Bible Baptist junior quarterback Keynnard Campbell’s numbers in Friday night’s SCISA Class A semifinal were something straight out of a John Madden video game.
The Braves’ dual-threat signal caller accumulated 471 yards of total offense and accounted for eight touchdowns to lead a 60-22 thrashing of Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate.
The Braves (8-4) will face Williamsburg next Saturday at noon for the SCISA Class A championship at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C.
“It means a lot to this team,” Bible Baptist first-year coach Jonathan Mauk said of the win, which put the Braves in the title game for the third time in five years and gives them a chance to earn their first title since 1995.
“The players have bought into everything we’ve tried to accomplish, and the coaching staff has worked numerous hours to make this thing work,” Mauk said. “It’s great for the whole school.”
Among Campbell’s eye-popping totals: 19 carries for 240 yards and five rushing touchdowns and a 15-for-33 performance through the air with three scores.
“It all starts with Keynnard,” Mauk said. “He puts us in position to make some big plays. But you also have to look at our offensive line, which doesn’t get enough credit. Without their blocking, he doesn’t have all those opportunities. They’ve matured and grown throughout the season and are playing very well at the right time.”
The Braves recovered an onside kick at the Titan 49 to start the game, and Campbell wasted little time getting his team on the board, connecting with a wide-open Luke Long from 37 yards away on the second play from scrimmage to make it 6-0 less than 30 seconds in.
Trinity-Byrnes (7-4) responded by moving the ball down inside Bible’s 15-yard line, but the Titans’ drive floundered when Braves sophomore linebacker Daniel Hughes stuffed Dalton Russell at the 13 to give the ball back to the Braves.
Campbell led off the ensuing possession by hitting Asa Nelson for a 30-yard completion to the 43, and two plays later, Campbell showed off his speed, shaking off a pair of defenders and scoring from 54 yards out to extend the lead to 12-0.
The Titans clawed their way back into the game after a short Bible punt gave them the ball at the Brave 13. Kalin Brown-McFadden scored from 4 yards out and then added the two-point conversion run to make it 12-8 with 3:10 left in the first quarter.
Trinity-Byrnes couldn’t get any closer. The Braves took over at the Titans’ 19 after a four-yard punt early in the second, and Campbell needed just one play from there, as he hit his brother William Campbell, who made one man miss and trotted in to make it a two-score contest again.
Keynnard Campbell made it 24-8 with 6:20 left in the half, courtesy of a 32-yard touchdown sprint. Smelling blood, the Braves continued to pour it on when Jacob Brand recovered an onside kick at midfield.
Campbell hit Long on a fourth down-and-8 play to get the ball to the 23 and followed up with a pass in the middle of the field to Nelson, who scooted around the corner for another score to make it 32-8 following Mulik Simmons’ two-point run.
Campbell added a 36-yard touchdown run before halftime and two more rushing scores of 10 and 5 in the second half. Simmons scored Bible’s final touchdown on a 27-yard run late in the game.
The Braves, who wiped out Holly Hill in last week’s quarterfinal 72-7, have outscored opponents 132-29 in their two postseason games. But as dominant as the offense has been, Mauk said the team’s success also can be attributed to a smashmouth defense.
“The guys have really been getting after it,” Mauk said. “We’ve got probably the best linebacker in the city in Mulik Simmons. The kid probably has over 170 tackles and is involved in every single play; he’s always flying to the ball.”
In the postgame huddle, Mauk shared in his team’s jubilation, but left one last message.
“It’s time to finish,” he said. “We’ve got one last part of that mountain to climb.”
TBC 8 6 0 8 — 22
BB 12 28 14 6 — 60
BB—Luke Long 37 pass from Keynnard Campbell (pass failed)
BB—K. Campbell 54 run (pass failed)
TBC—Kalin Brown-McFadden 4 run (Brown-McFadden run)
BB—William Campbell 19 pass from K. Campbell (run failed)
BB—K. Campbell 32 run (pass failed)
BB—Asa Nelson 23 pass from K. Campbell (Mulik Simmons run)
TBC—Christian Carey 1 run (run failed)
BB—K. Campbell 36 run (Simmons run)
BB—K. Campbell 10 run (Simmons run)
BB—K. Campbell 5 run (run failed)
BB—Simmons 27 run (run failed)
TBC—Will Naso 38 run (Chantwan Damon run)