The Bryan County Lady ‘Skins softball team (11-4, 4-0) got back to its winning ways on Sept. 2, when the team traveled into Savannah to take on a familiar region foe in the Lady ‘Cavs of Calvary Day School.
The Redskins are currently ranked No. 5 in the state high school Coaches Poll and did nothing to tarnish that ranking as they won a close contest 2-0 behind the pitching of Tiffany Howard.
The game was scoreless heading into the fifth inning, but Bryan County made its move when Rebecca Strickland walked and Kayla Koskela bunted her to second base. McKenzie Covington came in to pinch run for Strickland and later scored on a hit by Sierra Newman to put the first Redskin run on the board.
Bryan County pushed across its final run in the sixth inning and held Calvary scoreless and came away with a close 2-0 region win.
“It is always good to play a good tight game, as it keeps everyone on their toes and gets them use to playing small ball in order to stay in the game,” Coach Al Butler said. ”Our girls stayed confident throughout the game and looked good and played well defensively. I knew it was just a matter of time before we put a few hits together and score.”
Tiffany Howard performed well on the mound as she kept the Calvary hitters behind in the count and kept them off balance at the plate.
“Calvary played a good solid game defensively behind the pitching of Maggie Davis, the regions’ strikeout leader from 2009,” added Butler.
The Lady ‘Skins will make up a rainout game on today against Savannah Christian Prep School, who is tied at the top of the Region 3A standings with Bryan County. The Lady Raiders ( 10-5, 4-0) are currently ranked No. 4 in the state Coaches Poll. This game will be at SCPS with the first pitch at 5 p.m. Metter will come to Pembroke on Thursday for a 4 p.m. clash, and then Bryan County will travel to Claxton on Tuesday, Sept. 14, for a 5 p.m. start.
Football
The Jenkins County Eagles football team was in Pembroke on Friday night to take on the Bryan County Redskins, and Bryan County came up short as they fell prey 14-6 to a bigger and stronger foe.
“Jenkins County has about a four-year advantage on us in the weight room, and it showed tonight as their big front line dominated most of the contest,” said Bryan County coach Mark Wilson. “Jenkins don’t have any more heart than our guys, or any more ability, they were just bigger and stronger.”
This was a game of ball control and lengthy possesions by Jenkins County, but penalties by Jenkins County and a “never-give up” attitude by the young Bryan County squad haunted the Eagles offense for most of the night.
Finally, with 4:09 showing on the first-quarter clock, the Eagles scored from 1 yard out and went in at halftime leading 7-0. The Eagles punched their final score across in the fourth quarter to go up 14-0. The Bryan County crowd remained somewhat comatose in spirit throughout the contest as the Redskin’s offense just never could mount any sustaining drives that put points on the board.
Finally, with less than five minutes left in the game, the Redskins showed some offensive spark when quarterback Albert Chavis hit Damion Dixon with an out pass and Dixon legged it 57 yards down to the Jenkins 11-yard line. After a dropped pass in the end zone, Bryan County faced a fourth down at the 7-yard line that drew a pass interference on Jenkins on the fourth down play and gave Bryan County another chance to score.
It was first and goal from the three when Chavis broke a tackle and scrambled his way up the middle for a Redskin touchdown. Extra-point failed and on the ensuing onside kick, Jenkins recovered and eventually ran the clock out to seal the 14-6 win.
Coach Wilson had these thoughts at the end about his Redskins’ effort: “We kept fighting and clawing all night long and never gave up and a coach can’t ask for more than that. Sometimes before you can win you have to learn to lose, and lose with class and that is not an easy task. I think we have the players here to get the job done, we just have to keep on pushing."
Bryan County will travel on Friday to take on another Eagle squad in Montgomery County. The Eagles are (0-2) on the season with losses coming against Calvary 19-34 and Jeff Davis 20-35.
Traywick covers BCHS sports.