Seahawks shock Bell for second straight win

A scoreless first quarter Friday night at Mikel Clark Field made clear the visiting Bell Bulldogs would have a challenge against the Franklin County Seahawks.

A zero-zero tie going into the locker room at the half established the Bulldogs would have a fight on their hands.

Three quarters of play with neither team crossing the goal line put the Seahawks in a position to win.

A pair of Franklin County touchdowns in the fourth settled the matter.

The 12-7 upset over the undefeated Bulldogs marked, for the first time in school history, a second straight win to open the football season.

“I thought we had the speed advantage but we couldn’t take advantage of that until late,” said coach John Cooper. “I’m so proud of the resilience of these kids, to keep fighting. They got punched for four quarters tonight and they kept fighting. I love these kids and love being here.”

The Bulldogs, whose size was formidable compared to the younger Seahawks, came into the game 2-0 after posting a 42-21 win over Gainesville Oak Hall in their opener, and then last week a 34-24 win over Trenton. 

Neither side could get deep into their opponent’s red zone in the first quarter, but with three minutes left in the half, Bell had a chance to draw first blood when they tried a 30-yard field goal that fell just short.

On the subsequent Seahawk drive, senior Ta’marion Carr broke a 60-yard run that put Franklin County in a perfect position to score. But a clipping call nullified the gain.

With 44 seconds left, a Franklin County interception by freshman Dre North stymied a Bell drive, and both sides went into the locker room still without a score.

In the third quarter, the Seahawks got their ground game churning, as Carr ran the kickoff up to the 37, and then sophomore Sadiq Jones had a 45-yard burst. A false start penalty set the Seahawks back, and despite a six-yard run by senior Ajaylen McNair, Franklin County was forced to punt.

With 4:30 left in the third quarter, Carr intercepted a long pass from Bell senior quarterback Isaac Johnson but from then until the end of the quarter, neither team was unable to punch it in.

Midway through the final quarter. Bell’s Landin Williams tore a 28-yard run to the Seahawk 2, and on the next play the Bulldogs had six points on the board. The extra point kick was good and Bell led 7-0.

But with 6:43 left to play, the Bulldogs sent the kickoff out of bounds, and Cooper had a decision to make.

“Initially I was going to take it; it was great field position,” he said. “But I wanted to give (Sadiq Jones) a chance and see if they would mistakenly kick it to him.

“I doubt many teams are going to kick it to him anymore,” Cooper said. That’s because Jones returned the kickoff for a 78-yard touchdown.

McNair was stopped a few feet short on the 2-point conversion and the Seahawks remained on the low end of a 7-6 score.

The Bulldogs got to the midfield on their subsequent drive, and on a third-and-20 play, Seahawk Bennett McNair pounced on a fumble, but the refs ruled it an incomplete pass.

With 2:24 left to play, the Seahawks forced a Bell punt, and on the Franklin County drive that began at the Seahawks 43, Jones ran off tackle and sped down the sideline to the 5-yard line. 

Two plays later, with 1:59 left in the game, Carr scored the go-ahead touchdown, but the 2-point conversion was no good, and Bell had the ball back, down 12-7.

This is where the Seahawk defense held their ground, as senior Michael Hill, who had eight solo tackles and five assists; junior Eric Smith, who had six solos and five assists; and junior Ja’Michael Miller, who had six solos and eight assists, joined with the rest of the defense to stymie the Bell ground game for four straight plays, sending the ball back to the Seahawks, who would run out the clock.

“They (Bell) had a great game plan coming in, almost like an anaconda trying to constrict an opponent,” said Cooper. “We only had like 20 offensive plays. They did a good job of controlling the clock on us, and they did a great job of limiting our offensive plays. They were like a boxer that goes 15 rounds, leaning on you the whole fight and you have to persevere to the last round.

“They were a lot bigger team up front than we were,” he said. “Defensive coordinator Brock Johnson did a good job of bending without breaking, and coach Scott Collins did a great job making adjustments.

“I think we got a good quality win tonight against a very good Bell team,” said Cooper.

Jones finished with six carries for 94 yards, and the kickoff return for a score. Carr carried the ball three times for 13 yards and one touchdown, plus a 17-yard kickoff return.

Smith rushed three times for nine yards, and Hill one time for two yards. Ajaylen McNair rushed twice for nine yards, and caught a five-yard pass from senior quarterback Garyson Millender.

The Seahawks are practicing all week as they gear up for a home date against Florida A & M High School.

“I’m hoping for some misdirection and going to fundamentals on offense and that our defense stays stout between the tackles,” said Cooper. “They have athletes all over the field. We’re going to be fortunate to win the game.

“Friday night this is going to be the place to be, win, lose or draw,” he said. “I’m hoping we have a lot of fans in the seats.”