The Bulloch Academy Gators finished their regular season on a high note Friday night, defeating long-time rival Pinewood Christian Academy 42–28 in front of a packed, spirited crowd. The rivalry game had all the intensity fans expected: hard hits, big plays, and momentum swings, but it was the Gators’ physicality and defensive stops that sealed the victory.
First Quarter
Pinewood nearly opened the night with fireworks, breaking loose on the kickoff before Braylon Cone made a crucial tackle to prevent an early touchdown. The Patriots still managed to strike first, jumping out to an early lead.
Bulloch Academy’s offense quickly settled in behind strong blocking and decisive running. Rocco Reiss found an opening and broke through for a touchdown, followed by a clean extra point from Case Woodrum to even the score.
Defensively, the Gators began to make their presence known late in the quarter. Billy Crider and Cone both made standout tackles to halt Pinewood’s drives, keeping momentum alive for the Gators as the teams traded blows early.
Second Quarter
The second quarter saw the Gators take control of the tempo. Billy Crider put Bulloch Academy ahead with a touchdown of his own, and Woodrum again added the point-after. Pinewood’s passing game stayed effective, though, connecting for a long touchdown to tie things up.
Dayne Garvin answered with tough running between the tackles, setting up a highlight play from Sam Hubbard, who sprinted into the end zone for another Gator score. BJ Smart kept the offense rolling with a big catch, then followed it up with a touchdown reception moments later.
Before halftime, Cone again pressured the Pinewood quarterback, helping prevent any additional points as Bulloch Academy carried a 21–14 lead into the break.
Third Quarter
The Gators came out of halftime firing. Quarterback Sam Hubbard connected on a huge pass to Billy Crider to set up a short-yardage touchdown run from Dayne Garvin. Pinewood countered with a quick passing drive that ended in a touchdown, narrowing the gap.
The rivalry atmosphere was palpable as Pinewood recovered an onside kick and kept up the pressure with quick pitch plays. But Nick Eason Jr. came up with a major defensive stop to slow the Patriots’ rhythm. Still, Pinewood managed to punch it in once more before the quarter ended, keeping the game close.
The third quarter ended with Bulloch Academy clinging to a 35–28 lead, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
Fourth Quarter
The Gators slammed the door in the final quarter. Maddox Lee powered in for a touchdown to extend the lead, and moments later the Bulloch Academy defense fed off the crowd’s energy with a fumble recovery that sent the home stands roaring.
The defense locked down in the final minutes, highlighted by strong plays from Omar Cruz and a game-clinching interception from Dayne Garvin. Pinewood attempted a quick-snap, up-tempo drive to get back in it, but Garvin’s interception ended the threat. Bulloch Academy ran out the clock to secure a 42–28 victory.
Coach Phillips’ Thoughts
After the win, Head Coach Aaron Phillips praised his team’s effort and physicality against a strong Pinewood squad.
“I thought our kids played really hard,” Phillips said. “We didn’t do everything right — we had some moments with miscommunication in the secondary — but you take away three or four pass plays, and this is a running-clock game.”
Phillips highlighted how his defense shut down Pinewood’s strength, the run game, and credited the front line for setting the tone.
“That’s a really good running football team, and that’s what they want to do,” he said. “Offensively and up front, their running game was null and void for the most part.”
He also pointed to the continued growth of his young guys, noting their ability to create turnovers despite a few growing pains.
“We lead our region in interceptions, but we’ve probably also given up the most passing touchdowns,” Phillips said with a grin. “It’s a double-edged sword, but those guys are getting better.”
Looking ahead, Phillips said the Gators are exactly where they need to be heading into postseason play.
“We’ve got a lot of football left,” he said. “This is the way you want to go into the playoffs — hungry and confident. If we play as physical up front as we did tonight, we probably don’t have two losses on our chest.”
Up Next
The Bulloch Academy Gators will find out what lies ahead for the postseason when the GIAA playoff brackets are released this weekend.
Live Score Updates
Once again this football season, Grice Connect Sports will offer live scoring powered by ScoreStream. To get live scores during the game or anytime you want local sports scores, go to the Sports link on the Grice Connect website.
Listen in on Radio
Bulloch Academy football is on 99.7 FM or CLICK HERE
Statesboro High School football is on 107.7 FM or CLICK HERE
Southeast Bulloch High School Football is on 106.5 FM or CLICK HERE
Parents and Super Fans
We always love to hear from parents (or other super fans!) who would like to send us photos and live game updates from home and away games for each school this season.
If you’re interested, please contact [email protected] or Blake Williams at [email protected] for more information.
Help us expand our coverage
Grice Connect Sports is proudly supported by Optim Health System, the Press Forward Foundation, and other generous community partners who help make this local sports coverage possible. We are grateful for all financial support, which will allow us to bring Statesboro and Bulloch county even more sports and local news coverage!
But we need your help also to continue this coverage. Please support us now by clicking here and help us tell the remarkable stories of our youth making a difference for their team, their school, and our community.
If your business would also like to support our coverage, please contact Fred David at [email protected].