Hilton Head Christian Academy made sure there would be no last-minute ambush this time.
A year after being stunned by cross-island rival Hilton Head Prep in the season finale, the Eagles ensured they didn’t let another region title slip away Friday, routing the visiting Dolphins 48-19 for their ninth consecutive win.
Hayden Shinn threw five touchdown passes — including three to JP Peduzzi — and added a 42-yard TD run as the Eagles topped 40 points for the seventh time in 10 games this season.
The Dolphins actually struck first, though, as Stone McDonald floated a 26-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Calloway for a 7-0 lead, but Jace Blackshear took the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown and HHCA never let up.
Shinn broke his long touchdown run to give the Eagles their first lead and added TD passes to Daniel Harrington and Floyd Hargrove to make it 28-7 at halftime. Shinn and Peduzzi hooked up twice in the third quarter to push the margin to 41-7.
Carson King’s 2-yard touchdown run stopped the bleeding for the Dolphins, but Shinn and Peduzzi answered with one more touchdown connection. McDonald and King hooked up for a 12-yard touchdown to cap the scoring.
McDonald finished 16-of-29 for 245 yards and two touchdowns and rushed five times for 42 yards. King had 85 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, and Calloway and Tommy Stauffer each went over 100 yards receiving.
The Eagles (9-1, 4-0) will host Greenwood Christian in a first-round game in the SCISA 2A playoffs next Friday. The Dolphins (4-6, 2-2) will travel to Florence Christian.
