STATESBORO, Ga. – South Effingham stayed with Statesboro for most of Friday night but couldn’t overcome several costly plays in a 27-17 loss to the Blue Devils at Womack Field.
The setback dropped South (4-5, 4-3 Region 1-5A) into a precarious position in its bid for a state playoff berth. The Mustangs must beat defending champion Brunswick in their regular-season finale and have Glynn Academy lose on the road to Greenbrier to capture the region’s fourth playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Blue Devils (7-2, 6-1) can clinch a region championship with a victory over Effingham County next Friday night.
“We had our chances to win,” SEHS coach Loren Purvis said. “We were right there up until (Statesboro’s) last drive.”
Mustangs strike first
The Mustangs grabbed an early 3-0 lead after a blocked punt set up Adam Alonso’s 23-yard field goal.
Statesboro went ahead 6-3 on running back Keon Childers’ 2-yard touchdown run at the start of the second quarter.
Controversial call looms large
Purvis said the Blue Devils’ backbreaking touchdown just before halftime — which he believed was run from an illegal formation — loomed large in the close game, turning a three-point deficit into a 13-3 hole.
Video showed Statesboro shifting out of field-goal formation to an unbalanced line before completing a touchdown pass.
Purvis said the formation was illegal because the snapper was covered by the guards and that Statesboro had 10 players off the line of scrimmage.
He added that an official later admitted to him that the call was missed.
“It was egregious, and there was nothing we could do,” Purvis said.
Vasquez powers South’s comeback
South fought back with Maddox Vasquez’s 12-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to make it 13-10.
But Statesboro answered later in the quarter when a shanked Mustangs punt was scooped up by Blue Devil Ja’Kori Cope and returned for a touchdown, extending the SEHS deficit back to 10 points.
With nine minutes remaining, Vasquez capped a South drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to trim Statesboro’s lead to 20-17.
Key injuries, late score seal outcome
South’s leading rusher, Khyran White — who suffered a sprained ankle late in the win over Bradwell Institute a week earlier — was limited to just seven carries.
Statesboro sealed the win on Childers’ 25-yard touchdown run with about three minutes to play.
“We’re still a young team and not quite where we want to be, but we’ve gotten better every week,” Purvis said. “Outside of the Glynn game (a 28-2 loss to the Red Terrors), we’ve played everyone tough. I think we’re one of the best four teams in the region.”
