Several times over the course of the season, the Bulloch Academy Gators practice wet ball drills in which the coaching staff will keep the footballs wet and make the team practice with them.
“The kids think I’m nuts,” said BA head coach Terence Hennessy.
Those drills paid off Friday night as the Gators were able to overcome a steady first-half rain en route to a 17-0 win over Edmund Burke Academy on Bulloch Academy’s (5-2, 1-0) homecoming night.
Rain played havoc with both teams in the first half, starting out lightly and then steadily growing stronger as the half went on.
The biggest impact of the rain for Bulloch Academy may have been the moving of the crowning of the Homecoming Queen inside the gym during halftime instead of on the football field.
Edmund Burke, (5-2, 1-1) in particular, struggled to maintain possession; losing four fumbles in the half, with them all coming on the exchange between the center and quarterback.
Part of that was likely due to the rain, but part of that was also likely due to a change in the Gator defense this week.
“We switched to a 50 defense and I think it may have messed with their center,” Hennessy said. “They probably didn’t practice against that.
Despite the turnovers, Bulloch Academy had their own issues moving the ball in the first half. It wasn’t until late in the second quarter that the Gators were able to muster any consistent offense.
Leading 3-0, the Gators took possession at their own 42 following the fourth Spartan fumble. Six plays later, junior running back Ty Mingle took a handoff and found a hole up the middle for a 22-yard touchdown, giving Bulloch Academy a 10-0 lead with 36 second left in the half.
In addition to the turnovers, when Edmund Burke was able to hold on to the ball, the found a Gator defense that wasn’t giving anything up. Of the Spartans 11 plays in the first half that didn’t result in a fumble, eight went for either a loss on the play or no gain.
The Spartans lone first down of the half came on a penalty by the Gators as the Spartans were held to zero total yards for the first half.
The second half saw the Gator offense come out and extend their lead. An eight-play, 65 yard drive culminated with Will Aaron finding himself wide open in the middle of the field and catching a pass from his brother, Don Aaron, for a 37 yard score.
From there, Gator defense took over. Despite not forcing any turnovers, they held the Spartans to only two first downs in the second half, none in the fourth quarter, and allowing only 48 total yards on the night.
“We really stressed defense all week after giving up 28 points last week,” Hennessy said.
Offensively, senior Brandon Merrill and Ty Migle paced the Gators. Merrill finished with 63 yards on 18 carries while Mingle added 69 yards on 14 carries.
The win puts the Gators in excellent position as they continue region play for the remainder of the season.
“We’re 1-0 in the region and that’s all you can ask for,” Hennessy said. “We win one more and we’re in the playoffs and we can still win the region. All of our goals that we set out at the beginning of the season are still within reach.”
Bulloch Academy will travel to take on Frederica Academy next Friday.