Bryan County may or may not have been taking Savannah High lightly. No one will ever know because it’s difficult to get into a teenager’s head.

The Redskins entered the game a 34-point favorite per Maxwell ratings but didn’t settle things until the fourth quarter when they scored twice to clinch a 28-7 win over the Blue Jackets who were losing their 37th straight game.

“I was disappointed with our play,” Coach Cherard Freeman said. “I thought coming off the open date last week we would play better. I thought, though, that we played better in the second half and, thanks to our work in the weight room, we were able to wear them down in the second half.

“They’re a much better team than they were last year. That coach (first year coach Moses Green) is doing a real good job with them.”

It was the Region 3A-DII opener for both teams and both were coming off having not played last week. It looked more like an opener as each team was plagued by penalties.

The Blue Jackets (0-2, 0-1) were hit with 20 penalties, approximately a half dozen for unsportsmanlike conduct calls, while Bryan County wracked up 12 most of which were of the garden variety, i.e., illegal procedure or offsides although there were a couple of holding calls and one face mask. Savannah also had one player ejected.

The bright spot for Savannah was the halftime performance by its band which put on an excellent performance, as did the Bryan County band, and got a rousing cheer of appreciation from Redskins fans and cheerleaders.

Bryan County band director Avery Gallups was not at the game as his wife Bailey, who is the co-director of the band, gave birth to their first child Friday afternoon.

And now back to football.

The Redskins led 7-0 at the half thanks to a 68-yard run by Anddreas “Buck” McKinny on his team’s first play of the second quarter. McKinny hit off left guard and upon reaching the second level made a slight cut to his left and from that point it was simply a matter of outrunning every one which he did with ease. Will Summerford, who has made all eight of his extra point attempts this season, made the first of four on the night.

Bryan County missed an opportunity to expand its lead as the half was drawing to a close when it had the clock run out with the ball on the one-foot line.

“That one is [on] me,” Freeman said. “That was poor clock management on my part. We should have scored there. That was strictly my fault.”

The Redskins finally got that elusive second touchdown with 3:26 left in the third quarter when sophomore Gerome Lee scored on a 1-yard run. Bryan County had gained possession at the Blue Jackets 21 when, after turning the ball over on downs at the Savannah 49, it saw the visitors hit with two dead ball penalties.

Starting at its own 23, Savannah lost 14 yards and managed only a 12-yard punt. Despite being hit with a delay of game and holding call the Redskins managed to punch it in for the score.

Savannah answered with a 38-yard scoring pass but that was the extent of its offense for the rest of the night as Bryan County scored on its next two possessions.

Collins scored twice on runs of two and 12 yards to cap drives of 68 and 57 yards, respectively, eating nearly six minutes off the clock in the process.

Lee finished with 88 yards on 16 carries and McKinney added 84 on nine attempts. Collins had 33 yards and two scores and Eli Koskela added 30.

Freshman quarterback Jamariyn Collins hit on four of six passes for 74 yards. He hit McKinny on a 25-yard strike in the third quarter that put the ball on the Blue Jackets’ seven with Lee scoring two plays later.

Collins’ first touchdown was keyed by a 14-yard completion to Landon Cash, followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct call putting the ball at two while the final touchdown came with 3:28 to play when Collins went up the middle literally unscathed.

Bryan County will be at Portal next Friday night to play the long-time rival Panthers. The Redskins are 12-18 overall against Portal and that is the most wins they own over any opponent.