In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Savannah Country Day football coach Roc Batten was looking to get back to normal under fully powered Friday night lights.
On the visitors’ sideline, Savannah Christian coach Baker Woodward expected his Raiders “to be a little bit sloppy … because of the weird schedule.”
School days were canceled and practices were altered this week as players, coaches and their families – just as the general public – dealt with power outages, property damage and other negative effects from the hurricane that hit the prior week and continues to be impact the area.
“I was all for playing this game tonight regardless of the circumstances because this an opportunity to bring our community together,” said Batten, in his first year with the Hornets. “It was an opportunity to get back to some normalcy in these young men’s lives.
“We had a lot of families without power,” he added. “But I thought it was an opportunity for us to maybe break away from the things they’ve got going on at home. I truly believe football brings you together in the toughest times, and this was a tough time. It allowed them for a couple of hours to just forget those things for a little bit and be with their buddies.”
Football coaches, perhaps as much as anyone, thrive on routine. It was an “odd week,” as Batten said, as many games were postponed on Friday after all games last weekend were rescheduled, postponed or cancelled.
The game between rivals Savannah Christian and host Savannah Country Day was one of only a handful played locally. It was also their first meeting as members of the GHSA’s Region 3-A Division I after both were reclassified from Class 3A.
All of those storylines came together and the unbeaten Raiders made what they do look routine in their latest dominant performance, a 38-7 victory over the Hornets.
Savannah Christian, ranked No. 1 for its class in state polls, improved to 6-0 as it opened its region slate. Woodward informed his team afterward that the last time SCPS started 6-0 was 2011, when the Raiders went on a 15-0 run in Class A including the program’s first GHSA state football championship.
“We’ve got a really good football team,” Woodward said to his squad. “I want us to be a great team.”
The 2023 squad made it all the way to the Class 3A state title game, falling to powerhouse Cedar Grove. That recent history motivates the current edition.
“We’ve got a lot of returning players,” said senior linebacker/running back Jaden Miles, one of the team leaders. “I think we all have the same goal. We want to get back to where we were last year and win the state championship.”
Miles, who has several college prospects, is the top tackler on a defense with Division I recruits such as senior defensive linemen Elijah Griffin and Logan Brooking (committed to Clemson as a tight end) and sophomore LaDamion Guyton.
Miles also makes an impact on the offensive side, and Friday he was one of four different Raiders to score touchdowns. Quarterback Blaise Thomas scrambled under heavy pressure before floating a pass to Miles, who used power and shifty moves to shed tacklers and fight his way to the end zone for a 15-yard score and 21-0 lead with 2:21 left in the first half.
“It didn’t matter who got the ball and who scored, we just wanted to dominate,” Miles said. “It’s a rivalry game, a crosstown rival. We wanted to do our best and win the game.”
Savannah Christian wins with suffocating defense and a run-heavy offense operated by Thomas and featuring workhorse power back Zo Smalls and slashing speedster Kenry Wall as runner/receiver. Smalls rushed for two TDs en route to nearly 100 yards, and Wall added another TD.
Brooking also was on the receiving end of a TD pass from Thomas, who later took a big hit from Hornets standout linebacker Tyler Scott as he threw an incomplete pass with 5:06 left in the second quarter.
Thomas came out of the game for two plays before returning and leading the scoring drive culminating in Miles’ TD. Thomas, however, did not return for the second half as a precautionary measure, Woodward said, because of a possible bruise on the junior’s non-throwing shoulder.
Freshman Devin Trawick was given an opportunity to play with the first string and did a great job, Woodward said, as the QB completed three of four passes and dashed for a 27-yard gain while not committing a turnover.
“Devin stepped in and we didn’t miss a beat,” Woodward said. “He’s a dynamic player. We’ve had him here since fifth grade. We know he’s going to be a good quarterback of the future. Hopefully, he’s learned some stuff from Blaise (Thomas). It was good to have him step in and step up.”
Woodward also praised how his team responded during a difficult week.
“If you ever knew if the Raiders were bought in or not, we had voluntary practice and 48 out of 50 guys showed up,” Woodward said. “That’s a good sign when you’re a head coach. ‘You don’t have to come, guys. We know if your situation’s dire, you don’t have to come.’ But 48 out of 50 guys showed up.”
Batten called the Raiders a talented and well-coached team coming off of the momentum of the playoff run in 2023. The Hornets’ program (2-4, 0-1 region) is a work in progress under its new leader.
“We’re still figuring out who we are …,” Batten said. “We’ve got to continue to battle and make progress. My thing is, do we make progress from one game to the next? From one half to the next? I thought we made progress in the second half compared to how we played in the first half.”
The first series of the first half could have set the tone for the Hornets, Batten said, but instead the Raiders imposing their will. Savannah Christian twice converted on fourth down – from its 36 (fourth-and-4) and the Hornets’ 48 (fourth-and-2) – in a 71-yard drive ending in Smalls’ 2-yard score.
“We have to make the play to get off the field and get our offense the ball,” Batten said. “We knew they had some advantages up front. We’re not a very big team, but we’re a tough team. Even though the score is not what we want, I thought our team showed a little bit of resolve in the second half.
“This is a rivalry,” he said. “We’ve got to continue to grind and make it a better fight than this.”
SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN 38, SAVANNAH COUNTRY DAY 7
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| SAVAANNAH CHRISTIAN PREP | 7 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 38 |
| SAVANNAH COUNTRY DAY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| First Quarter | |||||
|
SCPS—Zo Smalls 2 run (Christian Johns kick) |
|||||
| Second Quarter | |||||
|
SCPS—Logan Brooking 16 pass from Blaise Thomas (Johns kick) |
|||||
|
SCPS—Jaden Miles 15 pass from Thomas (Johns kick) |
|||||
| SCPS—Johns 34 FG | |||||
| Third Quarter | |||||
| SCPS—Smalls 8 run (Johns kick) | |||||
| SCPS—Kenry Wall 22 run (Johns kick) | |||||
| Fourth Quarter | |||||
|
SCD—Brooks Kleinpeter 9 pass from Isaiah Batten (Cash Ramirez kick) |
|||||
| RECORDS: SCPS(1-0/6-0) SCDS (0-1/2-4) | |||||
FINAL SCORES
WEEK 8
October 4, 2024 (Friday)
GHSA
Richmond Hill 21, Tift County 17*
Benedictine 35, Warner Robins 21*
Savannah Christian 38, Savannah Country Day 7
Bryan County 28, Screven County 14
GIAA
St. Andrew's 46, Harvest Community 7
Memorial Day 26, Crisp Academy 22
SCISA
Bethesda 40, Beaufort Academy 20*
NOTE: *Region game
Photos: SLAUGHTERSHOTZ
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- Dr. Don Aaron: Bryan County Middle/High School
- Dr. David Sedory: Benedictine Military, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County
- Dr. David Palmer: Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham
- Dr. Thomas Alexander: Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent's
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