Bamberg-Ehrhardt downs Barnwell 29-14
The battle of top ten teams, #3 ranked Bamberg-Erhardt hosting last year's Class AA lower state champions #7 Barnwell.
By Neill Kirkpatrick
Special to the HSSR
Bamberg – Friday night at Leon Maxwell Stadium in Bamberg it was Military Appreciation Night so it was fitting that long time area rivals Bamberg-Ehrhardt and Barnwell were set to do battle in a game of top 10 HSSR teams.
The 3rd ranked (A Poll) Red Raiders built an early lead and made it stand up as they knocked off the 7th ranked Warhorses (AA Poll) 29-14. The win improved the Red Raiders record to 3-0 while the defending AA lower state champion Warhorses fell to 2-1.
“I feel great with win. Our kids played hard, that’s a great to over there,” said BE head coach Corey Crosby. “It was a physical game. I mean there was some hard hitting go out there but I am happy with the way we played.”
Coach continued, “We told our kids on Monday that this was going to be a physical game so we challenged them all week especially across the offensive and defensive lines and the kids responded. It’s always good to beat Barnwell.”
Barnwell head coach Brian Smith said, “They are a really good football team and we made to many mistakes tonight. The killer was not being able to punch it in at the end of the third quarter but they are a better team than us right now.”
Barnwell got off to a great start as they needed just three plays to take the lead. After a couple of runs by top 100 running back Nehemiah Brown gained a yard. They faced a third and nine from their 34 when quarterback Vincent Gibson moved to his left in the pocket and launched a beautiful deep pass that just cleared the defensive backs out stretched arms and landed perfectly in the hands of Jayden Peeples. Peeples took it the rest of the way for a 64-yard touchdown. The Warhorses were stopped on the two-point conversion and Barnwell led 6-0.
The Red Raiders would respond emphatically with their first drive as they drove 67 yards in ten plays to tie the game when quarterback Brian McMillian scored from the three. Chaz Breland gave the Red Raiders the lead with the extra point, 7-6. Jalen McGraw had three carries for 31 yards on the drive.
On the Warhorses next possession the Red Raiders defense, led by linebacker ZaMari Brabham, stuffed the Barnwell running game. After a penalty gave Barnwell a first down, they fumbled a pitch which BE defensive lineman Jaden Moody recovered at the Barnwell 35.
It took one play and 10 seconds for the Red Raiders to capitalize when McMillian found a wide-open Charles Anthony Williams for a 35-yard touchdown pass. A penalty before the extra-point attempt moved the ball to the one-yard line and coach Crosby decided to go for two. Darius Walker scored the two-pointer and the Red Raider lead was 15-6.
Two plays into Barnwell’s next drive the Red Raiders McMillian picked off a Gibson pass and returned it to the Warhorse 10-yard line giving the Red Raiders a first and goal.
The game was about to get out of hand early but the Warhorse defense had other ideas as they allowed the Red Raiders to get to the five. Then on third and fourth downs they forced two incomplete passes to turn away the Red Raiders and keep the score at 15-6.
The Warhorse defense would keep the game close despite playing the second quarter on their end of the field. They forced a punt and another turnover on downs on the Red Raiders next two possessions.
Meanwhile, the BE defense was dominating the line of scrimmage. After the Warhorses went 65 yards on their first possession, the BE defense allowed them to gain five yards, two yards, three yards, four yards and three yards on their next five possessions.
BE would add to their lead right before halftime as they finally were able to take advantage of their great field position on their final drive of the half. Starting from their 43, they needed just four plays to score. McMillian scampered around the left edge, got to the corner, and raced past the defense for a 36-yard touchdown. Chris Washington scored the two-pointer and the teams went to the half with BE up 23-6.de
The second half started well for the Warhorses but they were unable to take advantage. The defense forced the Red Raiders to punt on their first possession of the half. Barnwell’s Jackson Bedingfield came up the middle to block Breland’s punt and the Warhorses had the ball at the Red Raider 43. However, the Red Raider defense picked up where they left and forced a Warhorse punt.
The next Red Raider possession belonged to McGraw as he carried the ball twice with second one being a 70-yard touchdown jaunt. He started up the middle and then cut to the right and out ran everyone to the end zone. The two-point conversion attempt was no good but the Red Raiders lead was 29-6.
Barnwell would try to answer the BE score. They put together their best drive of the game. Starting at their 27 they used 10 plays to advance to the BE seven-yard line but on fourth down Peeples was stopped at the five and the Warhorse turned the ball over on downs.
The Warhorse’s final dented the scoreboard again in the fourth quarter after Ridgedon Youman picked off a McMillian and returned it 29 yards to the Red Raider seven. Three plays later Brown scored from the three and Peeples added the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 29-14.
Barnwell tried to put together another drive but Nahsiir Singleton ended the threat by intercepting Gibson in Red Raider territory.
Both teams hit the road next week as BE travels to Calhoun County (0-3) while Barnwell heads to South Aiken (1-2).
