WHAT WE SAW: Hilton Head Christian Outlasts Ben Lippen

Wes Kerr

September 12, 2022 @ 07:00 PM

A rainstorm brings out the toughest athletes on the field, and the Hilton Head Christian Academy Eagles weathered the challenge to pick up their first win of the season. In a game where they needed to show up, the Eagles' new group of stars delivered in a 15-9 victory Friday over visiting Ben Lippen. Let's take a look at who left the biggest marks in a memorable and wild contest in Bluffton.   Ron Peduzzi revamped the look of his Eagle group during the bye week and let junior quarterback Dylan Clark take the reins of the offense. He put together a sensational performance in difficult conditions. Completing passes is not easy in the rain, but Clark was accurate when he needed to be, going 6-for-17 for 106 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He fired a beautiful ball to the back of the end zone for the first score where only his receiver could make the play, and he floated a deep pass in the perfect spot on the second for his teammate to catch it in stride. Qayden Turner has been a reliable target in the passing game, using his height and basketball athleticism to win jump balls over his defenders. He leads the team with three touchdown receptions in three games. Morgan Bedenbaugh can be a dangerous threat with his speed on the outside, and he escaped the Falcon defense for a 55-yard touchdown catch. [player_tooltip player_id='395937' first='Matthew' last='Scarpa'] led a fantastic Eagle defensive effort, using his outstanding power and strength to storm into the backfield and hold down a dangerous Ben Lippen run game. He was also a difference maker on special teams, flying off the snap and blocking a punt into the end zone for a key safety. His energy on the field is unmatched and will be the anchor of an Eagle defense looking to replicate the success of their state championship teams over the last two seasons. We saw some new standouts on Ron Peduzzi's squad, and defensive back Tucker Tevepaugh was everywhere, making eight tackles and picking off a pass in the end zone. Tevepaugh has great instincts as a defender and has the hustle to finish off any play. He's also one of the top punters in the nation and showed it on Friday averaging 46 yards per attempt.   Ben Lippen is off to a 3-1 start and running back Taevian Copney is a big reason why. The junior back has terrific power and explosiveness, averaging a cool 8.3 yards per carry so far this season. Copney can change his direction quickly and has the acceleration to sprint past the defense. He nearly had a monster day if two long touchdown runs weren't called back by penalties, but he still rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. When there was a play to be made on defense, it was handled by reliable senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='263157' first='Will' last='Helmadollar']. He's become the leader of his Falcon unit and can stymie the opposition's run game. And Ellis Jones stepped up at wideout several times when his number was called, making several clutch receptions to move the sticks from quarterback Dobson Ricks.

A rainstorm brings out the toughest athletes on the field, and the Hilton Head Christian Academy Eagles weathered the challenge to pick up their first win of the season. In a game where they needed to show up, the Eagles' new group of stars delivered in a 15-9 victory Friday over visiting Ben Lippen. Let's take a look at who left the biggest marks in a memorable and wild contest in Bluffton.