Windsor Forest recovered two Bryan County fumbled punts and scored on both of them on its way to a 34-15 win over the Redskins in Pembroke Friday night.
“Too many mistakes, especially on special teams,” Bryan County Coach Mario Mincey said afterward. “But give Windsor Forest credit. They capitalized on our mistakes. You can’t beat yourself and the opponent.”
The Knights got on the scoreboard first with 3:21 to play in the first quarter, but their point-after was wide, leaving them with a 6-0 lead.
Bryan County answered with 14 seconds left when Collin Brown scored from one yard out. Windsor Forest jumped offside on the extra point attempt, so Mincey instead chose to go for the two-point conversion. Brown scored again on that, giving the Redskins an 8-6 lead after one quarter.
Brown’s score was set up by a long run from Terron Dixon, and Brown rumbled his way to the two yard line on a fourth-and-six from the 14 before finding the end zone.
Windsor Forest scored again with 8:20 left in the first half after Bryan County fumbled a punt and the Knights recovered it at the two yard line. A two-point conversion gave Windsor Forest a 14-8 lead.
Windsor Forest would score again before the half on a 75-yard run, and the kick made it 21-8. A 35-yard touchdown pass from Gage Hagan to Brown near the end of the half was called back for holding.
The Redskins held the Knights on their first possession of the second half, but another fumbled punt gave Windsor Forest the ball back and a touchdown pass two plays later made the score 27-8. The Knights would score again 10 seconds into the fourth quarter for a 34-8 lead.
“We’re just not deep enough for our defense to be on the field for so long,” Mincey said. “At one point we had two freshman and a sophomore in the secondary.”
Bryan County recovered a Windsor Forest fumble late in the fourth quarter at the Knights’ own 20 yard line, and marched 80 yards down the field for a score with 46 seconds left. Hagan hit Brown for a 22-yard pass on third-and-15, and Dixon scored on the next play with a seven-yard run. Ethan Perry's extra point was good for the 34-15 final.
“We fought until the final horn went off,” Mincey said. “I can’t complain about that.”
Bryan County, 0-2, plays at McIntosh County next Friday at 7:30 p.m.