Belton-Honea Path hopes to get over the hump in AAA state championship game
Bears go up against Oceanside Collegiate again
Honea Path – As soon as the clock hit all 0s in Belton-Honea Path High School’s 35-17 loss to Oceanside Collegiate Academy in the AAA footall state championship game last season, the Bears players and coaching staff put all that behind them.
“As soon as the game ended last year, we turned our attention to this season,” said BHP head coach Russell Blackston.
And Belton-Honea Path has paid fine attention to detail. It is 14-0 on the season and has defended its upper state championship to get back to the title game. The Bears will again take on OCA on Friday, December 5, beginning at 12:06 p.m. at South Carolina State’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg.
“We had six starters back on offense, six on defense,” Blackston said. “Our job was to get back to this point. This group of seniors has 50 wins, five bad ones. This is where we expected to be.”
Of course, BHP wants to finish the job and win its first state title since 2004. The Landsharks again present a difficult challenge as they have reeled off 12 straight wins after losing their first two games of the season, 35-28 to AAAAA Division II lower state champion Irmo and 59-49 to 11-1 Calvary Day of Savannah, Georgia, which is still alive in its playoffs Oceanside handed defending AAAAA DI champion Dutch Fork its only loss with a 24-20 triumph.
“I understand they’re a good football team, and they’ve been here before and won several times,” Blackston said. “Our work is cut out for us, but I believe they have their work cut out for them.”
The Bears have scored 679 points, an average of 48.5 points per game. They have allowed just 124 points, an 8.9 average. They’ve scored at least 34 points in each game, while the most points they’ve allowed came in a 55-28 win over Crescent. For better perspective, BHP has allowed just 55 points in the first half and have given up 10 or fewer points in 11 games.
Blackston said the performance of the two units goes hand in hand in Belton-Honea Path’s success.
“We believe defense wins championships, but offense controls the game,” he said.
The defense is a big play unit. It has scored nine touchdowns, five from its 20 interceptions and four from its 15 fumble recoveries. Also, the Bears have 93 tackles for a loss, 27 of them quarterback sacks.
The defense, which operates out of a 4-2-5 base, is led by a pair of seniors selected to play in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl all-star game in defensive tackle Kylan Dixon and linebacker Jakyri Anderson. Dixon has 35 total tackles, a team high 13 TFLs, five sacks and three caused fumbles. Anderson has 52 tackles, 10 TFLs, two sacks, returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, recovered four fumbles, taking one back for a score, and caused one.
Joining Dixon on the line are senior defensive ends Ty Rainey and Kanaza Bryant and junior noseguard Kamarion Glenn. Rainey has 25 tackles, 11 TFLs, a team high seven sacks, one fumble recovery for a scoop and score and one caused fumble, Bryant has 17 tackles, nine TFLs, two FRs, one forced fumble and three sacks, and Glenn has 24 tackles, 10 TFLs and two sacks.
The other linebackers are junior Ty Dubose and senior K J MIles. Dubose leads the team in tackles with 73 to go with 11 TFLs, three sacks, two interceptions, one a Pick 6, two FRs and one caused fumble. Miles has 63 tackles, nine TFLs, one FR for a TD, one interception and four caused fumbles.
The secondary has junior Tajeh Watson
-Martin and freshman Malachi Bohler starting as cornerbacks, junior Dee Chester at strong safety and senior Grady Melton at free safety.
Watson-Martin has four interceptions, two of which resulted in TDs, to go with 25 tackles, two TFLs, one sack and one forced fumble. Bohler has 22 tackles and three picks with one returned for a score. Chester shares the team lead in interceptions with Watson-Marin at four to go with 25 tackles, four TFLS one FR that was a scoop and score and one caused fumble. Melton has 28 tackles, two TFLs and one forced fumble.
The Bears have a balanced offensive attack, rushing for 231.4 yards per game and passing for 157.3. Leading the way is senior quarterback Noah Thomas.
A 3-year starter, Thomas has completed 145 of 221 passes for 2,098 yards and 32 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He is the second leading rusher with 709 yards and 11 touchdowns on 80 carries.
“Noah’s a team captain, so he’s a leader on this team,” Blackston said. “He’s grown each year, gotten bigger, faster, stronger. I believe he's a student of the game, a sponge just soaking everything in. He’s a great game manager, and he can go win the game as well.”
Watson-Martin and junior Jaden Glenn are the starting wide receivers, while sophomore Nick Sargent and junior Brody Riddle start at the tight end slots. Watson-Martin is a big play threat with 53 catches for 996 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Glenn has 24 receptions for 337 yards and seven TDs. Sargent has seven catches for 70 yards and three scores.
Senior MJ Earl is the starter at running back. He had big shoes to fill with the graduation of Marquise Henderson, the school’s leading rusher. He has done a good job with 1,209 yards and 24 touchdowns on 146 carries and nine catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Opening the holes and providing the protection is an offensive line led by senior guards Keylan Dixon and Keagan Mosher, both 4-year starters. Dixon is a 4-tme All-Region selection.
Senior center Brady Spearman is a 2-year starter, while junior McCray Pruitt starts at left tackle and 6-foot-5-inch, 330-pound junior Carter Burgess is the right tackle.
Senior Benji Ward is the placekicker, Thomas is the punter, junior Brock Smith is the snapper, senior Rhett Turner is the holder and Watson-Martin is the kick returner.
Ward is 79 of 85 on extra point attempts and 3 of 4 on field goal attempts with a long of 40 yards. Watson is averaging 35.6 yards on five kickoff returns, taking one back for a TD. He’s taken two punts to the house and is averaging 28.3 yards on 11 returns.
Thomas is averaging 34.6 yards on 16 punts.
OFFENSE
QB – 7 Noah Thomas Sr.
RB – 4 MJ Earl Sr.
WR – 5 Tajeh Watson-Martin Jr.
WR – 19 Jaden Glenn Jr.
TE – 18 Nick Sargent So.
TE – 45 Brody Riddle Jr.
LT – 55 McCray Pruitt Jr.
LG – 60 Keagan Mosher Sr.
C – Brady Spearman Sr.
RG – 66 Keylan Dixon Sr.
RT – 72 Carter Burgess Jr.
DEFENSE
DE – 43 Ty Rainey Sr.
DT – 61 Rylan Dixon Sr.
NG – 62 Kamarion Glenn Jr.
DE – 85 Kanaz Bryant Sr.
LB – 8 Ty Dubose Jr.
LB – 23 Jakyri Anderson Sr.
OLB – 6 KJ Miles Sr.
CB – 5 Tajeh Watson-Martin Jr.
CB – 20 Malachi Bohler Fr.
SS – 21 Dee Chester Jr.
FS – 13 Grady Melton Sr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – 30 Benji Ward Sr.
P – 7 Noah Thomas Sr.
Snapper – 32Brock Smith Jr.
Kick Returner -- 5 Tajeh Watson-Martin Jr.
Holder – 14 Rhett Turner Sr.
State Championships
At Oliver C. Dawson Stadium
In Orangeburg
Friday, December 5
3A
Belton-Honea Path (14-0) vs. Oceanside Collegiate (12-2), 12:06 p.m.
1A
Lamar (12-2) vs. Bamberg-Ehrhardt (14-0), 4:06 p.m.
5A Division II
Northwestern (12-1) vs. Irmo (12-1), 7:36 p.m.
Saturday, December 6
4A
South Pointe (13-1) vs. South Florence (13-1), 12:06 p.m.
2A
Strom Thurmond (12-2) vs. Hampton County (11-3), 4:06 p.m.
5A Division I
Dutch Fork (11-1) vs. Summerville (12-2), 7:36 p.m.
