SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — With a region championship on the line Friday night, a lethargic Effingham County team needed a wake-up call.
Senior wide receiver Malik Letman sounded the alarm.
Letman refused to go down after making a catch along the sideline, and his Rebels weren’t about to go down to Greenbrier, either.
Letman’s 49-yard touchdown reception began a 35-point barrage that broke a halftime deadlock, and Effingham County secured its second region title in four years with a 45-10 victory over the Wolfpack.
ECHS (7-3, 6-1 Region 1-6A) earned a top-16 seed and a first-round home game in the upcoming Class 6A state playoffs, which begin next Friday night.
Coach John Ford said the GHSA will announce the playoff brackets Saturday.
“This was a young team. We’re grateful to add to the tradition,” Ford said of the school’s fifth region title (1987, 1990, 1995, 2023 and 2026). “We played two tough teams to start the season, and I think it hardened us for what became a tough, competitive, well-coached region. We’re honored to come out on top.”
Letman sparks second-half surge
At halftime against Greenbrier, the Rebels were tied but trailed in total yardage, 171-135.
Two plays later, the turnaround began.
“The quarterback gave me a great ball. I was telling them it was going to be wide open. I had to execute,” Letman said of his go-ahead touchdown catch.
“That was Malik being Malik. I love seeing him do what he can do,” teammate Kris Swinney said.
On the next possession, linebacker Jackson Eubanks returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown, and the Rebels were off and running.
ECHS outgained Greenbrier 269-54 in the second half. Sophomore quarterback Matthew Dillon completed 10 of 13 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns.
“There wasn’t any panic at halftime. (We said) just do your job,” Ford said. “It was just cleaning up some little things. The defense played with a lot of energy in the second half.”
Penalties, missed chances stall first half
The Rebels had two touchdowns negated by penalties and found themselves in a 10-10 dogfight with the Wolfpack after the first 24 minutes.
A holding penalty wiped out a perfectly executed 9-yard reverse to Trayvis Hunter, taking six points off the board on ECHS' opening possession. In the second quarter, Jmere Doe-Davis’ 2-yard run between the tackles was negated by an illegal shift.
The missed opportunities were costly as the Rebels spent much of the half on the sidelines. Greenbrier running back Brennen Bjorkman led a ball-control attack that produced drives of 61, 65 and 52 yards.
ECHS ran just 16 plays in the first half.
“We just made a couple of dumb mistakes, and (Greenbrier) did a good job possessing the ball and slowing things down,” Ford said.
At halftime, Bjorkman had 118 yards on 15 carries, including a 21-yard touchdown run up the middle that tied the game at 7.
Bjorkman’s touchdown answered Doe-Davis’ 80-yard interception return on a tipped pass for the game's opening score.
The Rebels took a 10-7 lead on Brayden Edwards’ 25-yard field goal with 4:19 left in the half, but the illegal shift penalty had cost them a touchdown.
Greenbrier had just enough time to tie the game on Elijah Shearl’s 34-yard field goal with 7.1 seconds remaining in the half.
Rebels find another gear
But the Rebels found a reserve of energy after halftime.
Three different players scored after Eubanks’ fumble return. KG Fields caught just his second pass of the season for a 33-yard touchdown. Hunter hauled in a 25-yard pass from Dillon, and freshman Bradford Joyner ran 22 yards for the final score.
Edwards made all six extra-point attempts.
And the Rebels were on top of Region 1.
“It was bound to happen. Now we have a new road to go in the playoffs,” Letman said.
