ALMA – Bacon County leaned on a bruising, clock-draining rushing attack Friday night to shut out Brantley County 20-0 in the 2026 season opener for both schools here Friday night.
The Red Raiders (1-0) controlled the line of scrimmage from the opening kick and never let the Herons (0-1) find offensive rhythm.
“Bacon County’s offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and dictated the pace of play,” said Herons head coach Matt Hickox. “That was their (Red Raiders) best team I’ve seen since I’ve gotten into coaching. (Head coach) Thad (Williams) has done a great job over there changing the culture.
“I’m extremely proud of how we played and we did not give up. Our guys played hard. We got dinged with some injuries had some critical penalties that didn’t allow us to get any momentum.
“It was a tough loss. There are things that need to be cleaned up after watching the film. We’ll definitely learn from this game.”
Bacon County piled up 237 rushing yards on 48 carries and held the ball for nearly 30 minutes, a formula that steadily wore down Brantley’s defense and defined the night.
Following a scoreless opening 12 minutes and a stretch of the first 23 minutes of action, the Red Raiders struck first just 54 seconds before intermission. Keyondric Dixon capped a short three-play drive with a seven-yard touchdown run.
During third quarter action after a defensive stop, the Red Raiders put together a long, methodical march. Demetrius Iverson capped the possession powering in from five yards out to give the Raiders a 14–0 advantage.
Jamon Ellis (eight carries, 64 yards) capped the evening’s scoring with a final 21-yard touchdown burst midway through the fourth quarter which put the game out of reach.
Iverson was the Bacon County workhorse all night, finishing with 16 carries for 92 yards. He repeatedly broke tackles and extended drives.
Running mate Jamon Ellis added 64 yards on eight carries, including a decisive 21-yard touchdown burst midway through the fourth quarter which put the game out of reach.
Keyondric Dixon contributed 52 yards on eight attempts, giving Bacon County a three-headed rushing attack the Herons struggled to contain.
Brantley County moved the ball in stretches — particularly in the first half — but penalties and turnovers repeatedly stalled promising possessions. The Herons finished with 141 total yards, including 83 on the ground, but lost two fumbles and threw one interception, erasing opportunities to close the gap.
Quarterbacks J.T. Johns and Clark Carter combined for 58 passing yards, with Johns completing 4of-12 attempts. Carter finished with two completions for 31 yards.
Jayden Byron led Herons’ receivers with two catches for 33 yards, while Garrett Cox added two for 14.
Bacon County quarterback Scottland Hennesey managed the game efficiently, completing 5-of-12 passes for 113 yards without an interception. His biggest strike came on a 39-yard completion late in the second quarter, flipping field position and setting up Bacon County’s second touchdown drive.
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