The Statesboro Blue Devils went on the road to take on the Veterans Warhawks in Kathleen on Friday, August 22. The Blue Devils came up just short and lost 29-22 in a fourth quarter, final minute flurry.
First Quarter
The first quarter was a tense, back-and-forth battle. In the opening quarter, the Blue Devils tried to strike first, driving deep into enemy territory only to turn it over on downs. After several possessions, the Warhawks broke the stalemate with a quarterback fake, scoring the first touchdown of the night. The Blue Devil’s offense leaned on short-yardage passes, with senior wide reciever Gage Newsome getting some key targets and sophomore tight end Charles Harris making a huge catch.
Second Quarter
The second quarter was a wild affair. The Blue Devils got on the board with a touchdown run by senior running back Keon Childers with 10 minutes left to go in the half. The Blue Devils tied up the game 7-7. The teams then traded blows, with the Warhawks having two would-be touchdowns called back on penalties and missed coverage. They finally punched one in on their third attempt at the same play, though their two-point conversion failed making the score 13-7. Not to be outdone, the Blue Devils responded with a big yardage play by Newsome to get into the red zone, setting up Childers for his second touchdown of the night. After a successful extra point, the Blue Devils took the lead 14-13. The half ended with sophomore defensive back Kevin Sello's clutch interception, swinging the momentum completely in the Blue Devil’s favor.
Third Quarter
The third quarter saw the Warhawks come out with a renewed energy, dominating the ground game. The Blue Devil’s defense struggled to contain them, allowing the Warhawks to score an early touchdown with a successful two-point conversion. The Blue Devil’s offense was sloppy and couldn’t get a rhythm going. In an act of desperation, senior linebacker Cam Jackson executed a successful fake punt, giving the Blue Devils a much-needed first down. The quarter ended with a major energy shift for the Blue Devils, who recovered a fumble to head into the final quarter with some much-needed life.
Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter was a nail-biter that went down to the very end. Both teams fought hard, but the Blue Devils ultimately came up just short of the victory. The Warhawks received the ball back with 8:30 left to play and shed off almost four minutes off the clock. The Blue Devils were going to have to act fast if they were going to score and make it a worthwhile game. With 3:47 left to play, Childers received the direct snap on two straight downs. But it wasn’t until a misdirection play between Childers and senior tight end Rashad Chavers that allowed the Blue Devils to score with two minutes left in the game. Head coach Matt Dobson had all the belief in the world in his team and that confidence paid off as they lined up for the 2-point conversion to take the lead with 1:12 left on the clock.
Defensively, the Blue Devils did not execute the “two-minute drill” according to Dobson. That allowed the Warhawks to score an 50/60-yard touchdown drive in 30 seconds. With only one second left, sophomore quarterback Beckham Jarrard launched a final, desperate Hail Mary, but it fell incomplete, sealing the win for the Veterans, 29-22.
Coach Dobson was asked what he said to his locker room after a loss like that, he responded, “I told them I loved them as much as I did a week ago when we won against SEB,” he said. “We will regroup next week.” Dobson is hoping to have some guys step up and lead and just continue to get better.
Up Next
Statesboro's record falls to 1-1 on the season after Week Two. They will have a week off before they host the Greenbrier Wolves in front of their home fans on Friday, September 5, for their first region game of the season. That game will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
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