The only thing that slowed Bryan County down Friday night was the weather.

In a game in which the start was delayed by approximately an hour due to lightning the Redskins turned in their best performance in several years as they routed Treutlen County, 56-0, at Redskins Field in their home opener.

Bryan County (1-1) had opened the season last week with a 23-20 loss at state Class A power Lincoln County and if there was any lingering disappointment it didn’t show against the Vikings.

Austin Clemons scored two touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards on eight carries to pace an offense which had six different players score. Freshman speedsters Anddreas McKinney also scored twice while Konnor Leggett, Carson Nunn, Jacari Carney and Ger’bravion Collins also found the end zone.

It was the most points Bryan County had scored since it rang up 55 on Long County in 2013. It is also it’s first shutout since blanking Jeff Davis in 2013, a span of 77 games.

“I was worried all week about how we would come out and play,” Coach Cherard Freeman said. “We had such an emotional and tough game last week. It was a game we felt we should have won.

“Then we had the one-hour delay and that worried me, too. The key was we came out and executed our game plan. When we got opportunities, we executed.”

There were opportunities aplenty as the Redskins recovered two fumbles, intercepted two passes and blocked two punts to set up four touchdowns.

Bryan County ran roughshod over the Vikings as it had 329 yards on only 29 plays, an average of 11.4 yards per play. The Redskins had 305 on the ground and quarterback Trevor Lanier completed his only two passes for 29 yards with one of them being an 8-yard touchdown to Leggett.

Clemons, along with defensive linemen Carter Tapley and Tarrell Singleton, cornerback Sean Kelly Hill and safety Tanner Ennis, anchored a defense which gave up only 116 yards, 31 in the second half. The Vikings managed only 2.4 yards per attempt.

“I had the best of both worlds,” said Clemons who, in addition to his running back duties, plays middle linebacker. “The coaches had us focused on the small things this week and offensively we ran our bread-and-butter plays.”

Bryan County got its first big break when on the opening drive of the game Ennis picked up a fumble and returned it 58-yards to the Vikings nine. The Redskins turned it over on downs at six-yard line but four plays later blocked a punt and had the ball at the three.

Clemons went up the middle on first down to score and then ran in the two-point conversion for a quick 8-0 lead.

Bryan County ripped off 20 points in the second quarter.

Leggett made an acrobatic catch of a tipped pass, three minutes later McKinney scooped up a blocked punt and sprinted 45 yards to make it a 22-0 game. Then came the backbreaker.

Linebacker Julian Gray picked off a pass at his own 14 and returned it 19 yards with 26 seconds left in the half. McKinney then stunned Treutlen when he sprinted 67 yards down the right sideline for a score to make it 28-0 at the half.

If Treutlen had any hopes of getting back into the game the Redskins quickly dashed them at the start of the second half.

Bryan County got the ball to start the second half and wasted no time in going 70 yards in five plays. Clemons had runs of 15 and 35 yards, Leggett had 16 on two carries and Nunn took it the final four.

At that point it was all over but the shouting. Clemons closed out the quarter with a 3-yard touchdown and Carney scored with 17 seconds left when he ran 35 yards.

Collins, a freshman who had a strong game in the defensive secondary, took over at quarterback and he closed it out with a 50-yard dash. The Redskins will be on the road next week as they play at Wheeler County (1-1) which will be coming off a 21-0 loss to Toombs County.

TREUTLEN COUNTY 0  0  0  0 – 0

BRYAN COUNTY  8 20 20  8 – 56

First Quarter

BC:  Austin Clemons 3 run (Clemons run)

Second Quarter

BC:  Konnor Leggett 8 pass from Trevor Lanier (run failed)

BC:  Anddreas McKinney 45 run blocked punt (Erin Greene run)

BC:  McKinney 67 run (run failed)

Third Quarter

BC:  Carson Nunn 4 run (kick failed)

BC:  Clemons 3 run (kick failed)

BC:  Jacari Carney 35 run (Leggett run)

Fourth Quarter

BC:  Ger’bravion Collins 50 run (Jacob Hall run)