Bulloch Academy showed why they are the top ranked team in the state, scoring touchdowns on four of their first five possessions and not needing to attempt a single pass en route to a 49-14 win over Strong Rock Christian in the two schools’ first ever meeting.

“The cool thing is everybody knows we’re going to run the football and we don’t have to throw that much and we’re still able to run the football,” said BA head coach Aaron Phillips.

The Gators would finish the night with 420 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

The Gators (6-0), won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Shamar Jenkins’ kickoff return went for more than 60 yards, setting up the Gators at the Patriots’ 23. Four plays later, senior running back Ike Hubbard ran it in from four yards out to give the Gators 7-0 lead following Case Woodrum’s extra point.

Following a fumble on their second possession, the Gators were able to stop the Patriots on a fourth and four at the Gators 44. On the next play, BA running back Danye Garvin took a handoff up the middle and then cut to the left where he was able to outrun the SRC defense for the score. Woodrums PAT extended the lead to 14-0.

Following a Patriots punt, it was Jenkins’ turn to take a handoff in for the score, going 13 yards  to cap off a four-play, 64-yard drive that saw Garvin have back-to-back runs of 21 and 27 yards to set up the score. 

On the following kickoff, the Gators surprised everyone with what appeared to be an onside kick that was fumbled by the Patriots and recovered by BA at the SRC 40. Phillips, however, said that was not a planned play.

“That’s the best miscue we’ve had all season,” he said of the miskick that they were able to recover.

On the first play of the second quarter, BA’s Jenkins went five yards for his second touchdown of the night and essentially put the game out of reach.

Strong Rock cut the lead to 28-7 on their next drive that went 80 yards and was aided by an offsides call when the Patriots had lined up for a 35-yard field goal attempt. They converted on fourth-and-1 and five plays later scored.

Bulloch Academy didn’t waste any time responding. Jenkins initially bobbled the kickoff, but recovered on the left side, cut across the field to the right and raced down to the SRC 27 yard line. 

Four plays later, facing a fourth and one, Garvin took a handoff up the middle, found a hole and scampered into the end zone to extend the Gators’ lead to 35-7 just before halftime.

Garvin, who had two scores and 163 yards on 11 carries just in the first half and ended the game with 239 yards on 16 rushes. 

Danye Garvin had some unbelievable runs,” Phillips said of his running back.

Phillips said the play of his offensive line is the key to their success and will be vital going forward for the Gators.

“You win football games with the guys that play with their hand in the dirt,” he said. “We pride ourselves with having really tough, physical, hard-nosed lunch pail type guys up there. It helps that we average about 272 (pounds).” 

While the Gators dominated most of the game, Phillips said there’s always room to improve. Specifically regarding this game, he said his team needs to do a better job of focusing on themselves and not reacting to comments from the opposition.

“When it’s 42-14 and the only thing the other team has had success doing is talking to us, you can’t get into that. You’ve got to stay quiet,” he said. “We've got to stay focused because it’s bigger now. It’s bigger than them and that’s how we tell them. It’s about us.”

The second half saw the Gators add two scores, one from sophomore quarterback Sam Hubbard and then the first career touchdown for senior Parker Chance.

“He does everything for us,” Phillips said of Chance. “He’s kind of the heartbeat (of our team) and we want to reward him with that. He does all the grunt work, all the dirty work. We get him in there to block a little bit so to get him that first high school touchdown is pretty special.”

The Gators return to action on Friday when they host Tattnall Square Academy in their final non-region game of the season. Kickoff for that game is set for 7:30 at Gator Alley.