Barnwell Moves Up To Number two In HSSR Football Ranking
Barnwell's Nehemiah Brown with the ball.
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Barnwell — Fresh off a 38-16 win over Lake Marion, Barnwell is now 6-1 on the season and they have moved up to the number two ranking in most recent HSSR AA poll.
Barnwell has outscored teams 254-58 this season. They will have a bye week until they play HSSR third ranked Hampton County (5-1) in a show down region match on October, 18th.
After trailing 16-14 late in the second quarter against Lake Marion, the Warhorses went up for good on a 70-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Cameron Austin to William Robinson to a take a 21-16 lead at the half.
Austin would hook up with Robinson again for a touchdown reception in the second half. Running back Nehemiah Brown added a couple rushing touchdown runs. The defense added two points on a safety. Lane Evans also hit a 33-yard field goal in the win.
Barnwell was able to play Silver Bluff on a Wednesday, two days before Hurricane Helene spread havoc on the state. The Warhorses recorded their largest win ever over Silver Bluff in a 47-0 rout.
Against Silver Bluff, Austin completed 13-of-15 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Austin also scored on a seven- yard run. Evans made two field goals of 19 and 35 yards. Robinson also scored on a 60-yard pick-six and he later scored on a 19-yard pass from Austin. Jayden Robinson also scored on a one- yard run.
After the game with Hampton County, Barnwell will have two regular season games left. They play Edisto at home (Oct. 25) and conclude the regular season at home against Whale Branch (Nov. 1).
The region winner will have home field throughout the play-offs and head coach Brian Smith is hoping his team can keep playing hard, and win a region title for this fact to aid his team in the playoffs.
The HSSR covered Barnwell’s big 21-7 win over Bamberg Ehrhardt earlier in the season.
Barnwell head coach Brian Smith left immediately after the Bamberg-Ehrhardt game to drive to Tennessee to visit his son, who is a college football student assistant coach at the next level. The HSSR interviewed Warhorse defensive coordinator Isaac Cooper after the game.
“At half-time Coach Smith felt like our offensive line could wear down their defensive front in the second half, so we decided to pound the football more in the second half, and that was a good strategy, because our line was able to wear them down,” said Coach Cooper. “It also helps the team that we have a quarterback (Cameron Austin) willing to run the ball off tackle, and in the hole, getting you seven to eight yards just about every time he runs the ball also.
“Our goal is also to pass the ball a little more, but it is still early in the season, and we are still working on our timing, and things like that,” said Coach Cooper. “We have a good group of receivers and the passing game will come around no doubt.”
Barnwell had a strong game on defense as well. The Warhorses have only allowed 14 points over three games this season. “We put a lot of demands on our defense,” said Coach Cooper. “Lex Thomas does a great job in the middle (after moving from OLB), making our calls and getting everyone lined up where they are supposed to be. He is flying around the football a lot better this year and he seems to have found his home in the middle.”
Coach Cooper joined the program as defensive coordinator in late May of 2023, and he feels now that the defense has had one year in his system he brought from Laurens High, that everyone knows the system better this season. “Everyone has bought in to what we are trying to do and they have worked hard during the off-season,” said Coach Cooper in reference to the marked improvement of the defense. “I have tried to make it where the defense does not have to think as much; just read, react, and go make plays.”
Coach Cooper also gave a shout-out to the offensive line for their outstanding play so far this season. The leader up-front is all-region three- year starter Tony Cherry (6-4, 285) at left tackle. The center is Lamar Buxton, and the left guard is Klayton “Peanut” Zissett (6-1, 230). Jackson Bedingfield, Copeland Owens, and Kaleb Wilson are also key performers up-front.
“Those guys were pushing the pile all night,” said Coach Cooper. “They deserve a lot of credit for this win also.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Barnwell gained possession, after a punt, on their own 33-yard line. On first down Nehemiah Brown rushed for 9 yards, and then over consecutive plays senior quarterback Cameron Austin gained 10 yards to move the ball to the 16-yard line. Two plays later Austin broke tackles down to the one on a 13-yard burst. He scored on the next play, from the one, with 5:25 left in the half.
Place kicker/punter Lane Evans, who had an outstanding game made the first of three PAT’s to put Barnwell up 7-0.
Barnwell received the third quarter kick-off and it took them only six plays to pull- ahead for good on a one-yard run by Jaquan Peeples with 7:50 remaining in the third period. His touchdown run was set-up by a 41-yard scamper by Austin down to the five- yard line. At the end of Austin’s determined run he appeared to have hurt his lower leg, but he did return for limited action afterwards. Evans added the PAT.
Barnwell added an insurance score with 3:31 left in the game after B-E went for it on fourth and two from their own 28-yard line, down by seven. The Warhorses took over at the 33-yard line (6:26 left in the game) as Jaquan Peeples ran seven straight plays from the Wildcat formation to score from the six- yard line. Evan’s PAT made the final score 21-7.
For the game, Austin completed 6-of-11 passes for 41 yards. He did most of his damage to B-E with his feet leading all-rushers with 102 yards on 14 carries and one TD. Austin’s three game totals are now 12-0f-19 passing for 186 tards and two touchdowns. He leads the team in rushing with 221 yards on 40 carries and five touchdowns.
Nehemiah Brown rushed for 56 yards on 16 carries against the Raiders and after three games he has 184 yards on 47 carries and two touchdowns. Jaquan Peeples has rushed for 55 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns in three games. Peeples rushed for 53 yards on 12 carries and he had two rushing touchdowns against B-E.
Lane Evans was a key performer for Barnwell against B-E averaging 41 yards on four punts, including one punt downed at the one-yard line late in the game. On the season Evans has a 40-yard average on 8 punts. He had made 10-of-11 PAT’s and one FG from 41-yards.
Logan Sturkie caught four passes for 26 yards against B-E and he now has seven catches for 87 yards and one TD on the season. Jaquan Peeples caught one pass for 15 yards against B-E and he now has caught seven passes for 80 yards on the season. Kahzeer Wesley has two catches for 46 yards this season.
Barnwell runs an East Coast 3-4 defense Jalen Carter is at nose-guard and the boundary end was Henri Creech for this game along with field end Adrain Cochran. Thomas was at Mike LB and the Will LB is Jeremiah Eaddy and the jack LB is Logan Sturkie and the Sam LB is Jordan Peeples. The CB’s are soph Jayden Pinkney and Jaquan Peeples and soph Jayden Peeples. The double safeties are soph Damahjai Devoe and the boundary safety is William Robinson.
Against B-E the Barnwell tackle index was led by Devoe who had 13 tackles while Eady and Robinson had 10 tackles respectively. Thomas had 8 tackles while Creech had 8 stops and two sacks to his credit. Sturkie contributed five tackles and two sacks and Jordan Peeples had four hits and one sack.
After three games of the season the tackle leaders were: Devoe (28), Thomas (25-1 sack), Robinson (24), Eady (22), Sturkie (21-3 sacks) and Jordan Peeples (18).
