Benedict holds off rival to win Palmetto Capital City Classic
Two easy first-quarter scoring drives gave Benedict an early lift over SIAC rival Fort Valley State on Sunday afternoon at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.
Three Tiger fumbles nearly crashed their efforts in the 17th installment of the Palmetto Capital City Classic.
Dominique Harris’ 30-yard touchdown pass to Drelon Freeman in the fourth quarter, followed by his one-yard dive into the end zone after a fumbled punt return, boosted the Tigers to a 28-20 victory.
“It’s very frustrating, the little things, the quarterback sack, the quarterback and punter snaps from center, how many tackles we missed,” Benedict head coach Mike White said. “But we just grinded and found our way to win it, and that’s what I’m happy about.”
Benedict (2-1, 1-0) scored quickly and easily on its first two possessions, 71- and 82-yard scoring drives. Harris scored on an 11-yard touchdown run at the 12:02 mark of the first, then made it 14-0 at the 4:39 mark with an eight-yard TD pass to Jemine Yesin.
The next two possessions weren’t so easy.
Backup quarterback Phillip Brown threw an interception on one. Harris fumbled on the other.
The last gaffe enabled Glendrell Byrd to scoop up the loose ball and return it 17 yards for Fort Valley State’s only score of the first half.
Christian Taylor blocked Abasai Gutierrez’s 27-yard field-goal attempt to keep Benedict’s lead at 14-7 at halftime.
The Wildcats (1-3, 1-1) capitalized on two more Harris fumbles late in the third quarter.
One led to a short drive that quarterback Garrel Quainton capped with a three-yard touchdown run. The other was a muffed snap on a punt that enabled Camron Young to rumble into the end zone from nine yards out.
“I’m not sure what that was,” White said about the offensive sputters in the second and third quarters. “We talk about just trying to play good football, not turning the ball over, not making penalties, blocking and tackling, being sound in what we do. That was disappointing.”
With Fort Valley State up 20-14 to enter the fourth quarter, the Benedict offense regained its first-quarter poise. Harris marched the Tigers down the field 75 yards on five plays, connecting with Freeman to make it 21-20 at the 13:11 mark of the fourth.
Benedict attempted to pin Fort Valley State close to their end zone on a short punt at the Wildcats 29-yard line. Lorenzo Smothers, back to receive for Fort Valley State, touched the ball as it fell to the ground, and Cedrick Trottie recovered at the one-yard line for the Tigers.
Harris, with a push from fullback Deville McClendon, fell across the goal line for the final score of the game.
“We didn’t hang our heads on the disappointing part,” White said of the offensive miscues. “We got back together and fought it and got it done.”
Next: Benedict plays at Central State University on Saturday.