Photo above: Beaufort’s Wyatt Sherpensky breaks loose and scampers downfield for more than 80 yards during the first half. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
The Beaufort High Eagles dropped a home game to the Bluffton Bobcats as the visiting squad pulled away to win 28-11 in a high school football matchup on Friday night.
Beaufort High dropped to 0-2 with the loss. With the win, Bluffton improved to 2-1. Beaufort High scored first but was kept out of the end zone until the final quarter. The Eagles arrived on the scoreboard when Will Durbin kicked a 30-yard field goal with 7:21 remaining in the first quarter.
Bluffton, however, answered less than three minutes later when Zach Belger reached the end zone on a 4-yard scoring run. Belger eventually scored all three of Bluffton’s touchdowns in the winning effort. Bluffton carried an 8-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and outscored Beaufort High 14-2 in the second period to lead 22-5 at halftime.
The Eagles recorded a safety in the second quarter when defensive standout Chris Humphreys brought down Terrance Heyward in the end zone at the 6:26 mark. Beaufort High was held scoreless until the 9:00 minute mark in the fourth quarter when Wyatt Sherpensky scored on a 9-yard run.
Leading the Eagles offensively, quarterback Connor Gruel completed 7-of-19 passes for 118 yards. Sherpensky rushed 12 times for 91 yards and the one score. Heyward completed 6-of-12 passes for 120 yards in the Bobcats’ win.
Both Beaufort High and Bluffton are due back on the field for another regular-season game on Friday, Sept. 11. Beaufort High is slated to visit Whale Branch, while Bluffton hosts Johnson High of Savannah.
From left: the Beaufort Eagle defense has a difficult time bringing down Bluffton’s Cam Bent; Bluffon’s Zach Belger gets wrapped up the Beaufort defenders; Beaufort quarterback Connor Gruel tries to make a break to the outside but is caught by Bluffton linebacker Charles Barron; Bluffton’s Ashby Crib puts a block on Beaufort’s Reggie Jones as Cam Bent cuts back to the inside during the second quarter; Beaufort head coach Mark Clifford tries to rally his Eagles. Photos by Bob Sofaly.
