Blythewood’s Deyon Grayer (18) hauls in a touchdown pass from quarterback Javon Smith at Lancaster Friday. (Photo/Kristy Kimball Massey)
LANCASTER – Blythewood quarterback Javon Smith finished with a season-high 340 yards passing and accounted for four touchdowns as the Bengals defeated the Lancaster Bruins 35-6 Friday night. Despite a slow start, Smith was on fire and rarely missed the rest of the night, completing 25 of 39 passes. Along with Smith, wide receiver Lynard Jamison finished with 207 total yards, adding six catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns to his spectacular performance.
“They had a great night,” Blythewood head coach Dan Morgan said. “They are just two fantastic athletes playing ball.”
With 481 yards of total offense for the Bengals, the Bruins’ defense proved to be a little too tender. “The biggest thing is that we are starting to get our offensive line back,” said Morgan. “We got two offensive linemen back this week and it is a noticeable difference, and now we just need to get the rest all healthy and continue to get better every single week.”
Jittery at first, the Bengals’ offense got off to a slow start. Kicker Greg Huegel missed a 35-yard field goal attempt, and the Bengals were forced to punt on their next drive with both teams going scoreless in the first quarter. But the Bengals offense quickly found their feet in the second behind a hot-handed Smith, who completed a 47-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deyon Grayer with 5:30 left in the half. It was Smith’s first touchdown pass since week one. Huegel’s extra point would make it a 7-0 lead.
On the next Bengal possession, Smith found Jamison for an 82-yard touchdown pass, and Grayer again on the next possession for an 18-yard touchdown, to extend the Bengals’ lead to 21-0 at the half. Finishing with 33 yards of passing in the first quarter, Smith roasted the Bruins’ defense with 193 yards in the second quarter alone.
“After the touchdown to Jamison, that created a 14-point cushion where (Smith) was able to relax and stay with a rhythm,” Morgan said.
After several thwarted drives and changes of sloppy possessions in the third quarter, Smith directed a 52-yard drive, capping off the effort by hitting Jamison with a 3-yard touchdown. But the Bengals offense was far from done, driving 71 yards on their next possession to set up a Jamison 39-yard rushing touchdown with 7:47 left in the fourth quarter. Huegel added the extra point for both drives, extending the Bengals’ lead to 35-0.
Eyeing their first defensive shutout of the season, the Bengal defense mercifully let off the gas, which resulted in the Bruins scoring their first touchdown of the game. Quarterback Keendarius Truesdale found wide receiver Jay Hood across the middle for a 21-yard touchdown. The extra point was no good, and the Bengal lead was now 35-6.
It was a phenomenal night for the Bengals, not just offensively, but defensively as well. Coming into Friday’s game, the Bengal defense averaged 419 yards of total offense allowed in their first three games, but the defense yielded only 230 yards to the Bruins.
“Our defense just played fantastic tonight,” Morgan said. “I’m so proud of the defensive staff and the defensive players.”
Bengals improve to 2-2 and will face off against Sumter High School this Friday night. Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. in Blythewood.
BHS LAN
FIRST DOWNS 21 15
RUSHES-YARDS 34-141 35-82
PASSING YDS 340 148
C-A-INT-TD 25-39-0-4 13-26-0-1
Fumbles-Lost 2-0 3-1
Penalties-Yards 13-129 3-25
RUSHING: BHS – JAMISON, Lynard 7-62; McPHERSON, Yan. 3-26; RICHARDSON, Jo. 5-22; SMITH, Javon 11-17; THOMAS, Osei 3-5; FLETCHER, D. 4-5; BENSON, Dabreon 1-4. LAN – Truesdale, K. 16-42; Wright, K. 16-38; Toliver, J. 3-2.
PASSING: BHS – SMITH, Javon25-39-0-340. LAN – Truesdale, K. 13-26-0-148.
RECEIVING: BHS – JAMISON, Lynard 6-145; RABON, Jacob 5-47; GRAYER, Deyon 3-68; FLETCHER, D. 3-22; RICHARDSON, Jo. 3-17; KNIGHT, Marq. 2-14; BRANHAM, Reed 1-19; LONG, Isaiah 1-5; McPHERSON, Yan. 1-3. LAN – Hood,J. 8-113; Ealy, A. 2-26; Franceschelli,A 1-7; Wright, K. 1-4; Toliver, J. 1-(-2).
Second Quarter
BHS – Deyon Grayer 47-pass from Javon Smith. Greg Huegel kick. (5:30)
BHS – Lynard Jamsion 82-pass from J. Smith. G. Huegel kick. (3:27)
BHS – D. Grayer 18-pass from J. Smith G. Huegel kick. (00:39)
Third Quarter
BHS – L. Jamison 3-pass from J. Smith. G. Huegel kick. (00:32)
Fourth Quarter
BHS – L. Jamison 39-run. G. Huegel kick. (7:47)
LAN – Jay Hood 21-pass from Keendarius Truesdale. Kick failed. (02:38)
