RICHMOND HILL – Coach Matt LeZotte thought his Richmond Hill Wildcats gave up too many big plays – including two kickoff returns for touchdowns – but never stopped believing they would win.
Jenkins coach Tony Welch concluded his Warriors had too many turnovers but still played well enough to win on the road Friday night.
There were twists and turns as Jenkins gained its first lead with 4:21 left in regulation, only for Richmond Hill to score last with 1:07 remaining, then force a turnover with 21 seconds to go.
It added up to a 31-27 victory for the Wildcats in a battle of two of the Coastal Empire’s top-performing public-school programs. Class 7A Richmond Hill improved to 3-0 (all at home), while Class 5A Jenkins is 0-3 (all on the road) against a challenging schedule – with both having their full slate of region games ahead.
Richmond Hill wide receiver Nick Cameron hauled in the winning 11-yard touchdown while blanketed in coverage on a fade pattern to the back left side of the end zone. Cameron at first bobbled Gunner Mobley’s pinpoint lob, then grasped the ball and clutched it as he tumbled to the turf.
LeZotte said the skill position players have been working on that pass pattern “all summer, all preseason,” and got the chance to run it on third-and-7 after both teams called timeouts.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them, the way our guys went out there and finished with the execution,” LeZotte said. “We had opportunities to put (the Warriors) away and they stuck around. Coach Welch is one of the best coaches in the state of Georgia. I knew his guys were going to fight until the end.”
Jenkins had closed to 24-20 when quarterback Torean Wilson ran 6 yards for a touchdown on the first snap of the fourth quarter. The key play of the drive was his 46-yard bomb to Jaylon Elliot, who made a great catch despite contact from the defender. The Warriors advanced an additional 15 yards to the 18 because the Wildcats were whistled for roughing the passer on the play.
The extra-point attempt was blocked, however, meaning Jenkins needed more than a field goal down four points.
The Warriors got the required touchdown on the next drive after forcing a punt with 9:54 left in regulation. They went 56 yards, all on the ground, with Wilson notching three first downs before Tasean Rhodes ran inside and cut outside, powering his way into the end zone for a 5-yard score.
Charles Whiteside’s extra point, which was a 25-yard boot after a penalty, gave Jenkins a 27-24 edge with 4:18 to go.
Rhodes finished with three scores, after he twice killed the Wildcats’ momentum by answering first-half touchdowns with kickoff returns of 75 and 99 yards and keeping the Warriors within range on the scoreboard.
“He’s a baller,” Welch said of Rhodes. “He’s one of our best guys, probably one of our most physical guys. He’s a gamer. As he goes, we’re going to go.”
Richmond Hill responded to its late 27-24 deficit with its own special play on special teams. DJ Porter gathered in the ensuing kickoff at the 7 and raced to the Jenkins 44.
The Wildcats had lived all night on a steady diet of bruiser CJ Menzie’s off-tackle runs – including some on direct snaps for first downs. He finished with 26 carries for 127 yards, including a 5-yard TD run in the second quarter for a 24-14 halftime lead.
“We don’t just trust CJ,” LeZotte said. “We trust everyone around him – those boys up front to go do their job.”
Richmond Hill handed to Menzie for three plays and mixed in Mobley’s dart to Eli Grant for 21 yards and a first down at the Jenkins 14. Grant finished with six receptions for 138 yards, including touchdowns of 10 and 64 yards, and also intercepted a pass at cornerback in a stellar effort.
Mobley delivered the TD pass to Cameron to finish his passing performance at 11 of 17 for 176 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Shane Tucker’s extra point pushed the advantage to a critical four points, 31-27.
Richmond Hill’s Eli Grant (4) tracks down his 64 yard touchdown reception from Gunner Mobley against Jenkins on Friday night. Grant also caught another touchdown passes of 10 yards and had an interception in the Wildcats’ 31-27 win. (Photo by ProShot Media)
Jenkins had just over a minute to rally – again needing more than a field goal. But the Warriors also were about to receive the kickoff – their most effective quick-score method all night.
In addition to Rhodes’ two returns for touchdowns, the Warriors also had fumbled away two kickoffs – one on a squib – and that figured into LeZotte’s strategy. There was no way the Wildcats were going to kick it deep to Rhodes or Elliot as they waited near their end zone. Richmond Hill sacrificed field position for a chance to create a turnover by squibbing it short.
“It was going to be one of two things. They weren’t going to return it for a touchdown, or we were going to recover it,” LeZotte said. “I felt like our defense was good enough to go out there and get a stop, and they did. But, we had an opportunity. We work on this stuff every single day, every single week.”
Jenkins held onto the kick at the 50. On first down, Wilson (3-of-5 passing, 82 yards, one interception in the game) connected with Rhodes out of the backfield for 14 yards. But on the next play, Wilson fought for extra yardage and was stood up by Wildcats defenders, with huge defensive tackle Kelvin “Tre” Brown III stripping away the ball and rumbling to the opponents’ 12-yard line with 21 seconds left, securing the Richmond Hill victory.
“Tre’s a big, strong dude,” LeZotte said. “When he wants something, he goes and gets it. He’s one of the best players in the state of Georgia.
“That’s going to be fun to look at on the highlight film,” the coach added of Brown’s near return for a score. “He’s still breathing heavy.”
Jenkins’ Welch thought the play had been blown dead before the fumble but said the last of the Warriors’ four turnovers was another indication that the team has “just got to play better.”
“It was a tough loss,” Welch said. “I’m still proud of the kids. We’ve just got to make better plays and have less mistakes.
“Too many turnovers,” the coach said. “A good ballclub beat us. We can’t turn it over. We had an opportunity to win. We can’t give up the big plays. I’m not taking anything away from (Richmond Hill). Our guys played well enough to win.”
LeZotte also said his team needed to improve in execution as well as capitalize more on opportunities and finish better. Their mindset never wavered when they needed a late rally.
“We don’t think we’re going to do anything other than win,” LeZotte said. “Our guys just believe. They believe in our planning, our preparation.”
RICHMOND HILL 31, JENKINS 27
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkins | 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
| Richmond Hill | 7 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
First Quarter
RH—Eli Grant 10 pass from Gunner Mobley (Cole Morgan kick)
J—Tasean Rhodes 75 kickoff return (Charles Whiteside kick)
Second Quarter
RH—Morgan 27 FG
RH—Grant 64 pass from Mobley (Morgan kick)
J—Rhodes 99 kickoff return (Whiteside kick)
RH—CJ Menzie 5 run (Shane Tucker kick)
Fourth Quarter
J—Torean Wilson 16 run (kick blocked)
J—Rhodes 5 run (Whiteside kick)
RH—Nick Cameron 11 pass from Mobley (Tucker kick)
Records: Jenkins 0-3; Richmond Hill 3-0.
WEEK 3 FINAL SCORES
Sept. 3, Thursday
Beach 40, Groves 0
Sept. 4
Richmond Hill 31, Jenkins 27
Valdosta 56, Bradwell 13
Effingham County 37, New Hampstead 0
South Effingham 28, Windsor Forest 13
Benedictine 27, Camden County 23
Liberty County 43, Johnson 19
Islands 14, Bryan County 7
Calvary Day 44, St. Pius X 0
Glynn Academy 45, Savannah Christian 28
Appling County 49, Savannah High 0
Athens Academy 7, Savannah Country Day 6
Academic Magnet 47, St. Andrew's 7
Photos courtesy of proshot_media__
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