Bailey, Chapin soar over Newberry

Chapin used a dominant defense and the steady play of Logan Bailey to defeat Newberry 35-13 Friday night in a matchup of top-10 programs.

Bailey accounted for four touchdowns – 16 and 1-yard touchdown runs, a 38-yard pass to Joe Flowers and a 61-yard scoring toss to Evan Estridge. Bailey has 22 total touchdowns in four games this season.

The Eagles (4-0) defense limited Newberry, which came in ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, to 239 yards of total offense. This came a week after Chapin, ranked No. 6 in Class 3A, allowed 60 points and over 350 yards rushing to Swansea quarterback Chance Walker.

Newberry (2-1) scratched first on the opening drive on a 1-yard scoring run by quarterback Yafari Werts. Bailey answered with his 16-yard run.

Bailey then connected with Flowers on a 38-yard touchdown pass. Amir Abrams closed the half with a 23-yard scoring run.

A 21-point third quarter proved to be the difference.

Newberry’s Zy Towns was carted off the field in the third quarter. He was transported to the hospital, but he was moving his arms and legs before leaving the field on a stretcher.

TURNING POINT

Chapin took four offensive plays in the second half to turn a one-point game to a 15-point advantage. On the second play, Logan Bailey hit Evan Estridge in the flat and he outraced the defense for a 61-yard score. On Newberry’s first possession, a bad snap and a 29-ard loss on a punt attempt gave the Eagles the ball at the Bulldogs 20. Two plays later, Kale Rhame took an end around and hit Estridge for a 21-yard touchdown pass.

KEY PERFORMERS

Logan Bailey: Bailey didn’t have his normal outing, but ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns. He was 14-of-22 for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Yafari Werts: The Georgia Southern commitment was the only offense the Bulldogs could muster. He ran for 79 yards and threw for another 101 yards, but also threw three interceptions.

Garrett Reinhart: The senior middle linebacker was questionable to play with an ankle injury, but he was making plays all over the field. Chapin registered eight sacks or tackles for loss, led by the Reinhart.

OBSERVATIONS

Chapin is the real deal: Some people questioned Chapin’s ranking, but they dominated a very good Newberry team. As long as Bailey stays healthy and the defense continues to improve, the Eagles have a chance to make a deep playoff run.

Newberry has to pass the ball better: Once the Bulldogs fell behind, it was tough for them to sustain a comeback. Werts can makes plays with his legs, but needs better protection to help the passing game. Teams will put seven and eight in the box if Newberry doesn’t start throwing it better.

A healthy Chapin defense made a difference: Reinhart and Khari Suber missed time last week and the defense seemed out of sorts. When healthy, they can play with anyone on their schedule.

THEY SAID IT

“They were crowding the line and we couldn’t throw. We couldn’t throw or pick up the blitzes. We didn’t have a good week of practice and it carried over. It’s my job to get these guys ready and they weren’t ready.” – Newberry coach Phil Strickland

“What a difference a week makes. We had different preparation and were down a couple of guys on defense last week. We challenged our guys this week and I think is the results you get.” – Chapin coach Justin Gentry

THREE KEY NUMBERS

22: Number of touchdowns accounted for by Logan Bailey this season.

6: This is just the 6th win for Chapin over Newberry since 1970. They are 6-15 during that time.

138: Number of yards Newberry had on the ground.

HOW THEY SCORED

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 11:22 PM.