TA BA
First Downs 11 16
Rush Yards 23-63 36-350
Pass Yards 131 51
Total Yards 194 401
Passing 14-19-0 2-4-0
Penalties 2-20 6-50
Individual Leaders
Rushing: BA: Averitt — 11-155, Evans — 4-62, Waters — 7-53; TA: Mims — 10-43
Passing: BA: Waters — 2-3-0-0, 51; TA: Flick 8-13-0-1, 86, Mangelsdorf 6-6-0-0, 45
Receiving: BA: Evans — 2-51; TA: Mann — 5-61, Hardy — 2-25, Mims 2-18
Tiftarea 0 0 0 7 7
Bulloch 14 14 13 7 48
Scoring
1st Quarter
9:29— Young (BA) 14 run (J.P. Padilla kick)
5:20 — Loy Waters (BA) 1 run (Padilla kick)
2nd Quarter
11:20 — Averitt (BA) 18 run (Padilla kick)
1:52 — Averitt (BA) 5 run (Padilla kick)
3rd Quarter
5:26 — Waters (BA) 1 run (Padilla kick), 5:26
3:36 — Averitt (BA) 25 run (kick failed), 3:36
4th Quarter
11:02 — Evans (BA) 10 run (Padilla kick)
2:12 — Hardy (TA) 20 pass from Rob Flick (Lawton Cooper kick), 2:12
Bulloch Academy turned five Tiftarea fumbles into points Friday night as the Gators pummeled the Panthers 48-7 in the GISA Region 1-AAA opener for both teams.
“We were able to capitalize on everything that they gave us,” said BA head coach Ronnie Hodges. “The offense moved the ball well. Coach (Matt) Meeks (offensive coordinator) had a great game plan.”
Junior Harrison Averitt rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns as the Gators racked up over 300 yards on the ground. Averitt had scoring runs of 25 and 18 yards and even had an 85-yarder called back. The 165-pound speedster had actually been scratched from the starting lineup earlier in the week with a foot injury.
“You couldn’t even tell it,” said Hodges. “He came up to me today and told me he could go.”
But seniors Jaylen Evans and Chris Young, along with junior quarterback Loy Waters, also got into the act. Waters had 53 yards and two one-yard scoring plunges. Young had a 14-yard TD jaunt and Evans added a 10-yard score. On the night, Evans had 62 yards and Young added 53.
“We have more speed and depth in the backfield than I thought we had,” said Hodges. “We are beginning to get the option back into our game. Loy made some great reads. He is stepping up, not letting mistakes bother him and becoming a good leader.”
Bulloch (3-0 overall and 1-0 in region play) ran up a 28-0 halftime score and took a 48-0 lead in the fourth, prompting officials to call for a “running clock” in the final stanza.
The Gators’ first score came after BA went three-plays-and-out on its opening series of the game. A J.P. Padilla punt touched a Tiftarea player and BA’s Andrew Howell alertly fell on the ball at the Panther 38. After a 24-yard pass from Waters to Evans, Young scampered in 14 yards out for the opening score.
On Tiftarea’s first possession of the game, Evans stripped the ball from Ethan Mims at the end of a fine 17-yard run. Evans recovered the fumble at the BA 48. Averitt went to work, ripping off runs of 32, 13 and six yards. Waters had one of his two quarterback sneaks at the 5:20 mark of the first quarter for the 14-0 lead.
Hodges pointed to the blocking of the offensive line and receiving corps as the key to springing Averitt and his stable mates.
“The offensive line did a great job,” he said. “The wide outs are learning to block and did a great job as well.”
The face Deerfield-Windsor next week in Albany.
