Bulldogs survive furious battle with Pennsylvania Falcons

Published 8:42 am Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Trequan Jones scored touchdowns in both the first and second half for GMC Saturday in the 40-35 win over Lackawanna College at Davenport Field.

Rob Manchester is certainly used to this leading the Georgia Military College football program: The highly-ranked Bulldogs taking on another highly-ranked foe, either in another state or in the confines of Davenport Field in Milledgeville.

On Saturday, it was No. 7 GMC going back-and-forth with No. 13 Lackawanna College from the Lake Erie area of Pennsylvania. Running back Keenan Phillips caught a little flare from quarterback Chip Cooper and raced 59 yards for the go-ahead and winning touchdown at 7:45 of the final quarter on a warm Saturday afternoon at Davenport. Lackawanna then punted the football away in its final two possessions – one with 300-pound tackle Trent Mapp making a quarterback sack – and the Bulldogs prevailed 40-35.

“I knew it was going to be a knock-down, drag-out,” said Manchester after the Bulldogs improved to 4-1, the only loss being at home in overtime to No. 2 Iowa Western. “We kept getting up on them and couldn’t get stops. We were finally able to get some stops and some first downs. It was kind of like a war of attrition. We have to play better defensively.”

Sometimes defense in football isn’t about overall numbers but important moments like the Mapp sack. Also on Saturday, the Bulldog defense got two takeaways to create short fields that became points. Lackawanna in fact fumbled away its first possession two snaps into the drive. Miyon Conaway, another GMC lineman, recovered on the 10-yard line. Two plays later for GMC, Trevon Kinchen fought his way into the end zone putting the Bulldogs up 13-0.

On the first series of the second half, freshman Kasai Jones intercepted a Falcon pass on the 30-yard line. Cooper found freshman receiver Trenton Smith, who got himself inside the near left pylon for a 10-yard touchdown.

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“We got three stops in a row after letting them score 35,” said Manchester, noting there were other potential takeaways they didn’t get. “That was big.”

Cooper was 5-for-11 passing for 91 yards and Trequan Jones rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Phillips ran for 80 yards on 16 totes to go with his touchdown catch.

Perhaps an underrated part of the Bulldog team is the punting game from Cole Snyder. He averaged 45.2 yards on six kicks Saturday with three going inside the Lackawanna 20.

“He’s got a great leg on him,” said Manchester. “We don’t like to see him out there as much, but he does a great job.”

The coaches did see something out of the GMC special teams they didn’t like much. Kicker Freddy Perez missed his first PAT try, which was his first miss on the whole season. Perez did come back to knock home his next four attempts.

“You know how kickers are,” said Manchester. “Sometimes they get in their head a little bit. But (Perez) got back on rhythm. Kickers are a different breed.”

The Bulldogs also had three players average 24 yards or more in kickoff returns, Lee Niles starting the game with a 40-yard burst to midfield. Jones had his hands on the football the next four plays, going up the middle for a 28-yard touchdown at 13:09 of the first quarter. This is where Perez missed the PAT, but he quickly redeemed himself after the fumble recovery and Kinchen TD to make the score 13-0.

Lackawanna was not rattled, however, and drove 78 yards in 12 plays with the benefit of defensive holding against GMC on 3rd-and-10 at the GMC 31. Quarterback Wyatt Hagan then converted 4th-and-3 from the 24. At the 7, Hagan found his receiver open in the flat for a touchdown at 4:23.

The first quarter ended at 13-7 Bulldogs, but the Falcons were driving into GMC ground in a 14-play series. The Bulldogs stopped the Falcons for 4th-and-3 on the 5, and the visitors made a 22-yard field goal … only to take the points off the board when GMC was flagged for running into the kicker. It was not an automatic first down, but the Falcons got that first and then a two-yard touchdown run at 11:08.

The exchange of leads was on as Lackawanna enjoyed its first advantage at 14-13, but it lasted only a minute of game time. It was Lackawanna getting flagged two times for interference and roughing the passer, and from the 35 Phillips cut to his right and scored at 10:10.

Later in the quarter, Snyder hit a punt spotting the Falcons on their 6 with six minutes to play. They burned off five minutes of the clock but could not score. At halftime, GMC’s lead stood at 20-14.

Two and a half minutes after play resumed, the combination of the interception and Cooper pass to Smith had the Bulldogs up by 13 again, 27-14. Seventeen game seconds later, Lackawanna had a running back squeeze by left guard. It was Maurice Edwards’ third touchdown of the game, a 39-yarder, closing the gap to six, 27-21.

Turnovers then bit GMC for the first time as Cooper was intercepted with a return to the 30. Hagan connected with Daryl Harper over the middle for an 18-yard scoring play. The Falcons were back in front 28-27 at 7:06 of the third quarter.

One of the more exciting and unique football plays got GMC back in front. Cooper ran an option keeper by the visiting sideline and got a late pitch off to Jones. Jones went 48 yards to the end zone at 5:56 of the third.

The 34-28 lead carried into the fourth quarter, and it was another long scoring series by Lackawanna that was in progress. It was 65 yards in 10 plays and a fresh set of Falcon legs, Galamama Mulbah, taking a 7-yard touchdown pass from Hagan at the 13:04 mark. The Falcons also did not miss a PAT, breaking the tie to lead 35-34.

Aiden Benton’s sack for GMC led the first needed defensive stop with 9:27 to play. On 3rd-and-6, Cooper executed the dump off outside to Phillips. Manchester wanted to go for two and get a seven-point lead, but the running attempt failed.

It was Phillips taking snaps later when GMC ended the game with three first downs.

GMC goes to Mt. Vernon, New York, next weekend to play Monroe College.