Berkeley Shuts Out Cane Bay

By Roger Lee

Contributing Writer

Summerville - A stiff defense and multiple offensive weapons were on display for Berkeley Oct. 23 as the Stags defeated Cane Bay 42-0.

Quarterback Henry Rivers rushed for one touchdown and passed for two others, all in the first half, to help Berkley capture the 2026 5A Region 6 Football Championship, the Stags’ first football title since 2018.

“We’ve put in a ton of work over the four years I’ve been here,” said Berkeley coach Eric Lodge. “We’ve improved almost every single year. Last year we just missed out on a region championship so to see it through this year and finish feels good. We work as hard as anybody so it’s good for them to see their hard work pay off.”



Rivers ran for a 46-yard touchdown and hit Elijah Mitchell and Latroy Washington for a pair of 24-yard TD catches. The second TD pass came with just more than a minute remaining in the second quarter. With a two-point conversion run by Cameron McCue and a PAT kick by Ryland Curwen the Stags took a 21-0 lead into halftime.

Rivers had approximately 130 passing yards in the first two quarters and his legs were a big factor the entire game. Curwen finished 4 for 4 on PAT kicks.

The Stags added a defensive TD and two rushing TDs in the second half. Berkeley improved to 8-1 on the season with a 4-0 mark in the region.

In the third quarter Berkeley’s Copeland President got pressure on the Cobras’ quarterback. While the QB was being taken to the ground for a potential sack, he let loose a desperation heave that Tyren Odoms intercepted and returned approximately 10 yards for a Stags’ TD and 28-0 lead with the ensuing PAT.

In the fourth quarter the Stags scored on a run from inside the 10-yard line and on a 24-yard carry by Marshaun Porchia.

“They have so many weapons so to have a chance to compete with them we would have to play a perfect game and we didn’t,” said Cane Bay coach Russel Zehr. “We played good in the first half but then gave up a score toward the end. In the second half we made too many mistakes.”

Cane Bay dropped to 3-6 on the season with a 1-3 mark in the region. The Cobras wrap up their schedule by hosting Carolina Forest (7-2, 3-1) Oct. 30.

“I give it up to the Cane Bay kids and Coach Zehr,” Lodge said. “He always gets his guys to play hard, which they did tonight. We were just better than them.”

Berkeley travels to Socastee (4-5, 3-1) Oct. 30 looking to complete a clean sweep of its region opponents.