By JUSTIN JARRETT
LowcoSports.com
It wasn’t the kind of night Jerry Hatcher dreamed about on the eve of the season, but it didn’t rise to the level of nightmare, either.
Hatcher and Whale Branch escaped with a 9-6 road win Friday over crosstown rival Battery Creek in a defensive struggle marked by sloppy play and penalties.
The Dolphins dominated early, stopping the Warriors on their first series and quickly driving into Whale Branch territory before the first of their three turnovers. Keith Bing scooped up the fumble and returned it 60 yards to the 16, setting up Joseph Hicks for a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Warriors a 6-0 lead.
Battery Creek pulled even when Kyseem Jabar took a punt return 90 yards for a score with 3:53 left in the first half, but the Warriors drove into Dolphin territory and Henry Tome connected for a 30-yard field goal to put Whale Branch up 9-6 at halftime.
Neither offense could move the ball effectively in the second half, as Whale Branch bottled up Trey Booth after three long runs early in the game and Battery Creek did a better job of containing quarterback Jaylen Reeves’ scrambles. Both teams also were plagued by untimely penalties and cramping on a muggy Lowcountry night.
The Dolphins’ defense came up with a huge fourth-down stop to get the ball back on its own 23 with 1:24 left, but Jaden Jenkins intercepted a deep pass to clinch Whale Branch’s third consecutive win in the series.
The Warriors (1-0) will try to keep rolling when they host Cross next Friday, while the Dolphins (0-1) travel to Beaufort High for another rivalry game.
The 2019 Battery Creek Dolphins take to the field. Photo by Bob Sofaly
