SPRINGFIELD, Ga. โ The path of a nearby downpour was the first question surrounding Effingham Countyโs season-opening football game Friday night.
But stopping a flood of Houston County points soon became the more pressing question.
The Rebels, despite losing starting quarterback Tucker Perkins to an ankle injury in the first quarter, stayed even for a half. But the Bearsโ offense never relented as ECHS fell 56-42 at Rebel Field.
The teamsโ combined 98 points were the most ever in the Rebelsโ 65-year football history, according to the Georgia High School Football Historian website, topping the 96 points scored last season in a 58-38 loss to Lakeside Evans.
โIt was like watching an old run-and-shoot game from the โ80s,โ ECHS coach John Ford said. โOr a run-and-gun basketball team where itโs just fast breaks all game. Thatโs what it felt like. Credit to them. โฆ They have a bunch of really good players. Thatโs a really good team.โ
Bears Take Controlย
Houston, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A by ScoreAtlanta, broke open a wild 35-35 halftime deadlock by dominating the third quarter (168 to -4 in total yardage) and scoring on two of its three possessions.
The Bears, who finished with 567 yards and nine plays of 20 or more yards, scored on seven of their first 10 possessions and added a defensive touchdown. It was the sequel to last seasonโs similarly offensive-minded 44-41 Houston win in Warner Robins.
Swinney Steps In
ECHS didnโt back down from the first-half firefight in the surprisingly light rain. Perkins threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah โZekeโ Brown on the third play of the game and ran eight yards for a second score on the Rebelsโ third possession.
With the score tied at 14, Perkins suffered an ankle injury while scrambling to escape the Bearsโ pass rush with about three minutes left in the first quarter.
โIt feels a lot better now than it did. I think Iโll be OK,โ Perkins said after the game.
Ford said Perkinsโ ankle would be further evaluated over the weekend.
Perkinsโ loss thrust Kris Swinney into action, and the junior led touchdown drives on three straight possessions. ECHS remained tied at 21-21, 28-28 and 35-35 to end the half.
Swinney had rushing touchdowns of 20, 1 and 3 yards and threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Trayvis Hunter. He finished with 50 rushing yards on 13 carries and completed 4 of 7 passes for 55 yards.
โGoing in, they prepared me enough in practice so I knew what was going on,โ said Swinney, who started at cornerback. โI tried to execute the game plan the best I could.โ
Ford said he had confidence in Swinney, who quarterbacked Ebenezer Middle School to a championship three years ago.
โI like Kris. Heโs the ultimate competitor. Heโs made of the right stuff,โ Ford said. โThere was no doubt in my mind he was going to come in and compete his guts out. Thereโs not many kids better than him on Planet Earth.โ
Rebelsโ Highlights
Jmere Doe-Davis led the Rebels with 66 rushing yards on nine carries. Brown, a sophomore, had three catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Sophomore Jordan Mydell returned kickoffs 40 and 34 yards to set up ECHS touchdowns in the first half.
Ultimately, the Bears (2-0) found a way to slow down the Rebels while keeping their feet on the offensive gas. Houston sophomore quarterback Ryan Maxwell completed 12 of 23 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Colin Anderson had 195 yards and two scores on 12 carries and added a 58-yard TD catch.
โWeโre a little undersized on defense. We know that. Weโll keep pushing,โ Ford said.
ECHS (0-1) will be back in action next Friday at New Hampstead.
