No. 3 Benedictine overpowers South Effingham

South Effingham running back/receiver Joell Laldee (5) advances the ball against Benedictine on Friday. - photo by Photo by Gilbert Miller

South Effingham running back/receiver Joell Laldee (5) advances the ball against Benedictine on Friday. - photo by Photo by Gilbert Miller

Effingham Herald

Published: Oct 18, 2021, 10:10 AM

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

GUYTON — For the fourth time this season, South Effingham lined up against a top-five team in Score Atlanta’s weekly football rankings Friday night.

And the Mustangs looked the worse for wear.

“It’s been difficult trying to keep it together,” said coach Nathan Clark after Class AAAA’s No. 3 Benedictine administered a 56-7 setback. “We have a young team. We have good kids who work hard, but it’s obvious they’ve been beaten down.”

SEHS (1-6) lost its fourth straight game. The Mustangs will try to rebound in a Region 2-AAAAAA clash at Statesboro on Friday.

First, they’ll have to flush the BC game from their memory.

And while they’re at it, erase thoughts of their games against Class A’s No. 4 Metter (a 62-31 loss), Class AAA’s No. 5 Appling County (41-10) and Class AAAAAA No. 4 Brunswick (56-21).

South’s other two losses came against teams with superb credentials as well. Glynn Academy took Brunswick to overtime before losing and Effingham County just beat Glynn.

But the BC outing will sting for awhile like a one-punch knockout. The Cadets scored on their first five offensive possessions and had their subs in the game midway through the second quarter.

BC returned an interception for a touchdown and returned a blocked punt for another score.

All in the first half.

BC led 49-7 at halftime and mercifully a running clock shortened the beating.

“It was a good old-fashioned whupping. That’s what that was,” Clark said. “We didn’t play well at all. We weren’t as physical as we needed to be. We didn’t execute on either side of the ball or special teams.

“There are a lot of things we have to improve on.”

South didn’t complete a pass and managed just one first down. The Mustangs had only one snap on BC’s side of the 50 — the result of a Cadets penalty during a punt.

An injury to lineman Nick Milbrandt in the first quarter compounded the night of horror.

Cameron Edwards provided SEHS’ lone highlight, breaking a run up the middle and outracing BC’s secondary for a 65-yard touchdown. Edwards finished with 106 yards on 19 carries.

Meanwhile, the Cadets had a night of highlights. They averaged 14 yards a play while registering 292 yards of total offense in the first half.

Quarterback Holden Geriner, who is committed to Auburn, ran for an 18-yard touchdown and threw a 32-yard TD pass to Luke Kromenhoek.

The Cadets’ other highly regarded star, Justin Thomas, committed to Georgia for baseball, returned an interception 46 yards for touchdown and ran for 61-yard score.

“Hats off to (Benedictine). They have an extremely talented quarterback, extremely talented at the skill positions, a great offensive line. They’re very good upfront defensively and they have a great coaching staff,” Clark said.

SEHS has three games left in its regular season and Clark and his coaching staff face the unenviable task of not letting four setbacks from powerhouse programs affect the next three weeks.

“Our coaching staff will continue to rally (the players),” Clark said. “I don’t think anyone left on the schedule is as good as the people we’ve faced.

“(Losing) has been frustrating and disappointing. I keep telling the kids, ‘Keep working, keep being a good person. You’re going to have adversity in life. Give it the best you can. Something good is on the horizon.’ ”

Latest

Mustangs Show Grit, Look Ahead After Tough Opener

Freshman QB Liam Coburn powers through the defense for tough yardage. His play helped spark the Mustangs. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)

South vs. New Hampstead — Freshman QB Liam Coburn powers through the defense for tough yardage. His play helped spark the Mustangs. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)

Donald Heath

Updated: Aug 16, 2025, 5:22 PM

Published: Aug 16, 2025, 4:39 PM

GUYTON, Ga. – South Effingham freshman quarterback Liam Coburn decided to do something about his team’s 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 defender’s helmet flew off.

The Mustangs bench erupted, and the hit provided some much-needed energy.

“I think our team is in a much better spot,” SEHS coach Loren Purvis said. “They care. They understand what it takes.”

The Mustangs couldn’t overcome a sluggish start and lost their season opener to New Hampstead 14-6. But the display of passion — often missing during the winless 2024 season — was readily apparent.

“We have nine more games left, and I think we’re going to build off this,” Coburn said. “This is a different team than in the past.”

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.

South Effingham vs. New Hampstead — South Effingham’s Alex Cabrera chases down a New Hampstead ball carrier. (Mark Lastinger / Effingham Herald)

Defense Keeps Game Close

Once the game started, South’s defense kept things close with four stops inside the red zone. The offense eventually scored on Maddox Vasquez’s 2-yard touchdown run with 5:58 left.

But the Mustangs couldn’t 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.

“I was very proud of the defense,” Mustangs middle linebacker Corey Woods said. “I think we took a major step as a defense. We had more energy. I love that. We all did our one eleven.”

Woods explained the team phrase “doing your one eleven” 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 SEHS special teams and offense couldn’t 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. Coburn’s 10-yard scramble and big hit—and a subsequent helmet-to-helmet 15-yard penalty assessed to the New Hampstead defense—highlighted South’s 11-play, 54-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter.

“I rolled out and saw a dude and I thought, ‘I’m going to get my lick on him.’ It got the energy going,” Coburn said. “We got a little momentum going, and we were gaining confidence as the game went on.”

Heart-Stopping Moment

After the touchdown drive, South’s defense stopped New Hampstead at the SEHS 19. On the Mustangs’ next offensive play, Woods just missed making a big play when he couldn’t haul in Coburn’s pass after gaining a step on the defender on a fly pattern.

“I’m going to move on from it,” Woods said. “I’m going to catch more balls in practice, and the next time I get that opportunity, I’ll be good.”

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.

“The kids came out and competed. You can build on that,” he said.

Looking Ahead

South now has a bye week next Friday before traveling to Toombs County on Aug. 29.