PEMBROKE — Bryan County seniors Nick Scott and Damion Dixon hardly ever leave the field during a game, serving as vital two-way players for the Redskins. Thursday, the duo wanted to prove their doubters wrong, and they did. Scott scored a pair of fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns, Dixon added a pair of crucial catches out of the backfield while supplying some big hits on defense, and the Redskins rallied past visiting Calvary Day 40-29 in their season opener.
The victory served as welcome breath of revenge for the Redskins, who were coming off three straight losses to the Cavaliers, including a 28-17 defeat in 2012.
“As seniors, we take it upon ourselves to step up and lead this football team,” said Scott, a four-year starter who ran for 130 yards on 20 carries and scored twice, including the go-ahead touchdown on the second play of the final period. “We set the tone for the rest of this team. Our offensive linemen did an amazing job, and we were able to break away late.”
Trailing 21-20 to start the fourth quarter, the Class AA Redskins (1-0), out of Region 2, faced a second down and 4 at the Cavalier 40. Scott took the handoff from Jeremy McClendon, burst through the line and found nothing but open field on his way to the end zone to make it 26-21.
Earlier in the drive, Dixon hauled in a big pass on third down from McClendon, one-handing the toss and motoring 14 yards up to midfield to keep the drive alive.
“That’s one of the better catches I’ve seen,” Redskin coach Mark Wilson said. “It was great to get this win. We’ve felt like the red-headed stepchild to them the past couple of years. They’re a very good team, but our guys have got a lot of heart. They’ve been working their butts off in the weight room, and that’s paid off. We had an unbelievable effort tonight.”
After forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, Bryan County went back to work, traveling 63 yards on nine plays and chewing up nearly five minutes off the clock. When the drive was over, the Redskins led 32-21 after a 13-yard scamper by Scott, who maintained his balance after tripping and stretched the ball over the right pylon with 5:25 remaining.
The Class A Cavaliers (0-2) clawed their way back into the contest, embarking on a 65-yard drive in three minutes. Senior quarterback Michael Peterson, who finished 20-of-33 passing for 219 yards and a touchdown, completed a pair of throws, and senior tailback Derek Kirkland scored the last of his three rushing touchdowns on the night with a 2-yard tote with 2:15 to go.
The Cavaliers attempted an onside kick, but Dixon snatched the ball out of the air at his own 49 and rambled down to the Calvary 27. McClendon later picked up the clinching first down, and Dixon put an exclamation point on the night, providing the knockout blow with a 17-yard run that made it 40-29 with just over a minute left.
Dixon dealt with a sprained knee all week at practice, but his linebackers coach, Morgan Jersey, provided him with some inspiration.
“(Jersey) told me about a time when he played with a strained shoulder, so that gave me a boost. I wasn’t coming out of the game,” the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder said. “We came out focused and determined from the first play. It’s a big win for us. We’ve never beaten these guys since we’ve been here, so this was great.”
Bryan County milked more than seven minutes off the clock to open the game, marching 75 yards on just 11 plays. The Redskins converted a third-and-goal at the Calvary 8, when McClendon hit Dixon at the goal line, and Dixon stretched across the plane for the score.
The Cavaliers needed just two plays to answer on their first trip, as Peterson found a streaking Khaliq Hughes down the right side for a 62-yard to knot things up. Hughes finished the night with 97 yards on five catches to lead Calvary.
The Redskins responded with their own fireworks. Kajana Dixon fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own 28, crossed the field and cut back up, tight-roping the sideline and weaving around Cavalier tacklers on his way to the end zone for a 14-7 advantage with 3:34 to play in the first quarter.
The Cavaliers threatened on their next drive, working the ball inside the Bryan County 15, but failed to convert on a fourth-and-4. The Redskins couldn’t muster any offense on their drive, as McClendon’s overthrown pass landed in the hands of Salvador Calderon at the Calvary 46. The Cavaliers again worked the ball downfield, but again, were silenced on a short fourth down.
Following a punt, Calvary got the ball back at the Bryan 49 and this time capitalized, taking just eight snaps to maneuver down field and tie it, when Kirkland took a handoff up the gut for an 8-yard score. But the Cavaliers made another costly mistake on the second half kickoff, allowing the ball to bounce freely, giving Bryan County’s Dominque Mock enough time to pounce on it, setting up a touchdown pass from McClendon to Raekwon Love to give the Redskins a 20-14 edge.
“We’ve gotta make sure in the early quarters that we take advantage of every opportunity we get, and we couldn’t do that,” said Calvary coach Mark Stroud, whose team failed to rebound from last week’s season-opening 30-22 loss to Landmark Christian.
CD 7 7 7 8 — 29
BC 14 0 6 20 — 40
BC—Damion Dixon 8 pass from Jeremy McClendon (Terry Hardy kick)
CD—Khaliq Hughes 62 pass from Michael Peterson (Dan Hatch kick)
BC—Kajana Dixon 72 kickoff return (Hardy kick)
CD—Derek Kirkland 8 run (Hatch kick)
BC—Raekwon Love 15 pass from McClendon (kick failed)
CD—Kirkland 23 run (Hatch kick)
BC—Nick Scott 40 run (run failed)
BC—Scott 13 run (kick failed)
CD—Kirkland 2 run (Kirkland pass from Peterson)
BC—D.Dixon 17 run (Scott run)