NASVHILLE — Berrien ended a five-game losing streak keeping Brantley County winless for the season posting a 33-6 Region 1A home victory here Friday night.
The Rebels’ (3-6 overall, 1-4 region) win was also their first in region play. They close out the regular season traveling to fifthranked Thomasville (6-3, 3-2).
The Herons (0-9, 0-5) ended a streak of six consecutive shutouts covering 28 quarters (356 minutes, 44 seconds) between touchdowns with a second period score.
Brantley County host Bacon County (4-5, 1-4) Friday night looking to avoid the third 0-10 season (2000 - 0-10, 2001 010) in school history and fifth winless season overall (1977 - 0-9-1, 1994 - 09).
Berrien unleashed a power running game against the Herons piling up 300 yards on 37 tries. Senior running back Gene Watson accumulated 151 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown over two quarters.
Junior quarterback Cash Perkins rushed for 80 yards on five attempts with a touchdown. He completed 4-of-11 passes for 58 yards and two scores — all to junior wide receiver Cole Stone.
“We’re very disappointed in the outcome ,” said head coach David Shores. “Going into the game, I felt like we matched up better against Berrien and had a real chance to win. I told the kids all week whoever prepared the best would win the game. It was evident early on Berrien took practice and preparation more seriously than we did.
“Defensively, we played terrible versus the run. We made a couple of critical errors on special teams that hurt our cause. We have to learn to play with more DISCIPLINE and that can’t begin on Friday night.”
The Herons had one of their more productive nights despite the setback. They gained 143 yards on 32 rushes with senior quarterback Kaden Hendrix leading the way with 71 yards on 11 tries.
Senior running back Mason Kicklighter followed with 45 yards on 11 carries. Malichi Saunders finished with 23 yards on seven attempts.
“We had our best offensive night since early in the season,” Shores said. “We rushed for nearly 150 yards and threw for nearly 60 yards.”
Berrien scored the first time it touched the ball taking the opening kick 80 yards in eight plays. Watson, who gained 118 yards on 12 carries in the opening stanza, had a 23-yard run in the drive with Perkins following with a 24-yard burst moving the ball to the Herons’ 16.
The Rebels needed two plays to score with Perkins doing the honors from eight yards out finding a hole at left guard. Tallan Collins stormed around right end to block Connor Bullard’s PAT leaving the score at 6-0.
BCHS nearly answered on its opening possession moving the Herons’ 39 down to the Berrien 15 before stalling. Hickox kick started the drive with a 20-yard keep on the initial snap.
The Herons picked up three first downs converting a third-and-two to keep the drive alive. Facing fourth-and-seven at the Rebels’ 15, Aiden Kratzer’s 32-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Berrien’s Stone.
The Rebels followed with a six-play, 78-yard drive with Watson carrying on each play. A 27yard gallop set up a 19-yard touchdown around left end on the ensuing snap. Brantley County stopped Watson on the two-point run with score remaining 12-0.
Berrien followed a three-and-out by the Herons with a nine-play, 62-yard scoring drive in building a 20-0 lead. The touchdown came via a pass, the only one in the possession, from Perkins to Stone covering 22 yards on a third-and-seven play. Perkins was able to get across the goal line for the two-point conversion.
Brantley County answered with its first touchdown since the opening period of Game 2 against
YARDSTIICK
Brantley County 0 6 0 0 - 6 Berrien 12 14 7 0 - 33 SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter BHS - Cash Perkins 8 run (kick blocked) BHS - Gene Watson 19 run (run failed)
Second Quarter BHS - Cole Stone 22 pass from Perkins (Perkins run) BCHS - Dennis Raulerson 20 pass from Kaden Hendrix (kick failed) BHS - Stone 10 pass from Perkins (pass failed) Third Quarter BHS - Perkins 22 run (Connor Bullard kick) BCHS BHS First downs 14 21 Rushes-yards 32-143 37-300 Passing yards 53 58 Total yards 196 358 Comp-Att-Int 4-13-0 4-12-0 Punts-Avg 1-40.0 1-30.0 Fumbles-lost 3-1 0-0 Penalties 11-81 8-60 3rd Down Con. 6-of-10 6-of-8 4th Down Con. 0-of-2 0-of-0 Time of Poss. —- —- INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING – BCHS: Hendrix 11-71, M. Kicklighter 11-45, Saunders 723, Hutcherson 3-4. BHS: Watson 20-151, Perkins 5-80, Flowers 439, Conner 8-30.
PASSING – BCHS: Hendrix 3-11-0 30, Byron 1-2-0 23. BHS: Perkins 4-12-0 58.
RECEIVING — BCHS: Saunders 123, Raulerson 1-20, Collins 1-8, H. Kicklightr 1-2. BHS: Stone 458.
Dennis Raulerson slips the tackle attempt of a Berrien defender to score Brantley County’s first touchdown in 28 quarters. Raulerson pulled in Caden Hendrix’s pass around the Rebels’ 10 scoring on a 20-yard pass play. SPECIAL PHOTO
Windsor Forest. Saunders scored on an 80-yard run with 10:12 on the first quarter clock giving the Herons a 6-0 lead.
This time BCHS put together an 11-play, 65-yard drive converting three third-down plays — two coming on third-and-10. Jaden Byron (1-2-0, 23) connected with Saunders for 23 yards on the first conversion.
Kicklighter kept the chains moving with a four-yard gain on thirdand- four. Brantley County’s touchdown came on a third-and-10 with Hickox (3-11-0, 30 yards) connecting with tight end Dennis Raulerson, running a skinny post pattern, for a 20yard score with 1:28 left in the first half. Kratzer’s PAT was ruled no good with the score remaining 20-6.
The Rebels got a gift setting up its last score of the half. Following a punt after a three-and-out, the ball bounced off the leg of a Brantley County player with Berrien making the recovery at its own 47.
Perkins connected with Stone for 24 yards on the first snap and ripped off a 25-yard run three plays later on a third-and-10 moving the ball down to the BCHS four.
The Rebels eventually scored on a third-andgoal pass from Perkins to Stone covering 10 yards. The pass for the twopoint conversion fell incomplete with Berrien taking a 26-6 lead to the lockerroom.
Berrien scored the final points of the night after the Herons turned the ball over on downs at the Rebels’ 30. The home team moved 70 yards in six plays scoring the touchdown on Perkins’ 22-yard run. Bullard tacked on the PAT for a 33-6 advantage.
Brantley County crossed midfield on its second possession of the half as well before turning the ball over on downs at the Rebels’ 48.
