LAGRANGE, Ga. - The Brevard College football team (5-3, 5-0 USA South) took sole possession of first place in the USA South Conference with a 30-20 victory over LaGrange College on Saturday in LaGrange, Georgia.
The victory improved the Tornados to an unblemished 5-0 mark in USA South Conference action this season, as Brevard now sits a half-game ahead of Belhaven University for first place in the conference with two games remaining in the regular season. BC's current five-game win streak matches the program's longest-ever win streak, set back in 2019 when Brevard ended the season winning the last five contests.
Sophomore quarterback Ethan Beamish went 20-for-31 with a pair of touchdown passes and a career-high 315 yards, pushing the Tornado signal caller to the BC single-season passing yardage record in his first year with the program. Beamish has thrown for 2,176 yards through eight games this season, pushing him past previous record-holder O'Shay Carter (2,024 yards, 2017) for the single-season program lead.
Chancellor Lee-Parker toted the ball 14 times for 62 yards and Zackary Orr had a game-high eight catches for 92 yards, WHILE Reggie Taylor II and Cooper Hogan caught touchdown passes. Junior placekicker Hugo Taylor made three field goals and Toby Naylor notched a team-best nine tackles. Robert Dorsey forced a fumble, and the secondary duo of Dylan James and Montrell Stinson each recorded an interception.
LaGrange was able to hold a 190-85 advantage on the ground, but BC's lethal passing game made up the difference as the Tornados outmatched the Panthers through the air, 315-144, giving the Tornados 400 total yards of offense on the day – the seventh time in eight contests that Brevard has eclipsed the 400-yard mark.
The Panthers forced a BC three-and-out before putting together a touchdown score on their first possession of the ballgame. The two sides traded punts on their next possessions before Hugo Taylor nailed a 33-yarder to get the Tornados on the board.
A punt return from graduate defensive back Joc Pledger set the Tornados up in solid field position, and the BC offense capitalized with its first touchdown drive of the day when Beamish connected with Cooper Hogan for a six-yard scoring reception, giving Brevard the lead 10-7.
LaGrange answered right back, using an eight-play, 75-yard drive capped off with a Goldman Butler touchdown run that put the Panthers back on top, 14-10. The Tornados were able to strike back immediately as DJ Taylor ran the ensuing kickoff back 43 yards into Panther territory, and Beamish dialed up his second TD throw of the half – this one to Taylor II on a 43-yard deep strike as the back-and-forth first half continued with Brevard up 17-14.
BC junior defensive back James picked off LaGrange on the very next Panther possession, while Hugo Taylor drilled his second field goal of the half from 32 yards out to push the Tornado advantage to six points, 20-14.
Brevard's defense made a huge impact on the very next LaGrange possession, as sophomore linebacker Baylee Ramey recovered and took a fumble to the house from 21-yards out, extending the BC lead to a 27-14 margin right before half.
The Tornados began the third quarter by taking a drive into the Panther red zone before Hugo Taylor nailed his third field goal of the day from 24-yards out, pushing the advantage to a 16-point margin. BC's defense forced its third and fourth turnovers on the day as Dorsey forced a fumble that was recovered by Hunter Davis, and Stinson picked off a pass to close out the third quarter.
LaGrange put together a touchdown scoring drive late in the fourth quarter, but were unsuccessful on the two-point conversion attempt and subsequent onside kick. Lee-Parker and the Tornado offense iced the game on the final possession, giving BC the 10-point victory.
Brevard returns home for Senior Day on Saturday for a crucial matchup with Huntingdon College at 1 p.m., followed by a trip to Jackson, Mississippi in the final week of the season to take on Belhaven with heavy conference championship implications on the line.
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-BC-