BATESBURG – The Richard Winn Academy Eagles concluded a perfect season and captured a State Championship on a chilly Friday, November 22, with a decisive victory over Laurens Academy. The game between Richard Winn and the Laurens Academy Crusaders was hosted by W.W. King Academy in Batesburg. The Crusaders won the coin toss and deferred possession to the second half.
After Anthony Candelas’ onside kick off attempt traveled out of bounds, the Eagles started their first possession at the Crusaders’ 49 yard line. Quarterback Charlie Bonds led the Eagles to the end zone on a five-play, 49 yard drive. Bonds scampered across the goal line from nine yards out, and a completion to Bennett Nicholson gave the Eagles an 8-0 lead.
The Eagles’ defense kept the Crusaders from a first down on the first drive, forcing a punt that was downed at the Richard Winn 42 yard line.
On first and 10, bonds connected with Jake Gaillard for a 50 yard pass. A Crusader face mask made it first and goal at the Crusaders’ four yard line. Bonds scored his second touchdown on the ground two plays later, and after a failed two point conversion, the Eagles led 14-0.
The Eagle defense forced a punt on the Crusaders’ next drive, and Richard Winn took over at their own 47 yard line. A pass interference call against the Crusaders moved the ball to Laurens’ 39 yard line, and Josh Tyndall took a screen pass from Bonds 39 yards to the house for the score. Tyndall’s PAT kick was no good, but the Eagles were ahead 20-0 with seconds remaining in the first quarter.
A third Crusaders’ punt flew out of bounds at the Eagles’ 49 yard line. The Crusaders held the Eagles to a field goal try and Tyndall split the uprights from 24 yards to put the Eagles up 23-0.
On Laurens’ fourth drive, the Eagle defense held strong, resulting in a punt return by Tyndall to the Richard Winn 44 yard line. Gaillard hauled in a Bonds pass from the Crusader 35 yard line for the Eagle’s fourth touchdown. Tyndall’s PAT kick was good and the score was 30-0.
Ethan Collins led the Crusaders sixty yards to the Richard Winn 28 yard line before Caleb Hardy fumbled a pitch from Collins that was recovered by JT Wilkes.
On third down at their own 42 yard line, Bonds found an open Gaillard who scurried 58 yards to the end zone. Tyndall’s PAT brought the Eagle lead to 37 going into halftime.
The Crusaders took possession to open the second half, and Collins led a 14-play drive 67 yards to the Eagles’ 12 yard line before throwing an interception to Justin Autry. Autry returned the interception to the Laurens 45 yard line. Eli Smith took the handoff on two consecutive plays for 20 yards and 25 yards to put the Eagles in front 43-0.
Garrett Murphy, Hardy, and Collins helped the Crusaders move the ball 75 yards on their next possession for their only score of the night. Collins ran across the goal line from four yards. The two-point conversion attempt was no good, but Laurens was on the board with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Dylan Albert replaced Bonds at quarterback on the Eagles’ last drive, and the Eagles managed the clock by running the ball on ten plays before turning the ball over on downs. With just seconds left, the Crusaders ran two plays on the ground before time expired.
The Eagles outscored opponents 607-178 this year, and averaged 50.5 points per game. The Eagles captured Richard Winn’s first football State Championship in 10 years.
