For the third straight season, the Bridge Bowl trophy belongs to the Hilton Head High Seahawks.
Carter Saleeby booted three field goals, Jaylen Sneed punched in a late touchdown to cap off a dominant night on the ground, and the Seahawk defense forced a quartet of turnovers Friday to defeat rival Bluffton 16-7 at the Nest and vault into the top half of Region 7-4A.
“It feels great knowing that this has been a big rivalry for a long time,” Sneed said. “We just played a great game today, and it was amazing to get this win as a team.”
It was a sloppy start for both offenses, as a slew of early penalties derailed a pair of promising first-quarter drives. A false start backed up the Bobcats and led to a missed field goal try, and a Sneed 30-yard touchdown run was called back on a hold before the Seahawks turned the ball over on downs. The home team would cash in on its next possession, as Sneed and Chase McCracken set up Saleeby for a 28-yard field goal to put HHIHS ahead 3-0.
The Seahawk defense kept the momentum rolling, as Jayden Gilliam scooped up a Jaylin Linder fumble inside the Bobcat 30. Hilton Head couldn’t turn the takeaway into points, but BJ Payne’s group quickly forced another. The Bobcats were on the move after quarterback Max Vonhohenstraeten found Linder for 24 yards, but an Alex Ruckno fumble recovery set up the Seahawks in enemy territory. The ensuing drive stalled at the Bluffton 5 before Saleeby nailed his second field goal of the night as time expired in the opening half.
The first two quarters weren’t the prettiest for Bluffton’s offense. But their first drive after the break quickly flipped the script. The pass-heavy offense turned to the run, and Roderick Buxton ignited Bluffton’s ground game to advance the ball to the Seahawk 26. With the Bobcats facing second-and-long after a Matthew Larkby sack, the visitors needed one of their talented receivers to make a play down the field. KJ Frazier answered the challenge, leaping up to win a one-on-one jump ball before waltzing into the end zone to give the Bobcats a 7-6 lead.
But just like Poona Ford in 2013, Sneed refused to lose to his rivals. The senior and Notre Dame commit orchestrated a stellar 12-play drive, connecting with Evan Elliott on back-to-back passes before using his legs to dart past a talented Bluffton defense. The Seahawks looked primed to punch it in on 2nd-and-goal from the 1, but a brilliant defensive stand led by linebacker Jeremiah Curry helped keep Sneed out of the end zone and hold Hilton Head High to a go-ahead field goal.
After another penalty stalled the Bobcats on their ensuing drive, Sneed and the Seahawks were set up in plus territory looking to go up two scores. But a risky throw down the field took the chance away, as Tyler Ford picked off the senior‘s pass. Both starting quarterbacks suffered late hits on back-to-back plays, and Trace Hillaman came into the game looking to lead the Bobcats from behind.
But the new signal-caller couldn’t escape Larkby, who stormed into the backfield and snatched the football after a sack to set the ‘Hawks up in the red zone. A resilient Sneed returned to the game and put the team on his back, powering past a stout Bobcat line for 16 yards before punching it in from a yard out to give the Seahawks a 16-7 advantage.
After knocking through three field goals, Saleeby added the exclamation to a terrific performance, picking off Hilaman before Payne unleashed McCracken to melt the clock and seal the Bridge Bowl victory.
Sneed etched his name in the rivalry’s history with a sensational performance, rushing for 155 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries along with four tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack. McCracken delivered another stellar showing on the ground, racking up 124 yards, while Elliott caught four passes for 40 yards.
Buxton led the Bobcat offense with 54 yards on 11 carries, and Frazier added a highlight-reel, 33-yard touchdown reception.
Hilton Head High (3-4, 2-1) heads back on the road Friday in a trip to James Island. A victory would give the Seahawks a chance to play for a share of the Region 7-4A title the following week against May River. Bluffton (2-5, 1-2) battles Beaufort High at home Friday.
By Wes Kerr
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