By Marcus Walsh
LowcoSports Contributor
The rain was falling in sheets and the air was dense with humidity, but that did not stop the Hilton Head Christian Academy Eagles from grabbing another win in the series against Battery Creek, as the Eagles prevailed 36-20 on Friday night at The Cage.
Reid McCollum passed for 220 yards and three touchdowns and added 97 rushing yards, as the Eagles scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions to take control of the game after falling behind early. Joey Houpt caught four passes for 91 yards and two TDs, and Thomas Gehm had seven catches for 59 yards and a score, while Hudson Baker and Kres Langhals added rushing touchdowns for the Eagles.
But it took the home team a bit to find its footing on a sloppy track.
Both teams felt their way around in the first quarter, which finished with a scoreless tie due in large part to the wet conditions. Eddie Heyward and company for Battery Creek were heavily involved in the ground game and put up a quick second-quarter score on a 63-yard screen play to Jeremiah Jones for a touchdown, but that’s when Ron Peduzzi’s Eagles showed their grit.
McCollum delivered a 28-yard strike to Joey Haupt to tie the game, and a two-point conversion put the Eagles on top 8-6.
Thomas Gehm, who transferred to HHCA from John Paul II in the offseason, added to the lead, catching a McCollum screen and taking it 26 yards to paydirt to make it 15-6 with 3:44 left in the half.
Jackson Richardson had a huge night on defense, as he picked off three passes to set up the HHCA offense and sustain the momentum. Richardson’s second interception of the night with 1:30 left in the half set up Langhals’ 14-yard touchdown run for a 22-6 halftime advantage.
Moments into the third quarter, McCollum found Houpt for a second touchdown connection with a perfectly-placed ball up the right sideline for a 41-yard score and a 29-6 lead!
Battery Creek battled back with a touchdown and two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 29-14, but with three seconds left in the quarter, Hudson Baker rumbled into the end zone for another HHCA TD to again make it a three-score game.
The Dolphins found the end zone late on a quarterback sneak, but the Eagles were able to hold on to knock off their SCHSL Class 3A opponent for the second straight year.
Despite cramping and field conditions causing injuries off and on through the night, it was a battle from both teams, and HHCA’s upper hand in the trenches proved to be the difference.
Finn Ussery, Langhals, Gehm, Mo Fields, Sam Strum and Baker helped key the victory by making some big stops down the stretch, keying and finishing the victory for HHCA (1-1), which travels to Bethesda Academy on Friday.
The Dolphins (0-1) look to bounce back next week with another cross-classification matchup at John Paul II.
LowcoSports file photo by Justin Jarrett