By Wes Kerr
LowcoSports.com
Sometimes, it’s the special teams heroics that steal the headlines.
With a heads-up snag on a bad punt snap early and a clutch kick late to provide the winning points, Beaufort Academy had senior Grady Lamm to thank for a crucial 25-23 home victory on Friday over defending SCISA 1A state champion Patrick Henry Academy.
Though Nych Underwood and Dietrich Shuford had their share of heroics, too.
The Patriots rallied from an eight-point deficit to tie the ballgame in the second half, but Underwood’s second rushing touchdown of the night put Beaufort Academy back up by six before a key defensive stand set up Lamm’s field goal for a two-possession lead which proved to be the difference.
“Our guys dug down at the end of the game when we needed to,” head coach Nic Shuford said. “Impressed and happy with the heart and the effort that was shown tonight. A lot of missed opportunities, however, that we have to correct and move forward with.”
Beaufort Academy’s defense got to work early, clogging up Patrick Henry’s running lanes with junior standout Tres Delaney leading the way. After forcing a three-and-out on the opening PHA possession, the Eagles did one better on the second Patriots drive, forcing a turnover as two-way lineman Nathan Chavarria-Byrne pounced on the loose ball.
Dietrich Shuford used his tough running to move the football inside the PHA 10, but the visitors came up with the stop inside the 2-yard line thanks to a heads-up tackle from Luke Sobey.
Just as the Patriots’ sideline began to celebrate, a tenacious Eagles defensive front took the momentum right back, plowing into the end zone to bring down Mikell Tucker Mathis for a BA safety. Beaufort Academy’s offense took the newfound energy and ran with it, scoring in just four plays on the back of a 25-yard Underwood scamper before the coach’s son found paydirt himself on a beautifully-designed burst down the left sideline for an 18-yard touchdown.
Despite losing the football again on a Lamm recovery, Patrick Henry was able to respond by unleashing the trusty playmaker Mathis. The senior standout made it look easy on an eye-popping 56-yard run on a third-and-17 play, plowing through multiple would-be Eagles tacklers and accelerating to the goal line before a successful two-point try tied the game at 8.
Mathis showed off on the defensive end with a stop of Underwood on the first play of the ensuing Eagles series, but a Dietrich-to-Nic Shuford connection extended the drive to set up Nych’s go-ahead rushing score and take a 16-8 lead into the half.
The home side was feeling it early in the second half as Chavarria-Byrne came up big again, helping recover Patrick Henry’s third fumble of the contest. Beaufort Academy was inches away from a critical two-possession lead, but Tray Adkins returned the favor by giving the ball back to the Patriots on a forced fumble of their own inside the PHA two-yard line. Another miscue, this time on special teams, gave Patrick Henry a short field, and this time, the defending champs cashed in.
Taking over at quarterback, Mathis showed his poise on fourth down, finding an open Jacob Corley in the back right corner of the end zone before his team added the game-tying two.
The Beaufort Academy Eagles were rattled, but they came right back to their bread and butter in the fourth quarter: their ground game. After some chunk plays from both Dietrich Shuford and Underwood, it was Underwood who finished off a go-ahead, nine-play drive with a hard-nosed dive across the goal line. Beaufort Academy’s stifling defensive front shut down Mathis’ response and gave its offense a chance to deliver the finishing blow. The drive fizzled up quickly in PHA territory but gave the Eagles a chance to grow the lead to nine points on a 32-yard kick.
No problem for Grady Lamm.
The try split the uprights and put all the pressure on the visitors, down nine with under four minutes left. Mathis rallied the Patriots on an impressive late drive, including a fourth-down conversion to keep it going, but the Eagles scooped up the last-ditch onside kick to seal a gutsy region victory.
“Can’t say enough about Grady,” coach Shuford said. “He’s been making 52-yarders consistently in practice and with blocking out in front he could show off his leg even more.”
The ground game feasted for Beaufort Academy, with Dietrich Shuford and Underwood combining for 336 total rushing yards. Underwood paced the squad with 172 yards on 22 touches with two touchdowns, and Dietrich added 164 rushing yards on just 20 carries while completing 11 of 16 passes for 174 yards. Chavarria-Byrne delivered on defense, pacing the squad with nine total tackles on top of a pair of fumble recoveries.
Mathis led the Patriots offense with 127 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts, and Jacob Corley caught three passes for 69 yards with a score.
Beaufort Academy (3-1, 1-0) hosts Lee Academy on Friday, while Patrick Henry (2-1, 0-1) returns home Friday to face off with longtime rival Dorchester Academy.
Wes Kerr is a graduate of Hilton Head Island High School and Davidson College. He reports on local sports for LowcoSports.com.
