SPRINGFIELD – For the first two and a half quarters, the Statesboro Blue Devils looked as dominant as a football team could look.
Unfortunately for SHS, games last four quarters as the Effingham County Rebels stormed back from a 20-point deficit to win a thriller, 38-34 and hand the Blue Devils their 16th consecutive loss dating back to 2015.
“Our team is hungry for a win so bad,” said SHS Head Coach Jeff Kaiser. “I think tonight we caught ourselves playing not to lose instead of to win.”
The turning point came late in the third quarter with Statesboro leading 34-21. After driving 47 yards, the Blue Devil drive stalled out at the 35. Statesboro elected to attempt a 52-yard field goal by Caleb Dowden.
Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, Dowden’s kick was low and didn’t have the distance. The Rebels had Demonte Lee back in the event of a short kick and he was able to catch the missed field goal at his 7-yard line, run to his left, cut back across the field and race 93 yards for a touchdown and a 10-point swing, cutting the lead to 34-28 with four seconds remaining in the third.
“At times we had that look like a deer caught in the headlights look,” Kaiser said of his team.
The Rebels would take the lead following a Statesboro punt on a short pass that to Demario Gant who made a defender miss and then raced 89 yards for the score.
A late field goal provided the final margin.
This is the second consecutive year that Statesboro has seen a double-digit lead slip away against Effingham County.
The Blue Devils wasted little time establishing their running game early, needing only three plays to march 62 yards and capped off with a Drayton Marsh one-yard touchdown run.
After an exchange of punts, ECHS tied it up on a 76-yard run by Zebrandon Gant.
For the rest of the half, Statesboro dominated both sides of the ball. The Blue Devils racked up 250 yards of offense on the ground and four rushing touchdowns, two by Stacy Fleming and another by Tupac Lanier, as the offensive line was able to create huge holes.
Not to be outdone, the Blue Devil defense held the Rebels to 66 rushing in the first half. Seven of Effingham’s 13 first-half rushing plays were for a loss as the Blue Devils held a 28-7 lead.
The Rebels struck quickly in the third quarter, going 80 yards on six plays culminating with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Demario Gant.
But the Blue Devils responded just as quickly with Lanier breaking off a 64-yard run to give SHS a 34-14 lead with nine minutes remaining in the third.
Lanier and Fleming paced the Blue Devils offense. The duo rushed for 323 yards and four touchdowns on the night. Lanier added another 20 yards receiving on two catches.
Kaiser said he thought the team grew complacent with such a big lead early in the third quarter and that is something the Blue Devils will need to address as the season goes on.
The difference in the second half, Kaiser said, was Effingham making it a point to get Demario Gant more involved. He finished the night with eight catches for 183 yards and a pair of second half touchdowns.
His brother, Zebrandon, led the way on the ground for the Rebels, rushing for 176 yards and two touchdowns of his own on 21 carries.
Statesboro (0-3) will host Appling County (0-2) next Friday.