Hilton Head Prep took a lead into the fourth quarter but couldn’t hang on Friday, losing 13-8 to visiting Orangeburg Prep to open region play.
The Dolphins’ defense gave a strong effort in support of a short-handed offense, keeping HHP within 7-0 at halftime. Tommy Stauffer’s 1-yard touchdown run pulled the Dolphins within 7-6, and a safety on a botched OP punt gave HHP an 8-7 lead. But the Indians scored a fourth-quarter touchdown and held on.
Stauffer rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, and Carson King rushed eight times for 49 yards and caught three passes for 57 yards to lead the offense, as third-string quarterback Tristan Bonomo finished 4-for-8 for 67 yards.
Wyatt Haroutunian had a team-high 11 tackles, Loncelle Daley had 10 stops, and Trevor Weldon made nine tackles and recovered a fumble, and Burak Henderson had eight tackles to lead the Dolphins’ defense. Weldon also averaged 46.7 yards on four punts, helping HHP control field position and stay in the game.
The Dolphins (1-3, 0-1) will try to snap a three-game losing streak when they travel to John Paul II for a region matchup next Friday.