Statesboro head coach Matt Dobson has talked about the process of learning how to win for the Statesboro football team.
Friday hosting Evans, the Blue Devils fumbled at the one-yard line up by one score in the fourth quarter. In the past that could have led to points for the opposition and a possible loss. Friday the Blue Devil defense found a way to make some big stops and the Blue Devils came out with a big 21-13 region win to move to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in region play.
“I’m excited for our guys as they battled their butts off,” Dobson said. “It was kind of a tale of two halves as we both scored all our points in the first half, and our defense really came up big in the second half.”
Statesboro started the game strong mixing the run and the pass with some misdirection and quick slants. The Blue Devils kept their drive alive as Beckham Jarrard connected with Davis Harrison for a first down on a fourth and 10 from the Evans 23-yard line. The Blue Devils capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run from Chop Heath for a 7-0 lead, with Mason Sellers adding the extra point.
While Statesboro’s drive ate up over seven minutes of the clock, Evans scored on four plays as Bryson Crewe got free for a 48-yard touchdown and the Knights trailed 7-6 when the extra point was blocked.
Statesboro was able to respond on their next drive. Jarrard connected with Gage Newsome on a big fourth down play. Newsome (7 catches for 92-yards) made another nice grab on third and 12, getting down to the Evans two-yard line. On fourth and goal from the four-yard line, Jarrard rolled out and found a wide-open T.Y. Chambers for a touchdown pass and a 14-7 Statesboro lead.
Evans took only one play to score on their next possession. Breyden Johnson took off down the far side of the field, outrunning the Blue Devil defense for a 54-yard touchdown. The extra point was successful, cutting the lead to 14-13.
The Statesboro defense finally slowed down Evans and stopped them on a fourth and two from the Statesboro 22-yard line.
The offense then moved down field with Chambers taking a short pass from Jarrard for 40-yards to the Evans 40-yard line. The Blue Devils converted on another fourth down and were five for five in the game. Capping the drive, Chambers scored on a two-yard touchdown for a 21-13 halftime lead.
“We thought we had some matchups we could win on the perimeter,” Dobson said. “Guys like Gage Newsome made some great plays and had a great game. We went empty as we thought we could throw on them and Beckham played solid.”
In the second half, the Knights drove inside the Blue Devil red-zone twice but were stopped by a pair of turnovers. Jovon Gibson picked off quarterback E.J. Hogan in the end zone. Evans was penalized 15-yards on the same play as UGA commit Mason Short lost his cool and tackled Gibson by his face mask ripping off his helmet in the process.
The Blue Devil defense then caused a fumble which was recovered by Ashton Scott at the Statesboro 20-yard line.
The Statesboro offense put together a long drive in the fourth quarter with a 15-yard pass from Jarrard to Newsome getting down to the one-foot line, but on second and goal, the exchange was fumbled and Evans took over.
The Knights got as close as the Statesboro 25-yard line with 4:20 to go in the game, but a fourth and seven pass from quarterback Jackson Swint was overthrown in the end zone and the Blue Devils were able to run out the clock.
“I would have loved to have put that one in the end zone and had a two-score lead,” Dobson said. “I’m proud of how our defense responded though making a stop on fourth down.”
The win keeps the Blue Devils postseason hopes alive as they still have three games left starting with next Friday on the road at winless South Effingham.
