SPORTS REPORT
The Bluffton Bobcats and the May River Sharks ran back their rivalry Friday night in The Den, and it was a Donnybrook to end all Donnybrooks.
The Bobcats eked out a 24-21 win two weeks earlier in The Tank, and this one went down to the wire — and then went some more.
Trading scores early as Bluffton QB Aedan McCarthy punches it in from the 1 before his counterpart Tanner Macy finds some room and breaks free for a 41-yard score to tie it. Then it’s Andrew Johnson finding paydirt from 42 yards for the Sharks, but McCarthy came right back, finding Roman Benjamin for a big gain and then connecting with Benjamin again in the end zone to draw even once more.
McCarthy finished off another drive with a short touchdown run then went to work on the two-minute drill after a defensive stop. He hits Benjamin over the middle, then finds him again for a big gain to put the Cats in field goal range, and then a little razzle dazzle with the quick out to Carnell Warren for the flea flicker and he’s going deep for Benjamin but AJ Hamilton stays home and breaks it up and Bluffton settles for an Ethan Cartmel field goal and a 10-point halftime lead.
Sharks came out swinging in the second half, though, and that’s Gage Duncan into the end zone, but McCarthy and the Bobcats come right back and Nate Ulmer finds a seam and splits it, racing to the end zone to make it a 10-point game again.
May River needed a big play and Asa Haskins provided it, taking the ensuing kickoff back to the Bluffton 30 to set up a Hudson Tanner field goal and make it a one-score game. The Sharks defense came up with a big stop and then Tanner Macy takes over. He punches it in to tie it at 31 and we are headed to overtime.
Sharks up first and Sean Mitchell scores, but McCarthy answers right back, floating one to Warren in the end zone. Double OT.
Bobcats up first this time and McCarthy is under pressure, but he’s able to extend the play and find Nate Ulmer for the score and put the pressure back on May River.
And it’s Macy — they kept him in bubble wrap all season so he was healthy for a playoff run — and he came up huge Friday. He takes it in for the touchdown, and then the Sharks push their chips all in and put it in the hands of their senior three-year starter QB1 and he sends them into the second round with a 46-45 win in double overtime in an instant classic you can watch on the Beaufort’s Own YouTube channel.
The Sharks aren’t the only Lowco team still alive in the Class 4A bracket, as BJ Payne’s Hilton Head Seahawks survived a scare at home to beat Crestwood 19-17. It was another huge game for Troy Timko, who rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Derrick Raniszewski was 13-of-20 for 145 yards and had a game-sealing interception on defense, and Will Jimenez had a monster night on defense including a safety that proved to be the difference.
In the Class 1A bracket, Ridgeland rallied for two touchdowns in the final 13 minutes to force overtime behind senior Wenson Smith, who added the game-winning touchdown in overtime for a 26-20 victory, while Hampton County cruised to a 42-21 win over Woodland in Class 2A.
It was the end of the road for Beaufort High, Battery Creek, Whale Branch and Hardeeville, as well as Hilton Head Christian Academy and Beaufort Academy, who fell in the SCISA semifinals.
Thomas Heyward rallied from a 14-7 deficit and ran away in the second half for a 49-14 win over Dorchester Academy. Tony O’Banner rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries and racked up 14 tackles on defense.
And the May River girls volleyball team did some crazy work in the playoffs to reach its first state championship match, but the Sharks fell short Saturday against powerhouse Pickens. May River was one point away from closing out the third set and taking a 2-1 lead, but the Blue Flame stormed back to steal the swing set and rolled through the fourth to finish off the Sharks for their 16th state title.
Justin Jarrett, Lowco Sports
Last Night in the LowCo
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November 2024
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