The Bulloch Academy Gators made it worth the wait for their fans. The Gators were scheduled to play Claxton Friday, but a torrential downpour caused the two teams to decide to postpone the game until Tuesday evening. With pleasant temperatures in the 70’s the Gators jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead and went on to defeat Claxton 34-0 to improve to 2-0 on the season.
“The biggest obstacle was playing on a Tuesday night,” said Gator coach Aaron Phillips. “You are out of a routine, but we have to be a little better mentally prepared. I thought at times we played well on offense and defense but I didn’t think we were consistent. Hats off to Claxton, but we are going to start playing better teams and we have to be more focused for an entire game.”
The win was the Gators 14th in a row dating back to their perfect 12-0 season from a year ago. Sam Hubbard helped get the offense jumpstarted with a 32-yard run to begin the contest. Rocco Reiss capped the scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown. Case Woodrum’s extra point gave the Gators a 7-0 lead.
Claxton struggled offensively on their first possession and forced to punt, a bad snap sailed into the end zone. The Tigers got a great effort by punter Moises Maldonado to get the kick off, but the Gators recovered inside the 20-yard line. This drive culminated in a two-yard touchdown run by Danye Garvin for a 14-0 lead.
The ball continued to fall the right way for the Gators as for the second straight game a tipped ball resulted in a Gator reception. Quarterback Sam Hubbard completed a 16-yard pass to Reiss off the fingertips of a Claxton defender for a first down inside the 15-yard line. Garvin once again capped the scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown for a 20-0 Gator lead as the 2-point conversion failed.
Bulloch Academy added another score before the half as Hubbard took off around the right side for an 18-yard touchdown run and a 27-0 halftime lead.
In the third the Gators added a score through the air as Hubbard rolled left and found Billy Crider for a 20-yard touchdown and the final points of the game. Claxton ate up the rest of the third quarter and much of the fourth quarter with a time-consuming drive which did not result in points as they failed on a fourth and 10 pass attempt from the Gator 16-yard line.
Phillips was happy with the win but still sees room for improvement going into next week.
“I like this team and I like where we are going,” Phillips said. “We have to remind our players that a lion uses all of his might even when he kills a rabbit. We have to play to our level and never play down no matter if it’s a Tuesday or a Sunday. No matter who we are playing or where, the level and expectation has to be the same.”
Next up for the Gators they travel to Robert Toombs for a Thursday night contest Sept. 4 at 7:30 in Lyons.
