By Brackin Lambert
Battery Creek’s football team looked strong in the first two quarters, going into halftime tied with visiting Andrew Jackson, but the Dolphins defense could not hold off Trey Thompson, who posted four scores as the Volunteers won, 34-20, Friday night at Dolphins Stadium.
Will White threw two touchdown passes to Dreshaun Brown, and Jeremiah Dilbert rushed for a score, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Thompson’s big night.
“We made progress from Week 1, I believe we grew up as a team,” Dolphins coach Terrance Ashe said. “Some of our young guys really started to come along, and some of our older guys started to feel more comfortable.”
After a White fumble on Creek’s first drive, the Vols recovered inside the Dolphins 10 and pushed through on an end around two plays later. Creek’s defense stayed hot on Andrew Jackson’s heels, forcing a three and out to take over at the AJ 49.
White connected with Brown on a 12-yard out route to pick up a first down, and following a pass interference call, Dilbert ripped off a 19-yard scoring run, breaking several tackles to tie the game at 7 with just more than two minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
Quatrell Livingston secured a tipped ball from the Vols’ Hammond Wrenn to put Creek in business midway through the second quarter. Brown rushed for 42 yards over two plays to put Battery Creek deep in the red zone, but a misplay placed the Dolphins outside of the 20.
Ivan Huerta was set up for a 29-yd field goal attempt, but a roughing the kicker penalty moved the Dolphins to the 11. Creek couldn’t convert, though, and went to the half tied.
Thompson opened the second half with a long 15-yd run for the Volunteers to put them in Dolphins territory and broke off another big play before finishing off the strong opening drive with a TD run from the 4. Andrew Jackson added another TD in the third quarter as Wrenn found Moe Danzy on a post route.
Battery Creek’s offense found its way through the air as White connected with Brown on a beautiful 52-yard pass to pull the Dolphins within seven with less than four minutes to play in the quarter, but the Vols answered right back as Thompson found an opening and scored from 52 yards out.
Thompson pushed across his fourth score of the night from 10 yards out to put the Vols up 34-13 in the fourth. The duo of White and Brown connected again late in the fourth from 22 yards out to make the score 34-20.
“Everything goes back to controlling us at the end of the day,” Ashe said. “We have to be able to do our job.”
Battery Creek travels to Manning on Friday with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
