Huge second half sends Silver Bluff past Barnwell – Berkeley Independent
SILVER BLUFF 55, BARNWELL 20
BARNWELL — De’Angelo Bryant knows he doesn’t have to say too much to his senior-laden Silver Bluff football team.
So the message was short and sweet when the third-ranked Bulldogs went into the locker room trailing 20-14 at fifth-ranked Barnwell:
Guys, we’ve got to play football.
Heard.
Silver Bluff showed over the final 24 minutes why it’s considered a favorite to play for a state championship, outscoring Barnwell 41-0 in the second half for a 55-20 win.
“This is the first time all season long we’ve gone in and we’ve been behind. I didn’t really have to say much to them,” Bryant said. “They understood the task at hand, and I was just proud to see them respond the way that they did.”
The Bulldogs (7-0, 3-0 Region 5-AA) took control of the game in the third quarter by scoring 27 points and shutting down a Barnwell (6-2, 1-1) offense that had some success in building that first-half lead.
Silver Bluff regained the lead quickly, capping their first drive of the second half with Darius Dixon’s 32-yard touchdown run.
That was only just the beginning.
Silver Bluff forced a Barnwell punt, then Traevon Dunbar broke free for a 76-yard touchdown run one play after an illegal blocking penalty cost the Bulldogs 15 yards.
Moments later, Zaden Davis intercepted Weston Sandifer to give Silver Bluff the ball right back, and Dixon was right back in the end zone from 9 yards out.
Barnwell fumbled on its next snap at its own 11, and all quarterback Maleik Williams needed was one play to find the end zone.
Just like that, it was 41-20.
“We play four-quarter football, and that’s what this game had to be about,” Bryant said. “I told our guys all week long to forget the records – this is Barnwell and Silver Bluff. One thing I know about that staff over there, they’re going to have those guys ready to play some football. And they did. I just think the coin flipped the right way in the second half for us, and we were able to come out victorious.”
Dunbar finished the game with 227 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, and Williams overcame some struggles in the passing game to rush for 119 yards on 11 carries.
Chris Turner returned a Barnwell punt 73 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and after another punt Marcus Washington capped a punishing drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.
There would be no need for a frantic rally like last year, when Barnwell went for two and a 29-28 lead in a heartbreaking loss for Silver Bluff.
The Bulldogs haven’t lost since.
This is the 11th consecutive win for Silver Bluff dating back to last season, and all seven of the Bulldogs’ wins this season have been by 34 points or more.
It couldn’t have looked farther from that in the first half Friday, though.
Sandifer, Tyler Smith and the Barnwell offense reeled off three scoring drives in the first half and had all of the counter-punches to whatever success Dunbar and the Bulldogs were having.
Dunbar took his first carry of the game 48 yards for the opening score, but the Warhorses quickly responded when Smith took a short Sandifer pass 36 yards to the end zone on fourth and long.
Silver Bluff responded with another Dunbar touchdown and a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Smith and the Warhorses marched right back down the field. Smith’s 4-yard touchdown run brought Barnwell to within a point, and the Warhorses took the lead after Clay Pender rose over a defensive back to pull in a 21-yard touchdown from Sandifer.
Smith, who also had a strong night at linebacker and punter, rushed for 114 yards on 21 carries. However, Barnwell’s high-powered rushing attack didn’t generate much more against a Silver Bluff defense that answered the call after the halftime horn.
“They better buckle up and play, because Barnwell’s coming downhill,” was Bryant’s message to his defensive line. “You know Coach (Dwayne) Garrick’s going to do it, so we just had to buckle down and do it. They gave us some different formations. Obviously, having Pender back in the mix definitely posed another threat for us, so we had to pay attention to him. We finally were able to settle down and play with better pad level, because those guys are strong up front. Our defensive line responded well, and our linebackers started filling the gaps a lot better, too.”
Sandifer started the game 6 of 8 passing but ended up 9 of 16 for 98 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He had practically no time to throw in the second half, and Silver Bluff’s defensive backs left him with nowhere to throw.
Barnwell has a quick turnaround to get things back on track. The Warhorses have a game scheduled for Thursday night at Pelion.
The win leaves Silver Bluff with only next Friday’s game against Edisto in its way of an undefeated region championship. Bryant said after the game that he knows Edisto will come to Petticoat Junction hungry and ready to spoil the Bulldogs’ title hopes, plus their Senior Night, so they’ll have to be ready to respond to another challenge.
The feeling couldn’t have been any more different after last year, as all the Bulldogs could do was watch their rivals celebrate on their home field. This time, it was Bryant receiving the celebratory ice bath at the 50-yard line.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” he said. “I’m just so appreciative of those young men, because I see the daily hard work and the sacrifices that these guys make. So it’s just as much of a gratifying thing for me – sometimes I can’t let them know that, but I’ve got to let them know that I really appreciate those guys and they do what they’re supposed to do.”
