Collin Williams (15) puts pressure on the Yellow Jackets quarterback, Tanner White. | Leroy Howard
BLYTHEWOOD – Fans of defensive battles had to be overjoyed with Blythewood’s Friday night matchup against the North Augusta Yellow Jackets. Despite the Yellow Jackets starting the game on a 12-0 run, the Bengals recovered and did just enough for a 15-12 win. The loss ended the Yellow Jackets undefeated season, and Blythewood improved to 3-1.
The Bengals first drive ended in a three-and-out punt after three straight incomplete passes. North Augusta struck the Bengals with a few big plays on their first offensive possession. Yellow Jackets quarterback completed passes of 16 yards and 32 yards, and had a 16-yard scramble on their opening drive.
Blythewood’s defense tightened up after North Augusta found their way into the red-zone, and they were forced to settle for a 29-yard Tyler Nichols field-goal. The field-goal was the sole score of the first quarter.
A 39-yard Tanner White pass on the next North Augusta drive gave the Yellow Jackets prime field-position on the Blythewood 23. The Bengals eventually forced a fourth-and-one on their own four-yard line, but they were unable to stuff a two-yard Chris Torres run. A couple of plays later, Torres scored from a yard out.
A pair of fumbles derailed any second-quarter momentum the Bengals began to build. Tanner Nichols added a 20-yard field goal for North Augusta, and the Yellow Jacket lead was 12-0 at the half.
The Bengals led-off the second half with another pair of unsuccessful three-and-out possessions, but a Yellow Jacket fumble near the end of third opened the door for a comeback. Tanner White coughed the ball up on North Augusta’s own 24-yard line and Marcellus Davis recovered for the Bengals.
King Ford rushed for 15 yards on the drive after the fumble recovery, including a three-yard rushing touchdown. The Bengals missed the extra point attempt, but only trailed 12-6 after the touchdown.
Bengals’ kicker Miles Heitman booted the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the North Augusta nine-yard line, and a Yellow Jackets illegal block set them back to their own five-yard line. The Yellow Jackets attempted the run the ball to pick up some breathing room, but instead the rush was halted in their own end-zone for a safety.
Blythewood trailed by four and had possession of the ball. A couple of plays into the drive, Jaylon Boyd broke for a 24-yard run that landed the Bengals near mid-field. Ford followed the electric Boyd play with three-straight completed passes for 24 more yards.
The string of completed passes pushed the Bengals to inside the Yellow Jackets 10-yard line. Ford scrambled out to the three-yard line before he was stopped, but on the next play, Boyd found the end-zone. The score and extra point gave the Bengals their first lead of the game at 15-12.
Blythewood’s scoring drive only chewed up three minutes of the fourth quarter, and North Augusta got the ball back with over seven minutes left to work. The Bengals’ kickoff sailed into the end-zone for a touchback.
The Yellow Jackets used short plays to slowly move down the field, but a fumble mid-way through the drive nearly ended the comeback attempt. Tanner White recovered the loose ball and North Augusta eventually fought their way inside the Blythewood 20-yard line.
North Augusta’s momentum was halted on an unsuccessful third down conversion, and that forced the kicker Tyler Nichols out for a game-tying 37-yard field goal attempt with 52 seconds left on the clock.
Nichols split the up-rights on his first two attempts, but with the game on the line, he was not able to hit. The Bengals ran down the time on the clock and escaped with the win.
The Bengals have a tough road test next week with the undefeated Dutch Fork Silver Foxes.
Scoring
BHS– 0-0-0-15-15
NAHS– 3-9-0-0-12
First Quarter
NAHS- Tyler Nichols 29 field goal.4:59
Second Quarter
NAHS- Chris Torres 1 run. (kick no good).10:36
WHS- T.Nichols 20 field goal.1:25.
Fourth Quarter
BHS- King Ford 3 run. (kick no good).11:07.
BHS- Safety.10:51.
BHS- Jaylon Boyd 3 run.(Miles Heitman kick).7:20.
TEAM SCORING BHS NAHS
First Downs 7 16
Rushes/Yards 29-80 51-220
Passing Yards 56 160
C-A-I-TD 8-16-0-0 10-14–0-0
Fumbles/ Lost 2/2 4/2
Penalties/Yards 4-25 12-85
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing: NAHS- Jacari.Buckson 22-98, Tanner White 15-70, Malik Williams 7-46, Lamarcus Moore 2-5, Chris Torres 3-5. BHS- Jaylon Boyd 12-46, Brandon Edwards 4-25, King Ford 7-14, Jacob Owens 2-10.
Receiving: NAHS- Zion Dobbs 4-65, Bradley Godwin 3-37, Jacari Buckson 1-32, Junius Walker 1-14, Malik Williams 1-12. BHS- Joshua Burrel 3-29, Jacob Owens 2-12, David Patten 1-5, Kevon Catoe 1-5, Jaylon Boyd 1-5.
Passing: NAHS- Tanner White 10-14, 160 yards. BHS – King Ford 8-16 56 yards.