What We Saw: Bluffton 28, Hilton Head 24

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BLUFFTON- Bluffton quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='790404' first='Owen' last='Bayes']</strong> walked off the field Friday with a hug from his father, and a face of pure joy. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twelve months of hard work couldn't have culminated any better.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bayes displayed his poise and mettle on the field Friday for a signature victory, throwing for 316 yards and three touchdowns to rally the Bobcats for a 28-24 win over his former Hilton Head Seahawks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He had to earn it tonight, and he seized every big opportunity. From an early fourth-down conversion to set up his first touchdown of the night to quickly responding after throwing a go-ahead Hilton Head pick six, Bayes stayed composed and executed brilliantly down the stretch. Trailing 21-14 in the second half, the Bluffton quarterback quickly scanned downfield and threw an accurate downfield pass to an open <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578696' first='Nate' last='Ulmer']</strong> for 71 yards. But his final touchdown pass may have been his best throw of the night. With Hilton Head defensive back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360333' first='Carson' last='Haines']</strong> playing tight coverage, Bayes dropped a beauty over the shoulder of <strong>Kyler Vick </strong>who caught it in stride for the go-ahead 31-yard score. It was a version of Bayes that was sculpted from a nonstop desire to raise his game and a driven work ethic. He's grown into a reliable starter for a team with the firepower to make some noise in a tough Region VII-4A, and maybe beyond. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We saw another terrific performance from wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='988249' first='Brandon' last='Bryant']</strong>, who built on his record-breaking 334-yard outing a week ago with 101 yards and a pair of touchdown receptions in the first half. He's got a lethal first step and excellent elusiveness to make defenders miss after the catch which he showed on his first score of the day on a 24-yard screen. His speed was a problem on his second touchdown, outrunning his matchup on the outside and hauling in a deep pass down the left sideline from Bayes. He's a tremendous multi-sport athlete who loves to compete and thrive in the big-time moments. But don't sleep on Vick, who put himself into Bridge Bowl lore with four catches for a team-high 113 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. He's another established weapon for a pass game that will be difficult to hold down going forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bluffton's defense needed to come through to lock the win down, and Hayden Gregory's unit delivered. It was the game of the season for <strong>Josh Bond</strong>, who was terrific against the strong Hilton Head ground attack of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1013024' first='Troy' last='Timko']</strong>. <strong>Devon Grant </strong>was an underrated component of Bluffton's success, using an excellent brand of strength and footwork to shed his blocks and slow down Timko's quick legs. After a tough performance last week, Bluffton's pass rush came through to stymie Hilton Head quarterback and former Bayes teammate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='464809' first='Jackson' last='Bibee']</strong>. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='208337' first='Jeremiah' last='Curry']</strong> was outstanding down the stretch, providing his nonstop energy and physicality to fly into the backfield and shut down the Seahawks' final drive. Curry helped close the door on the game-sealing play, knocking the football free after a botched lateral play to seal an emotional win over a region rival. <br>Timko was still a force for the Seahawks and kept his squad in it in the second half, rushing for 165 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. His tremendous patience in the backfield to spot open lanes and built-in muscle help him break tackles and fight for extra yards while showcasing terrific quickness and acceleration down the field. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360171' first='Connor' last='Wiendl']</strong> was dynamite on both sides, scoring a touchdown to finish off a drive while providing a powerful and physical presence on defense at linebacker. He's developed quite a motor and plays with endless tenacity wherever BJ Payne puts him. It was another standout night for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448980' first='Shaikh' last='Thompson']</strong>, showing off his extraordinary athleticism and power at the line with a few monstrous tackles for loss and sacks. <strong>Nathan Apy</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360333' first='Carson' last='Haines']</strong> had excellent games in the secondary, making several important stops to prevent explosive plays as well as some nice runs for Haines in the kickoff return game. And junior <strong>Lucas Thibodeau </strong>showed his fantastic instincts at corner, jumping on a route to the outside and executing for a momentum-altering interception return. It may have been a tough overall result, but Payne found a couple rising stars on the defensive side who could make big impacts to help his team fight for a postseason spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->