Jeff Moeller, sports correspondent
RICHMOND HILL -- For senior wide receiver Nick Cameron, it was his first game-winning play in his high school career. And for fellow senior defensive lineman Tre’ Brown, he had a similar game-changing play back in middle school.
Cameron caught an 11-yard touchdown pass, and Brown rumbled downfield with a forced fumble and recovery that halted a potential game-winning drive and sealed the game.
Both were two of a series of big plays that highlighted Richmond Hill’s clash with Jenkins that resulted in the Wildcats’ third-straight win, a 31-27 gut-it-out victory on a sticky, humid Friday evening at Wildcats Stadium.
It was another early measuring stick for Richmond Hill, which won a similar battle with Effingham County two weeks earlier.
Surrounded by two Jenkins’ defenders who were flagged for interference, Cameron caught a perfectly thrown pass from senior quarterback Gunner Mobley that pushed the Wildcats ahead 31-27 with 1:14 left in the game.
Cameron wanted to make his mark. He saw the game as a total team effort.
“I was one-on-one, and I wanted a shot,” said Cameron, who caught three passes for 27 yards. “Coach called the shot, and I just wanted to make a play. When my number was called, I knew I was ready.
‘It’s not about me, but about the team. I have to give a shout out to the defense for holding up at the end, and everyone else on the team.”
That eventually led to Brown, who jarred Jenkins’ quarterback Torean Wilson from the ball on the Richmond Hill 36, and he sprinted down to the Jenkins’ 12 -yard line with 24 seconds left in the game.
Brown believed he and his teammates would find a way to get it done.
“I just stripped the ball, and I wanted to take it to the end zone,” said Brown. “I haven’t had a run like that since eighth grade.
“This was a big win, and we want to keep the streak going. Our defense got the job done. Their quarterback is fast, but our defense came prepared. It was a hot night, but we trained for this and did what we had to do.”
Richmond Hill raised its mark to 3-0 overall, and they appeared to be on their way to another commanding victory at halftime like their 42-7 blowout against Liberty the previous week.
But Jenkins, which entered the game 0-2 and was outscored 61-19 in their first two games, found life in the second half behind quarterback Torean Wilson and running back Tasean Rhodes, who accounted for their second-half scores and whose speed and quickness bothered the Wildcats’ defense all night.
However, Rhodes was the Warriors’ standout in the first half as he returned kickoffs of 75 and 99 yards that left them down 24-14 at halftime. Jenkins had 50 yards of total offense at halftime.
Jenkins took the opening kickoff and marched down the field, and had a touchdown wiped out due to a holding penalty. A field attempt was blocked by the interior of the Wildcats’ line, and DJ Porter returned it down to Jenkins’ 27.
The Warriors were plagued by their turnovers, losing three fumbles with an interception. They also were flagged for eight penalties on the night.
From there, the Wildcats converted four plays later when Mobley found Eli Grant on their first of two scores on the night, this one a 10-yard slant for a 7-0 lead on Cole Morgan's extra point.
Porter, who ran for 13 yards and accumulated 165 return yards, knew his team would be in for a challenge.
“Before the game, watching film, we knew they were going to be a fast team,” stressed Porter. ”But we knew they weren’t as physical as us. We knew we had to give them a punch in the mouth.
“We were pretty confident the whole game, and we weren’t going to let this one get away.”
Richmond Hill took a 10-7 lead on Morgan’s 27-yard field goal, and the Wildcats kept the lead for the rest of the night when Mobley again connected with Grant on a perfectly placed, 64-yard pass in stride down the sidelines for a 17-7 advantage with 6:13 left before halftime.
Grant, who caught six passes for 138 yards and also had a second-half interception to halt a drive, was confident he and Mobley could make a connection.
The senior wide receiver sees his team taking games week-by-week.
“We practice that every day and all day at practice,” exclaimed Grant. “It was a great game for everybody, and I just give credit to the Lord.”
“We just had to keep pushing through. We just want to be 1-0 every week.”
Wildcats’ senior running back CJ Menzie was a workhorse on the ground all night, accounting for 126 yards on 26 carries with a touchdown, taking many snaps from the wildcat position.
On many of his carries, Menzie carried several defenders with him. But Menzie was determined to make his contribution.
“I just had to stay focused and keep on going,” said Menzie. “This was one of the hardest games for me in terms of rushing. We just had to keep making the best out of it , and we did our best.
Aside from his heroics, Menzie saw a combined effort.
“This is a team sport for us,” he added. “We all have to do this together. It all starts as a team and a family. We all have to keep pushing and pushing and be prepared.”
Despite the flow of the game, Wildcats’ head coach Matt LeZotte didn’t have any doubts about his squad.
“Our guys expect to make plays,” said LeZotte. “They love each other, they prepare, and they push each other every single day. We go good versus good all the time and put ourselves in all types of situations. In every single day and every single practice, there is a different situation in practice and the coaches have a lot of faith in our players. They go out, execute, and respond.
“We don’t draw something up in the sand.”
LeZotte also watched plenty of fortitude from his team.
“We did everything we could to lose that game,” added LeZotte. “We still found a way to win. We got out of sync in the second half. We missed some things, and we have to stay within the system.”
The head coach was well aware of Jenkins’ potential, especially Wilson.
“We knew going into the game how good their quarterback was, and he was one of their top three athletes,” said LeZotte. “They can play ball, and we knew he could create some difficulties for us. That was a gutsy performance by him. (Jenkins’ head coach) Coach (Tony) Welch is one of the best coaches I know, and he always has his guys prepared, and they fight hard.”
The Wildcats will travel to Ware County next Friday to meet the Gators, who were off Friday and have a 1-1 record. The teams last met in 2023, and Ware posted a 28-7 victory.
“We’ll have to clean some things up,” said LeZotte. “We’ll be ready for Ware.”
Paw Prints: Mobley completed 11 of 17 attempts for 176 with three touchdowns and an interception..senior defensive lineman Layton Steigelman had a game-high 14 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.. Senior defensive lineman Jaylon Deal added nine tackles..The Wildcats had 328 yards of total offense, 152 rushing and 176 passing.. Richmond Hill returns home when it hosts Wando Sept. 18.
RICHMOND HILL 31, JENKINS 27
1-2-3-4-F
Jenkins
7-7-0-13-27
Richmond Hill
7-17-0-7-31
First Quarter
RH—Eli Grant 10 pass from Gunner Mobley (Cole Morgan kick)
J—Tasean Rhodes 75 kickoff return (Charles Whiteside kick)
Second Quarter
RH—Morgan 27 FG
RH—Grant 64 pass from Mobley (Morgan kick)
J—Rhodes 99 kickoff return (Whiteside kick)
RH—CJ Menzie 5 run (Shane Tucker kick)
Fourth Quarter
J—Torean Wilson 16 run (kick blocked)
J—Rhodes 5 run (Whiteside kick)
RH—Nick Cameron 11 pass from Mobley (Tucker kick)
