Friday night’s game between the visiting Bainbridge Bearcats and the Coffee Trojans couldn’t have started out worse. The Bearcats took the opening kick 70 yards to the Coffee 14 then scored on the second play of the game when quarterback Cam Sanders found Antavious Murphy standing right by himself in the front of the end zone. With less than a minute off the clock, Bainbridge had a 7-0 lead.
The Trojans righted the ship from that point on, settled down, and fought to a 23-14 win to improve to 2-0 on the season.
After the Bearcats shocked the Trojans with such a quick score, Coffee took over and began moving the ball. Quarterback Maurice Hansley marched his offense to the Bainbridge 32 when what looked like a disaster happened. The snap got past Hansley and he raced to pick it up before any Bearcats beat him to it. He recovered the ball and started scrambling. It looked like he was going to run — until he saw senior Anthony Paulk streaking through the end zone. Hansley, on a dead run, hit Paulk for a Coffee score. Jonah Saylor’s kick was good and the game was tied at seven about halfway through the first quarter.
After trading a few possessions, which included a big Coffee stop at the Trojans’ seven yard line, Saylor drilled home a 38-yard field goal to give Coffee a 10-7 lead with 9:31 remaining in the second quarter.
Not to be outdone, on their next possession, the Bearcats re-took the lead. After Sanders and Murphy connected for a big gain, Sanders threw his second touchdown pass of the night, a short one-yarder to Keenan Phillips. The Bearcats made the extra point and had a 14-10 lead with 8:13 remaining in the half.
Hansley and company showed they weren’t done yet. A few minutes later, Coffee drove downfield and put six more on the board when senior running back Fred Brown scored from 14 yards out. The Trojans missed the extra point but they had retaken the lead, albeit a small one, 16-14.
Bainbridge, however, wasn’t ready to concede anything to Coffee even as the half nearly expired. The Bearcats were moving the ball but the drive stalled just inside Trojan territory. On fourth and four with 42 seconds left, Bainbridge attempted a fake punt. Coffee wasn’t fooled and shut it down quickly. The Trojans took over on their own 41 with 42 seconds left. But Coffee couldn’t sustain any momentum in the few remaining seconds of the half and the clock zeroed out with the Trojans up 16-14.
In the third quarter, neither team could put up any points. The Bearcats missed a 36-yard field goal early in the quarter. Coffee really didn’t threaten much until the fourth quarter. That’s when, at the end of a long drive, Hansley fought his way into the end zone on a six-yard run to pad the Trojans’ lead. Saylor added the point-after and Coffee had what suddenly looked like a safe 23-14 advantage.
Late in the game, with just 3:27 left, Bainbridge attempted to cash in what ended up being its final opportunity. On fourth and one from the Coffee 27, Bainbridge had no choice but to go for it. The Trojan defense, which had played tough all night but especially in the second half, stuffed the Bearcats and effectively ended their chances right there on the 27.
The win avenges a last-second comeback victory by the Bearcats last year in Bainbridge. That game, a 24-21 win on what was a desperation Hail Mary, has bothered the Trojans for the last 12 months. Friday night, they removed those thorns for good. “Our defense was great in the second half. The offense scored when they had to. We laid the ball on the ground but we got fortunate a few times there. I couldn’t be prouder of this group of kids. They’re a special group,” said head coach Mike Coe following the game.
The Trojans are off next week then play The Bolles School of Jacksonville, Fla., in Brunswick on September 8.