WHAT WE SAW: Hilton Head Christian 36, Beaufort Academy 16

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BLUFFTON- Sometimes, an 0-2 start is just what you need to find that extra gear.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's worked wonders for <strong>Dylan Clark</strong> and the Hilton Head Christian Academy Eagles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the third straight game, Clark and a hungry Eagle defense proved they belong in the conversation for a SCISA 3A title, this time with a thoroughly impressive 36-16 home victory on Friday to hand Beaufort Academy its first loss of the season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I've been starting to take what the defense is giving me and trust my receivers who can go up and get it,” Clark said. “I know I have great weapons out there and I can put the ball out there when they need it.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clark had a hand in all five Hilton Head Christian Academy touchdowns, completing 13 of 25 passes for 223 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. His one rushing score opened the night, orchestrating a methodical 11-play drive by finding open seams and using his quick feet to outrun a disciplined Beaufort Academy defense. He relied upon wideout <strong>AJ Houpt</strong> early and often, who has been quite the security blanket for Ron Peduzzi's air raid attack with 16 catches, 226 yards, and two touchdowns in just his last two games.&nbsp; Clark had some tough moments early, including taking a sack for a safety and a deep ball interception, but he rediscovered his all-around game after showing some patience and ingenuity by escaping the pocket and picking up chunks of yardage on the ground. His work in the run game gave his team the opportunity to move the chains, and he quickly found his touch again on a beautifully-thrown touchdown pass over the middle to senior receiver <strong>Gage Zatalokin</strong> for 27 yards. Beaufort Academy struck back on a spectacular fingertip catch from <strong>Devin Fripp</strong> on a third-down throw from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='268686' first='Dietrich' last='Shuford']</strong>, taking it to the 1-yard line before <strong>Jaxen Porter</strong> finished it off, cutting the Hilton Head Christian Academy lead to 15-9 at the half. But Clark's brilliant play under center blew it wide open in the second half, throwing three more touchdown passes on the night to Houpt, Zatalokin, and Thomas Heyward Academy transfer <strong>Tyshon Mansell</strong>. Despite a tough game overall on the ground, Hilton Head Christian Academy showed its excellent speed and hands on the outside with a dynamic playmaker at center.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ron Peduzzi's defense was clinical from the start, pressuring Shuford and forcing him to get rid of the ball quickly. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1395087' first='Reid' last='McCollum']</strong> set the tone with his relentless motor at defensive back alongside tremendous pass coverage with a beautiful one-handed interception to deny the visitors points in the red zone. He's got a strong frame and an exceptional sense on the field to sniff out plays and make impacts at all levels. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='589061' first='Tucker' last='Tevepaugh']</strong> was sensational in shutting down passes across the middle and added to his strong season in special teams with a punt inside the 20-yard line. An invaluable leader with excellent instincts in the secondary, Tevepaugh has raised the bar for the unit around him in his senior season. The front seven limited a high-octane Beaufort Academy ground attack thanks to the clinical play of senior linebacker <strong>Zane Wilson</strong> and beastly 285-pound lineman <strong>Jackson Conrad</strong>.<br>Beaufort Academy's offense was neutralized at the biggest moments, but not without some spectacular play from versatile athlete <strong>Jaxen Porter</strong>. His quickness and elusiveness were on display in Bluffton, showing his excellent hands to move the sticks and adding a receiving touchdown in the second half on top of a one-yard rushing score. Shuford was efficient in the pocket, making crisp decisions to get rid of the ball quickly and on time to his receivers. He's developed good chemistry with Fripp who added several key catches on third down including his tremendous grab to set up the Porter touchdown. <strong>Ja'Shon Williams</strong> led the way on defense and used his physicality to slow down Hilton Head Christian's rushing attack. Porter backed up his electric compete level on offense to the opposite side of the ball, soaring over an opposing receiver to win a 50/50 ball for an interception. It's a well-conditioned group that can stuff the run game and throw out multiple looks on offense with the versatile play of Shuford and Porter. They'll learn a lot from their first defeat of the season as they prepare for a run at the SCISA 2A title in November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->