Brevard (0-1, 0-1 USAS) opened its long-awaited 2021 spring season, dropping a narrow decision to USA South Conference foe Huntingdon (1-0, 1-0 USAS), 26-18, despite a spirited comeback attempt in the closing minutes of action on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 26-7 with less than three minutes remaining to play, the Tornados scored 11 points in less than a minute to cut the deficit to an eight-point, 26-18 margin with 1:57 left to play. Huntingdon staved off Brevard's late comeback bid by killing 1:15 off the clock and pinning the Tornados inside their own 5-yard line with less than 40 seconds to play.
Despite a couple of early Huntingdon touchdowns, Brevard's defense impressed in the latter stages of the contest, forcing the Hawks into six punts and holding Huntingdon to a 4-of-16 mark on third-down efficiency. The Tornado defense forced a pair of fumbles (one recovered) in addition to their drive-stalling efforts that included 11 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback sacks.
Senior defensive back Dante Anderson led all players with an 11-tackle performance (seven solo, four assist) in addition to 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Sophomore defensive back Joc Pledger added eight tackles, two tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and a pivotal forced fumble late in the fourth quarter that gave the Tornados new life.
Steffon Canady, Toby Naylor, and Andreas Wyatt added seven tackles each, while Chris Diaz posted a six-tackle performance. Wesley Ross added four tackles, while Jerome Bass, Canady, Diaz, Derek Frazier, Tyler Harrison, Quentin Jackson, and Antonio Williams Jr. all logged tackles for loss. Bass and Williams Jr. each recorded a sack as well.
Junior quarterback Dalton Cole got the start under center for the Tornados, completing 12-of-26 passing attempts for 192 yards and a 30-yard touchdown pass, while also punching the ball in on a two-point conversion. Brevard's rushing attack was well-balanced, with Mitchell Yoder leading the charge with 11 carries for 45 yards. DJ Taylor added an efficient four carries for 44 yards, while Damon Rouse scored BC's first touchdown of the 2021 season – a 20-yard scamper into the end zone. Senior receiver Jamerial Parks caught three passes for 46 yards, while Jonatan Woods and Cedric Brooks each had multi-catch games in their Tornado debuts. Brooks hauled in Cole's 30-yard touchdown strike late in the fourth quarter to help kick-start BC's comeback effort.
Junior kicker Stamati Damalos knocked in a 26-yard field goal and the only extra point that he attempted on the afternoon.
Huntingdon's Landon Cotney totaled 165 yards through the air on 25-of-31 passing and a touchdown while rushing for 84 yards on 13 attempts. Four Hawks enjoyed multi-reception games, while Casey Peppers led their defensive efforts with 10 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a pair of fumble recoveries. Huntingdon's kicker Cole Starr went a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and two-of-two on extra points for a grand total of 14 points scored off his right foot.
The Tornados and Hawks were nearly even in almost every offensive category, with Brevard narrowly edging out the hosts in total yards and passing yards. Huntingdon gained a deciding factor with the five turnovers (three fumbles, two interceptions) that it forced in addition to holding a 10-minute advantage in time of possession.
Huntingdon's Starr capped off a game-opening 13-play, 54-yard drive with a 26-yard field goal that sailed through the uprights to give the hosts the early 3-0 advantage.
Brevard was forced to punt on the ensuing drive, allowing Huntingdon to regain possession near midfield. A seven-play, 48-yard drive resulted in a Cotney touchdown pass to Luke McIntyre in the back of the end zone that extended the Hawks' advantage to a 10-0 margin.
The Tornados strung together its longest drive of the afternoon – a 12-play stretch – however, the drive stalled inside Huntingdon territory and forced a punt. The Hawks answered right away, stringing together a lengthy 11-play, 87-yard drive that lasted nearly six minutes, capped off with a rushing touchdown that stretched their lead to a 17-point margin.
Brevard got on the scoreboard on the ensuing possession, leaning heavily on its rushing attack. Rouse broke free for a 20-yard score that brought the Tornados back within 10 points, 17-7, with 3:21 left in the first half.
The Hawks effectively ran most of the rest of the quarter out with a 10-play drive that ended with a 31-yard field goal. Huntingdon took a 20-7 lead into the locker rooms.
Both sides came out of the halftime break by going three-and-out twice each. However, when Huntingdon was punting away to BC, a costly fumble on the return attempt set up the hosts in prime field position – at the BC 20-yard-line. The Tornado defense held its own, holding the Hawks to a 34-yard field goal that brought the score to 23-7.
After both sides had drives stall, the Tornados decided to go for it on a fourth-and-7 in their own territory. The Hawks stopped Brevard short, forcing a turnover on downs. Huntingdon had similar thoughts on their ensuing possession to kick off the fourth quarter, as the Hawks were stuffed on fourth-and-three to give BC the ball back at the 12:44 mark.
Both sides traded punts before a Cole fumble set up Huntingdon's fourth field goal make of the afternoon, as the Hawks extended their lead to a three-possession, 26-7 margin.
Following punts by both teams, the Tornado offense got the ball back at their own 33-yard line with 3:21 left to play in the contest. Cole found Parks for a big 37-yard completion that was followed by a 30-yard touchdown to Brooks – his first touchdown as a Tornado – that brought BC within 11 points after Cole punched in the two-point conversion.
Pledger laid a big hit that forced a crucial fumble on the very next play from scrimmage. Freshman linebacker Bryce Easter scooped the fumble off the turf and ran it back 40 yards to set up BC in prime field position. A pair of rush attempts and an incomplete pass resulted in the Tornados taking the 26-yard field goal to cut HC's lead to single-digits at 26-18.
An onside kick try went out of bounds as Huntingdon looked to run out the clock. After forcing BC to use its final two timeouts, Hawks punter Zach Johnson booted a 48-yard punt that was downed inside Brevard's 5-yard line. With 38 seconds left to play and 95 yards to go to tie, the Hawks sealed the contest by forcing a turnover on BC's first play of the drive, wrapping up the hard-fought 26-18 victory.
The Tornados have an off week before playing their first game on the Brevard College campus on Saturday, March 6 at 4 p.m. at the newly expanded Ives-Lemel Family Field against Maryville.