By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
Bamberg-Ehrhardt is still the bugaboo for Whale Branch.
The Red Raiders used a relentless rushing attack and a stout defensive front to frustrate the Warriors early, then pulled away in the second half for a 28-10 win Friday in Seabrook to spoil senior night and hand Whale Branch its first loss while snatching another Region 7-1A title from the Warriors, who dropped to 0-7 all-time against the Red Raiders.
Bamberg-Ehrhardt cashed in on its first two drives, as Chanston Crosby dropped a dime into the arms of Colt Bunch on fourth down and Demetrius Odom scooted through a wide-open hole to make it 14-0 in a flash.
The Warriors put together a sustained drive resulting in a Brian Ruiz field goal to get on the board, and Jermon Bowers seemingly turned the game around when he made an acrobatic grab on an interception and weaved his way 69 yards to the end zone to cut it to 14-10 before halftime and give the home crowd life.
Bowers also sparked the offense after stepping in at quarterback to give the Warriors a different look, rushing for a team-best 93 yards on eight carries and completing 6 of 9 passes for 51 yards, but Whale Branch couldn’t get into the end zone in the second half, and the Red Raiders’ ground attack led by Nick Folk and Jamie Downing wore down the Warriors’ front and put it away with a pair of second-half scoring drives.
Whale Branch (7-1) hosts Lake View (6-3) in the first round of the SCHSL 1A playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Warriors have faced the Wild Gators in the postseason the past two years, winning 27-12 at home in 2021 and falling 43-21 at Lake View last year.
