The Statesboro Blue Devils hosted the Warhawks for their first home game of the 2024 season.
The Statesboro Blue Devils defeated the Veterans Warhawks 21-10 in the first home game of the season at Womack Field. This was the comeback game the Blue Devils needed to redeem themselves from their season opener against the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets last Friday in Brooklet.
The Blue Devils came out of the gate with a lot of energy and followed it onto the field to start the game between these two opponents.
First half
The angry Blue Devils seemed to intimidate the Warhawks as they were unable to hold onto the ball in the first quarter and missed a snap, resulting in a Blue Devils safety in the first few minutes of play.
With several catches in the first half for the Blue Devils, junior wide receiver, Keon Childersscored the Blue Devils’ first touchdown with a 25-yard run, giving Statesboro a 9-0 lead over the Veterans. Children had 4 pass catches per 80 yards for the Blue Devils in the first half with catches of 11, 16, 18 and 25 yards.
Senior running back, Jaylyn “Chop” Heathhad a variety of runs for the Blue Devils and finished the first half with 40 rushing yards. Behind him was senior running back TY chamberswho had 22 rushing yards, freshman quarterback Beckham Jarrard with 17 rushing yards and senior running back Josh Brockett with one rushing yard.
The Blue Devils went into halftime with a 9-0 lead. The defense, led by juniors, Rashad Chavers And Xavier Magicwere all over the field and put pressure on the Blue Devils’ defense, making numerous stops and tackles left and right.
After the first half, the Head Coach Matt Dobson had to say:
“The defense is playing great. They tackle really well, get the ball and just do a great job.”
He wanted his team to continue to communicate, win at the line of scrimmage, and continue to run the football in the second half.
Second half
The Blue Devils came out of halftime a little sloppy and didn’t have the same energy as they had at the start of the game. Since football is all about running, that’s not ideal for a Blue Devil team that has been inconsistent in the past.
The Blue Devils quickly let the Warhawks get back into the game and scored a quick touchdown within the first five minutes of the half. Senior Running Back, Justin Shine scored the first touchdown for the Warhawks and immediately sent the Blue Devils an onside kick that they were unable to defend. The Warhawks got the ball back and were able to capitalize on this crucial play with a field goal, giving the Warhawks a 10-9 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Due to a communication error, the Blue Devils did not even get the football for 1:45 minutes into the third quarter and seemed to get a bit out of formation, forcing them to regroup in the fourth quarter to defeat the Warhawks.
Jaylyn Heath was an offensive beast for the Blue Devils in the second half, running for 90 yards, which accounted for more than half of the Blue Devils’ rushing yards. He finished the game with a 34-yard touchdown and 130 rushing yards.
Freshman quarterback Beckham Jarrard looked like a veteran on the field, scoring his own 23-yard touchdown of the night to finish the game with 42 yards in the second half and 59 rushing yards in the game. A first-year quarterback can be tough, but according to Coach Dobson This is not a problem for the Blue Devils.
“The offensive line won the game for us, there is no doubt about that,” said Dobson“Beckham was untouched during his run and he has a good charisma. Our boys like being around him.”
Statistically, the Blue Devils achieved 213 rushing yards and 152 receiving yards for a total of 365 offensive yards, while the Warhawks achieved 121 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards for a total of 175 offensive yards.
The Blue Devils managed 14 first downs and had just one fumble on the night. They finished the game with seven penalties, two of which were canceled. The Blue Devils still have trouble staying patient at the line, as four of those seven penalties were false starts that resulted in a total loss of 20 yards. In total, the Blue Devils lost 30 yards to penalties.
Because of the Blue Devils’ historic season last year, which saw them advance to the second round of the state championship for the first time in many years, the Blue Devils can rest a little easier knowing that the winning culture of Statesboro football has carried over into the 2024 season.
“First you lose a lot, then you lose a little, then you start winning a little and hopefully you win a lot.” Dobson said.
Right now, his team is in a phase between small losses and small victories and he hopes they continue to learn how to win despite the adversity, just like they did in this game.
Next
The Blue Devils are back in action on Friday, September 6th when they travel to Evans to face the Greenbrier Wolfpack to open their regional play for the 2024 season.
