Top performances: Calvary, Bethesda remain undefeated, as Savannah Christian bounces back
Week 7 of the high school football season in the Greater Savannah area is in the books and there were some memorable games under the lights on Friday (and Thursday) night.
Calvary Day, Benedictine and Bethesda continued their undefeated runs through the season behind some impressive individual efforts.
Here's a look at the top performances from players and teams in the Greater Savannah area this week.
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How Savannah Christian bounced back after loss to Calvary Day
Savannah Christian went on the road and had a strong offensive showing against a Long County squad that put up a fight in a 42-32 Region 3-3A win.
Junior Zo Smalls had another strong game with 103 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 25 carries, while Kenry Wall continued to impress with his playmaking ability – rushing for 146 yards and a pair of scores on seven carries.
Sophomore quarterback Blaise Thomas was 6 of 9 passing for 135 yards and added 30 yards rushing for the Raiders, who improved to 4-2 and 1-1 in region play.
South Carolina commit David Bucey rushed for a touchdown and had two catches for 46 yards, while Logan Brooking had two grabs for 52 yards.
Elijah Griffin led the defensive effort up front, while Jamari McIvory picked off his fifth pass of the season for SCPS, which is set to host Johnson next week.
How Calvary continued its unblemished season
Calvary Day improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in Region 3-3A on the season as the Cavs blew out Johnson 56-0 in a game at Pooler Stadium.
Jake Merklinger had a pair of touchdown passes as he connected with Caden Arnold and Sam Anderson for scores.
Senior Trevor Strowbridge ran for a touchdown and had a pick six, and Jordan Tillman and Chase Lucas added rushing scores for the Cavs. Freshman Brexton Bell also returned an interception for a touchdown for Calvary Day.
The Cavs are set to host Groves (1-5) in a region matchup next week.
Effingham County continues to roll
The Rebels had another dominating Region 2-6A performance as they blew out visiting Glynn Academy 42-3 a week after a 42-7 road win over South Effingham.
AJ Butts had a pair of game breaking touchdown runs of over 80 yards each for the Rebels, who improved to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in region play.
Senior quarterback Nate Hayes turned in another stellar performance with a pair of rushing touchdowns and a long scoring pass to Antwaun Parham to go along with a 75-yard scoring strike to Ryan Wells.
Effingham County is on the road next week for a region game at Grovetown.
How Bryan County responded to first loss
A week after suffering its first loss of the season on the road to Telfair County, Bryan County bounced back with a resounding 42-0 win over to celebrate its homecoming over Montgomery County.
Senior Tanner Ennis had a big night on both sides of the ball for Bryan County (5-1, 0-0). He caught touchdown passes of 38 and 11 yards from Sean Kelly Hill and also had a 54-yard scoring run, while helping lead the defense to its third shutout of the season.
Two-way star Austin Clemons also had another big night with a 42-yard scoring run and excellent play at linebacker. Bryan County has its first region game next week at Metter (2-4).
How Bethesda kept its undefeated run alive
Bethesda improved to 7-0 on the season as the Blazers knocked off Orangeburg Prep 32-12 at Daffin Park.
Noah Jenkins continued to excel as the senior had three rushing scores on the night to give him 18 on the season. Quarterback Triston Randall added a pair of rushing scores for the Blazers.
Jeff Moeller of the Prep Sports Report said Jenkins rushed for 171 yards on the night, while Randall added 140 yards on the ground.
Bethesda coach Antwain Turner said the Blazers had 346 yards rushing behind excellent play from its offensive line of Michael Henley, Isaiah Reynolds, Steven Mitchell, Keshaun Wright and Jadyn Grant.
Bethesda will host Colleton Prep (5-2) next week.
South Effingham rallies for shutout after first loss
South Effingham bounced back from its first loss of the season as the Mustangs shut down visiting Screven County 21-0 in a non region matchup.
Quarterback Kaden DeGenero ran for a score and connected with Ashton Troutman for a scoring pass.
Senior running back Gannon White broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown run for the Mustangs (4-1, 0-1), who will be on the road to face Glynn Academy (4-2, 1-1) in a Region 2-6A matchup next week.
How St. Andrew's lost its second game of season
Robert Toombs Christian beat host St. Andrew's 42-29 in GIAA action Friday night.
Sophomore standout Amari Cook was out with an injury, and Richaard Williams came through with a big game for the Lions as he reeled in seven catches for 201 yards-- including scoring catches of 77 and 63 yards, while rushing for 56 yards on 12 carries.
Junior quarterback Zayden Edwards was 13 of 18 passing for 258 yards and the two scores and added a five-yard scoring run for the Lions (4-2), who are at Trinity Christian (2-5) on Friday.
Thursday night results
Mixon excels as Savannah Country Day dominates Beach
Barton Mixon had a big night for the Hornets in a 65-6 Region 3-3A win over Beach.
The junior quarterback was 8 of 13 passing for 176 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 122 yards and a pair of scores as SCD improved to 4-2 and 2-1 in region play.
Hyers Holland rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries and caught a 38-yard scoring pass, while tight end Brooks Kleinpeter had three catches for 77 yards and a pair of scores.
SCD will be on the road to face Liberty County in Region 3-3A action on Thursday night.
Liberty County 41, Groves 0
Senior quarterback Carlos Singleton had a big night as the Panthers beat Groves at Islands Stadium.
Singleton ran for a score and had four touchdown passes for the Panthers. He connected with Jaden Hurd on scoring passes of 11 and 15 yards and added a scoring strike of 28 yards to Ron Golden. He also had a 63-yard scoring pass to Jeramiah Payne.
The Panthers improved to 2-4 and 2-1 in Region 3-3A play and are set to host SCD on Thursday at 7 p.m.
OTHER SCORES
SE Bulloch 30, Islands 7
Tattnall County 27, Windsor Forest 0
Edmund Burke 43, Memorial Day 7
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Top performances: Calvary Day and Bethesda continue unbeaten runs
