The Bulloch Academy Gators and Pinewood Patriots rivalry matchup has typically taken place at the end of the season. Friday night the two teams battled at Gator Alley with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, and it would be the Gators turning up the heat even more as they shut down the Pats offense and managed to score at will with a 44-6 win to start the season 1-0.

A balanced Bulloch Academy offensive attack saw B.J. Smart lead the way with a pair of scores while Sam Hubbard, Rocco Reiss, Connor Perry and Edward Nguyen all scored rushing touchdowns for the Gators.

Head coach Aaron Phillips was pleased with the way his defense played but felt the offense committed a few too many penalties, a few of which negated touchdowns.

“It was just too sloppy out there on offense,” Phillips said. “I’m not sure how many of those are actual penalties but we have to do better on offense. I thought when we didn’t get called, we did some pretty good things. I really like the way our defense played tonight. We were physical and we stopped the run. I know their quarterback got hurt but I feel like we still would have been able to stop them.”

The Gators started the scoring as they marched down field and Rocco Reiss walked into the end zone for an apparent touchdown. A holding call brought the ball back and the Gators would eventually have to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Case Woodrum for a 3-0 lead.

The defense held on Pinewood’s next possession and quarterback Sam Hubbard hooked up with Billy Crider on a 35-yard pass inside the Pinewood 10-yard line. Hubbard capped the scoring with an eight-yard run for a 10-0 lead. A BA fumble after a Pinewood punt gave the Patriots the ball at the Gator 17-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage quarterback Sam Wasson hit Kaiden Kirkland in the end zone to cut the lead to 10-6 as the extra point failed.

Wasson would leave the game in the second quarter with an apparent hip injury and would not return. Meanwhile the Gators added a pair of B.J. Smart touchdown runs with one being set up by a 37-yard run by Reiss and the other after a 40-yard punt return from Crider as they took a 24-6 halftime lead.

In the third quarter Connor Perry scored on a three-yard run to push the lead to 31-6. Reiss finally got into the end zone for a touchdown that counted from six yards out to make it 38-6. In the fourth Edward Nguyen added the finishing touch breaking free for the longest score of the game as he sprinted 38-yards into the end zone for the final points on a 44-6 victory.

“We will celebrate this win but we know we are playing a really good team next week as we host Brentwood,” Phillips said. “We have some things to clean up but I have confidence in our coaching staff and players to get the job done.”