Better late than never.
The Coffee Trojans lived dangerously by that trite little cliche Friday night in Brunswick as they faced the Bolles Bulldogs in the annual Border Classic. The Trojans won 17-9 after trailing 6-0 at the half and after losing starting quarterback Maurice Hansley to injury in the second half.
Neither team scored until late in the second quarter when the Bulldogs drew first blood on a long pass from senior quarterback DJ Moore to sophomore wide receiver Naeem Burroughs. The extra point was no good. Coffee missed a 43-yard field goal right before halftime and the Bulldogs took a 6-0 lead into the locker room.
“At halftime, no one was carrying on, fussing, or anything like that. Our players acted like they were winning by 20. They said they knew they had to finish drives and stop making penalties,” said head coach Mike Coe after the game.
That’s exactly what Coffee did. While the defense was suffocating the Bolles offense, the Trojan offensive unit found its stride. Coffee struck early in the third quarter when Maurice Hansley found Pat McCall for a touchdown. With the extra point, the score gave the Trojans a 7-6 lead.
Last season, Hansley had trouble with an ankle injury. Late in the game, he re-injured the ankle and left the contest for good. That opened a door for sophomore quarterback Trey Ross. He’s seen some limited varsity action this year and has played the majority of snaps at the junior varsity level.
Ross kept Coffee in the game and even provided a much needed surge in momentum when he connected with junior receiver Bray Coe for a 13 yard touchdown. That put Coffee up 14-6 with 9:29 remaining in the game.
Boles would add a 35 yard field goal to narrow the lead to 14-9 and remain in striking distance. However, the Trojans answered with a 34 yard field goal courtesy of kicker Jonah Saylor to go up 17-9 with 5:30 left.
The lead would hold as the clock wound down. Coffee came away with its second consecutive win in the Border Classic. The victory was also Coach Coe’s first win over Bolles — his Madison County (Florida) Cowboys had faced the Bulldogs previously and Bolles always came away with wins.
The Trojans face the Salem Seminoles next week in Douglas at Jardine Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.