Stanley McManus (10) rolls out and fires in first-quarter action Friday. (Photo/DeAnna Robinson)
CAYCE – Forty-eight minutes was not enough for the Bearcats of Brookland-Cayce to christen their new stadium with a win in the suffocating heat Friday night against a Fairfield Central squad feeling their way around for the first time behind sophomore quarterback Stanley McManus. One overtime would also not quite do the trick, as both teams failed to boot in a potential game-winning field goal.
But in the second extra frame the Bearcats closed the deal, thwarting Fairfield Central’s 2-point conversion attempt to hang on to a 29-28 win.
Brookland-Cayce’s Trey Pringle scored from 1 yard out on a fourth-and-goal in the second OT and David Kaprowski’s kick gave the ‘Cats a 29-22 edge. The Griffins answered, with McManus tucking the ball on second down and carrying it in from 3-yards out on Fairfield’s possession, bringing the Griffins to within a point, 29-28. A PAT from freshly minted kicker Isaisa Leon, who had nailed a pair of field goals from 18 and 29 yards out in regulation, as well as two extra points, would send the game into a third OT. But Fairfield Central head coach Demetrius Davis rolled the dice and went for the win.
“We had missed (two) kicks in a row and my guy, he hasn’t been kicking but for a week, so I didn’t want to put him in that situation,” Davis said. “I thought we had a good play called, and I said when we scored we were going to go for 2. If we would have kicked it and missed (three) in a row I would have kicked myself for not going for it. It was the call I made, it didn’t work, and it’s on me. I told (Leon) it was my fault. I’ll take the blame for that one.”
A potential 27-yard game winner sailed wide of the uprights as the clock expired in regulation, with the Griffins rushing to snap the ball before time ran out. A 20-yard attempt in the first overtime also went wide.
The 2-point attempt developed perfectly, with McManus dropping back and finding a receiver cutting across the middle in the back of the end zone. A Brookland-Cayce defender latched onto the receiver’s jersey, but drew no flags from the officials and McManus’s pass sailed just out of reach.
“I thought the guy grabbed him,” Davis said, “but if the official didn’t call it, it wasn’t holding.”
Statistically, the Griffins pounded Brookland-Cayce to death, holding the Bearcat offense to zero first downs, zero passing yards and only 32 rushing yards in the first half. Nevertheless, the ‘Cats somehow took a 14-12 lead into the locker room.
“We turned the ball over too much early. In the first half, we were only down 2 points and we turned the ball over twice in the red zone,” Davis said. “If we don’t turn the ball over, this game isn’t even close. But that’s part of it. We’ve got to grow from this. We’ve got to learn from this.”
Brookland-Cayce’s Sammy Lykes scooped up a McManus fumble at the Bearcat 5 with 3:22 to go in the first quarter, returning it to the Fairfield Central 19. On B-C’s first ensuing play from scrimmage, DeJon Amaker took a reverse toss into the end zone, with Kaprowski’s kick giving the ‘Cats a 7-2 lead.
Danny William recovered a Shadarius Hopkins fumble for the ‘Cats at the Griffin 25 with 1:38 left in the second quarter, setting up a reverse pitch pass from Thomas Scott to Amaker, again on B-C’s first ensuing snap.
“Defensively, I thought we played well enough to win the game,” Davis said. “Offensively, we just turned the ball over too much.”
The Griffins appeared to have put the game away late when Chad Sampson exploded into the end zone from 35 yards out with 4:46 remaining. Leon’s kick gave Fairfield a 22-14 cushion, but the Bearcats followed with an impressive drive from their own 27 down to the Griffin 31.
It was Amaker once more who burned the Griffins, hauling in a 31-yard pass from Kozie Brown in the back of the end zone – a tumbling circus catch with 1:12 left in the game. Scott rammed in the 2-point conversion, setting up the double-OT.
The Griffins travel to Chester this week to face the Cyclones, who beat Lewisville 28-6 on the road last Friday.
Scoring
First Quarter
FC – Team safety (7:12)
BC – DeJon Amaker 19 run. David Kaprowski kick. (3:12)
Second Quarter
FC – Isaisa Leon 29 FG (11:05)
FC – Markell Whitaker 8 run. I. Leon kick. (3:12)
BC – D. Amaker 25 pass from Thomas Scott. D. Kaprowski kick. (1:30)
Third Quarter
FC – I. Leon 18 FG. (6:57)
Fourth Quarter
FC – Chad Sampson 35 run. I. Leon kick. (4:46)
BC – D. Amaker 31 pass from Kozie Brown. T. Scott 3 run. (1:12)
OT2
BC – Tay Pringle 1 run. D. Kaprowski kick. (0:00)
FC – Stanley McManus 3 run. Pass failed. (0:00)
Team Stats
FC BC
First Downs 22 9
Rushes/Yards 57-268 32-135
Passing Yards 140 106
C-A-I-TD 11-19-1-0 9-23-1-2
Fumbles/Lost 2-2 3-1
Penalties/Yards 7-65 13-110
Individual Stats
Rushing: FC – Joe Young 30-106, Stanley McManus 18-77, Josh Bell 4-21, Markell Whitaker 1-8, Shadarius Hopkins 1-0, Chad Sampson 5-56. BC – Tiras Myers 14-42, Charles Balkcom 5-33, DaJon Amaker 1-19, Kozie Brown 4-7, Cam Brown 6-30, Thomas Scott 1-3, Tay Pringle 1-1.
Receiving: FC – Joe Young 1-(-3), Markell Whitaker 1-27, Nik Rikard 4-49, Byron Sampson 1-11, Shadarius Hopkins 1-11, Montego Johnson 2-20, Kidron Deal 1-13. BC – DaJon Amaker 6-92, Charles Balkcom 1-13, Tiras Myers 1-(-1), Cam Brown 1-2.
Passing: FC – Stanely McManus 11-18, 140 yards, INT; Joe Young 0-1. BC – Kozie Brown 8-22, 81 yards, INT, TD; Thomas Scott 1-1, 25 yards, TD.
