NORTH AUGUSTA – North Augusta rallied for two fourth-quarter touchdowns to get within one score of overcoming a 17-point Blythewood lead Friday night, but the Bengals closed out a 27-24 victory over the Yellow Jackets at Jackets Stadium.
With his team down 27-10 going into the fourth quarter, North Augusta quarterback Bradley Godwin scored from one yard out at the 10:59 mark to bring the Yellow Jackets to within 27-17.
North Augusta made a defensive stop, then drove down the field boosted by two Godwin-to-Grayson Bridgers connections, the first one a 44-yard strike that helped out the other completion, a 23-yard touchdown pass to Bridgers with 3:43 to go in the game.
Blythewood’s offense, largely off the field since late in the third quarter, executed a long drive into Yellow Jackets territory. The Bengals turned the ball over on downs, but Chad Ishmael picked off his second pass of the night with less than a minute remaining to seal the win.
Blythewood (3-1) clung to a 13-10 lead going into halftime.
The Bengals got off to a quick start when Josh Strickland found Brandon Edwards for a 75-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the game. The point-after attempt failed, but Strickland fired a 16-yard TD pass to Josh Burrell at the 11:44 of the second quarter to go up 13-0.
North Augusta finally got on the scoreboard on Godwin’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Wilburn cut the lead to 13-7 midway through the second. Bridgers made good on a 43-yard field goal at the halftime horn.
Blythewood’s offense sucked up the time in the third quarter, as Strickland completed a long drive with a 4-yard TD pass to Burrell with 2:28 left in the third.
The Bengals defense turned the game in their favor on the next possession.
Ishmael’s first interception of the night came at the 3:43 mark, when he snagged an Austin Harrell pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-10 Blythewood.
The game was delayed for more than an hour because of thunderstorms in the area.
The Bengals play host to Dutch Fork Friday.
