Published: 10:37 AM, Sat Sep 15, 2012
Jack Britt rallies past Terry Sanford, 30-24
By Jaclyn Shambaugh
Staff writer
Jack Britt was looking to rebound from last week's loss to Scotland and former coach Richard Bailey when it opened conference play at home against Terry Sanford on Friday.
The Buccaneers took an important step toward regaining that confidence with a come-from-behind, 30-24 win against the Bulldogs.
"That was a tough loss," running back Eric Carter said. "We had to get our confidence back and regain our composure as a team."
Carter contributed a game-high 100 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Jack Britt coach Brian Rimpf said his team badly needed the win.
"We had a bad week last week, and we heard about it all week," the coach said. "It's mistakes that are killing us. It happened last week, and it started to happen this week. Fortunately, we were able to recover in the second half."
The Bulldogs (2-3, 0-1) took an early lead when they turned a fumbled snap on Britt's opening series into a scoring drive. Quarterback Darryl Bonner scored on a 1-yard run, and Peter Court's kick made it 7-0 with 7:15 to play in the first quarter.
The Bucs (4-1, 0-1) answered with a touchdown of their own, on a 49-yard pass from Mark McRae to Chris Jenkins, but Nick Lee's point-after attempt was blocked.
That lost point haunted Britt as the Bucs trailed at the half 14-13.
Running back Marquis Foshee said the halftime deficit didn't faze the Bucs.
"We've faced adversity before," said the junior, who rushed for 90 yards on 13 carries. "We knew we just had to keep pounding."
Big run by Foshee
Foshee's third-quarter touchdown, on a 39-yard run right up the middle of the Bulldog defense, gave Jack Britt the lead at 20-17 with 3:22 to play in the period.
From there, the Bucs were able to hold off Terry Sanford for the win.
Bonner was the Bulldogs' key offensive piece, rushing for 46 yards and two touchdowns. He threw for 159 yards and completed nine of 15 attempts, but he was picked twice by the Buc defense.
Terry Sanford coach Wayne Inman said those interceptions, along with a pair of lost fumbles that led to Jack Britt scores, made the difference in the game.
"This game really came down to four turnovers," Inman said. "You can't make those mistakes against a good team."
Staff writer Jaclyn Shambaugh can be reached at 609-0651 or shambaughj@fayobserver.com.