The Bethlehem Christian Academy football team overcame all obstacles put in front of it and defeated Nathanael Greene 37-7 Friday night.
The Knights (3-6 overall, 2-23 in GISA Region 1-A) still cling to postseason hopes but it will take a couple of upsets to make it happen. Going into this week, BCA coach Don Garmon said he was pleased with the fight and determination his players showed Friday night.
“I liked the way we came out in the second half and corrected some things,” Garmon said of Friday’s win.
The game was tied at 7-7 at halftime even though BCA had opportunities for more points. In the first quarter, the Knights had approximately 140 yards offense but just seven points to show for it.
“I was getting worried that our tendency of going from the 20 to the 20 was happening again,” Garmon said. “We made a few adjustments on our alignments and pass protection.”
Quarterback Chandler Garmon did a good job scrambling with the football and not forcing throws, his coach said.
Offensively, P.J. Klein also saw time at quarterback and rushed for two scores. Garmon threw for touchdown passes to Jacob Fincher and Preston Kelley.
Kevin Green and Matt Masters both ran in touchdowns.
“Because of injuries, we also moved Ben Morgan to tight end,” Garmon said. “It wasn’t a big deal for Ben because he played receiver last year.”
Masters moved from tight end to fullback.
“In our off week, we put in a no huddle formation and the players picked it up pretty quickly,” Garmon said.
Defensively, Masters caused and recovered a Nathanael Greene fumble while Austin Schwebel and Jared Martin were praised for their efforts on the defensive line. Green had an interception.
“Dakota Parten also had an excellent game,” Garmon said. “We worked on his open field tackling and he did a great job of containing the sweep. He made several tackles with authority and also did well in pass coverage.”
Overall, the BCA coaches were pleased not only by the win but the team effort.
“We played a very good game Friday night,” offensive coordinator Lance Fendley said. “The second half really showed how well we can play when every one is doing their job.”
Garmon was 22-of-27 through the air for 217 yards and two scores. He completed 81 percent of his passes. Fincher caught seven passes for 108 yards and a score while Kelley had six grabs for 56 yards and a touchdown. Morgan hauled in five catches for 30 yards, several of which resulted in first downs for the Knights.
In the ground game, Masters rushed three times for 71 yards and a score while Klein added 62 yards on eight carries with two scores. Green finished with 36 yards on four rushes with a touchdown while Garmon had 28 yards on five carries. Defensively, Masters had 10 solo tackles, eight assists and a fumble recovery. Seven of his solo tackles were for negative yards. Klein finished with six solo tackles, four assists and three tackles for a loss. Parten had four solos and two assists while making several key open field tackles. Morgan added four solo stops, five assists and three tackles for negative yardage. Garmon had four solo tackles and an assist.
