GUYTON, Ga. โ South Effingham freshman quarterback Liam Coburn decided to do something about his teamโs struggling offense Friday night.
Facing third-and-long early in the fourth quarter, Coburn, not known for scrambling, took off out of the pocket and hit a defensive back so hard the defenderโs helmet flew off.
The Mustangs bench erupted, and the hit provided some much-needed energy.
โI think our team is in a much better spot,โ South coach Loren Purvis said. โThey care. They understand what it takes.โ
The Mustangs couldnโt overcome a sluggish start and lost their season opener to New Hampstead 14-6. But the display of passion โ often missing during the winless 2024 season โ was readily apparent.
โWe have nine more games left, and I think weโre going to build off this,โ Coburn said. โThis is a different team than in the past.โย
A pregame downpour and flashes of lightning in the area delayed kickoff for about an hour and a half. The game ended at 11:52 p.m.
Defense Keeps Game Close
Once the game started, Southโs defense kept things close with four stops inside the red zone. The offense eventually scored on Maddox Vasquezโs 2-yard touchdown run with 5:58 left.But the Mustangs couldnโt stop Phoenix running back Christian Kinlaw, who scored on runs of 31 and 20 yards and caught a two-point conversion from quarterback Erik Hockman to build a 14-0 lead through three quarters.
Kinlaw did most of his damage during the final three quarters, running for 160 yards on 18 carries. A year ago, New Hampstead rang up 56 points against South Effingham.
โI was very proud of the defense,โ Mustangs middle linebacker Corey Woods said. โI think we took a major step as a defense. We had more energy. I love that. We all did our one eleven.โ
Woods explained the team phrase โdoing your one elevenโ means there are 11 defenders on the field. You do your one job and trust your other 10 teammates to do theirs.
Special Teams, Offense Struggle
But South's special teams and offense couldnโt find traction. Special teams missed a short field goal and an extra-point kick after a touchdown, had a snap hit an upback during a punt formation, and surrendered an onside kick during a kickoff.The offense had just two first downs until the final drive of the third quarter. Coburnโs 10-yard scramble and big hitโand a subsequent helmet-to-helmet 15-yard penalty assessed to the New Hampstead defenseโhighlighted Southโs 11-play, 54-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter.
โI rolled out and saw a dude and I thought, โIโm going to get my lick on him.โ It got the energy going,โ Coburn said. โWe got a little momentum going, and we were gaining confidence as the game went on.โ
Heart-Stopping Moment
After the touchdown drive, Southโs defense stopped New Hampstead at South's 19. On the Mustangsโ next offensive play, Woods just missed making a big play when he couldnโt haul in Coburnโs pass after gaining a step on the defender on a fly pattern.โIโm going to move on from it,โ Woods said. โIโm going to catch more balls in practice, and the next time I get that opportunity, Iโll be good.โ
South had a last possession deep in its own territory in the final minute. Mustangs wide receiver Landyn White caught a short pass, took a hit on the sidelines, and laid motionless before responding to medical personnel, Purvis said. White was taken off the field on a stretcher and into an ambulance.
It was a sobbing moment that shook up players and coaches. Purvis tried his best to put the game in perspective in the silent locker room.
โThe kids came out and competed. You can build on that,โ he said.
