p.m.
Note: All games kickoff at 7:30 p.m. unless noted
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Optim Orthopedics supports Prep Sports and the following schools; Benedictine Military School, Bradwell Institute, Calvary Day School, Liberty County High School,Richmond Hill High School, Savannah Country Day, South Effingham High School, and St. Vincent's athletics. Benedictine Military School, Bradwell Institue, and Liberty County's team doctor is Dr. David Sedory. Dr. David Palmer is the team doctor for Calvary Day School, South Effingham, and Richmond Hill. Savannah Country Day and St. Vincent's team doctor is Dr. Thomas Alexander. Remember, Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game.
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