WINNSBORO – Fairfield Central was making scoring touchdowns look easy versus Brookland-Cayce Friday night. But the Griffins’ 12-0 lead at the end of the first quarter belied the 36-24 loss Fairfield Central ultimately suffered.
After the game, Griffins head coach Demetrius Davis told his team not to get down.
“Pick your heads up,” Davis said. He said he hates to lose, but the team needs to work and get better each week. “Don’t let one loss turn into two losses,” Davis said.
He said the team can look at the game film and correct the mistakes.
Mistakes were rare early in the game for the Griffins.
Griffin quarterback Stanley McManus scored on a 5-yard run with about 5 minutes left in the first quarter. That touchdown was set up by a Brookland-Cayce fumble. Gregory Austin missed the extra-point. It was one of four missed PAT kicks in the game by the Griffins.
With about a minute left in the same quarter, McManus rushed in again, this time from the 1-yard line for a 12-0 lead.
With two minutes elapsed in the second quarter, the Griffins fumbled the ball. That miscue stopped the Griffins’ momentum and set up the Bearcats’ first touchdown. It was a 1-yard rush from running back A.J. Brown to make the score 12-7, FC.
After a stop by the Bearcats, BC’s Charles Balkcom mishandled a punt, which the Griffins recovered. Fairfield Central’s drive took about three minutes before Jerrell Suber-Oneal rambled into the end zone from 10 yards out.
Fairfield Central had an 18-7 lead with about four minutes left in the second quarter.
At that point, BC put together a drive and Brown took it in from 2 yards out. The Bearcats hit the 2-point conversion, with Balkcom hauling in the toss from quarterback Kozie Brown, and the halftime score was 18-15, Griffins.
The Griffins’ offense was fueled in the first half by Suber-Oneal and Josh Bell. Suber-Oneal had 49 yards on seven carries in the first half and Bell had 23 yards on five carries. McManus had 25 yards rushing.
In the second half, BC was forced to send in freshman quarterback Reed Charpia after Brown, the starter, developed leg cramps.
Charpia hit Bearcat wide receiver Justice Mills on a 12-yard scoring strike. With about eight minutes left in the third, BC took the lead at 22-18 after the successful PAT.
The Griffins answered with another McManus TD run from a yard out to take a 24-22 lead.
It was the last lead of the night for the Griffins.
Charpia hit Justice again to put the Bearcats up 29-24 just before the end of the third quarter.
Most of the fourth quarter was scoreless. At about the 5-minute mark in the fourth, BC went for it on a fourth-and-7. After that conversion, BC drove for a final score, a 3-yard rush by Balkcom.
Scoring
First Quarter
FC – Stanley McManus 5 run. Kick Failed.
FC – S. McManus 1 run. Kick Failed.
Second Quarter
BC – A.J. Brown 1 run. Jonathan Edwards kick.
FC – Jerrell Suber-Oneal 10 run. Kick failed.
BC – A.J. Brown 2 run. Charles Balkcom 3 pass from Kozie Brown.
Third Quarter
BC – Justice Mills 12 pass from Reed Charpia. J. Edwards kick.
FC – S. McManus 1 run. Kick failed.
BC – J. Mills 25 pass from R. Charpia. J. Edwards kick.
Fourth Quarter
BC – C. Balkcom 3 run. J. Edwards kick.
BC FC
First Downs 14 16
Rushes/Yards 39-258 39-185
Passing Yards 90 66
C-A-I-TD 7-14-0-2 6-12-1-0
Fumbles/Lost 2-2 1-1
Penalties/Yards 8-50 10-80
RUSHING: BC – Charles Balkcom 15-122, A.J. Brown 18-119, Kozie Brown 3-12, Cam Brown 3-5. FC – Josh Bell 10-45, Chad Sampson 3-15, Jerrell Suber-Oneal 15-87, Stanley McManus 11-38.
RECEIVING: BC – Justice Mills 2-37, Quentin Hook 1-29, Charles Balkcom 2-13, Cam Brown 1-12, A.J. Brown 1-(-1). FC – Jerrell Suber-Oneal 2-18, Roderick Sparks 1-23, Quentin Thompson 1-15, Chad Sampson 1-8, Larentay Mozie 1-2.
PASSING: BC – Kozie Brown 5-11, 53 yards; Reed Charpia 2-3, 37 yards, 2 TD. FC – Stanley McManus 6-12, 66 yards, 1INT.