What We Saw: Bamberg-Ehrhardt 28, Whale Branch 10

Wes Kerr

October 28, 2023 @ 12:16 AM

Whale Branch came into Friday's region title clash confident in its high-powered rushing attack.    But the Warriors hadn't seen a team this year as physical and hungry as the Bamberg-Ehrhardt Red Raiders.   Led by an impressive team defensive performance, Bamberg-Ehrhardt rattled off 14 unanswered points to end the game and held Whale Branch scoreless in the second half to down the Warriors 28-10 on the road and capture the SCHSL Region VII-1A championship.   The Red Raiders had the noticeable early jump on the road, powered by athletic and shifty running back [player_tooltip player_id='997288' first='Nick' last='Folk']. With the help of an exceptional offensive line led by Jason Crosby and two-way standout Yzorian Washington, Folk and the run game had their way on Friday night. The ground attack was so effective that the Red Raiders attempted just 11 passes throughout the contest. Folk was the best of the bunch on the night, using his impressive patience and quick cuts to speed his way to the outside and find daylight and finishing with 144 yards and a score on 25 attempts. Demetrius Odom got just one carry on the night, but he made the most of it, darting through a hole up the middle and fending off a host of Warriors for a 23-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='464885' first='Chanston' last='Crosby'] came up clutch on the second score of the night, making the right read and throwing a beauty to the right corner into the waiting arms of junior wide receiver Colt Bunch. Crosby was efficient when he had to be near the goal line with a pair of touchdown passes on the night, getting the ball out quickly and on time to his targets. His one mistake on the day was a costly one and got the Warriors back in the game, as Jermon Bowers snatched an inaccurate throw and weaved his way to the house for a 60-yard interception return which cut the lead to 14-10 near the end of the first half. Bamberg's determination on defense was the difference after the break, limiting away the explosive play of KJ Chisolm and flying to make quick and effective tackles. A normally strong Warrior run game was held in check thanks to the outstanding effort of Washington and dynamic linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1142485' first='Jamie' last='Downing']. The two-way senior was making plays everywhere out on the field, showing an unending motor and excellent recognition on the field with the physicality to shut plays down and the skill to excel in pass coverage. Washington's impressive strength up front helped stuff the runs to his side, and both Tristan Jenkins and Robert Jamison were explosive all night to clog up holes and burst into the backfield for sacks. They didn't force any turnovers, but they had Whale Branch's number for most of the night.   The Warriors learned a lot from Friday night's action and may have found a new budding standout in Bowers. He was the most impressive on the home side, telegraphing a deep pass for a pick-six on defense and nearly adding another in the second half. He also showed some excellent quickness and poise under center at quarterback when Jerry Hatcher moved starter Chisholm out wide. Bowers is a budding passer who can take off for big yardage in a flash on the ground and should be well-prepared for the full-time starter role next year. Chisholm's athleticism was on full display again, showing why he's on his way to December's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl with terrific speed and a lethal first step to make defenders miss. [player_tooltip player_id='579278' first='Alonzo' last='Allen']'s spectacular campaign continued on the defensive side with a consistent level of physicality and tenacity on the field to fight to make tackles against a strong offensive line. Bradford Thompson battled tough in a challenging matchup and was still a problem at times with a sack and a flurry of key tackles throughout. Freshman Rakeem Walker held his own at linebacker, displaying excellent intensity and hustle to pursue stops while playing tight and clinical coverage to help break up pass attempts downfield.

Whale Branch came into Friday's region title clash confident in its high-powered rushing attack.