The Hive Sports

by James Tate

Thanks to a great effort by the offense, defense, and special teams, the Syracuse Titans defeated the Brighton Bengals 23-17 on Thursday night. The Titans remained undefeated with a 2-0 record, and the Bengals now are 1-1. The game was the home opener for the Bengals after a week one road victory over the Desert Hills Thunder. The Titans shined on defense in the first half, the offense had a tremendous fourth quarter, and the special teams played great throughout the contest.

The Bengals played an outstanding game and nearly pulled off the upset. Both teams entered the game ranked number five in their respective classifications, the Bengals in 5A and the Titans in 6A.

First quarter

The Titans opened the game by ending the Bengal’s first drive on fourth down and in their own territory. With the momentum, the Titans moved the ball in position for Rhett Thompson, connecting on a 25-yard field goal. The Titans held a slim 3-0 lead.

The Bengals then saw senior quarterback Jack Johnson throw his first of three interceptions. Titans senior cornerback Keller Facer intercepted Johnson’s pass with a break on a pass over the middle. The Bengals returned the favor, and senior defensive lineman Miles Morgan intercepted a pass by Titans quarterback Jake Hopkins.

Seizing the momentum, the Bengals connected on a touchdown from a tipped pass from Johnson into the hands of senior tight end Myles Peters. The first quarter would end with the Bengals leading 7-3.

Second quarter

Both teams struggled to move the ball against each other at the start of the second quarter. Sensing the Titans needed a spark, offensive coordinator Braden Hamblin dialed up a wide receiver pass from senior wideout Shaun Blanton to senior wide receiver DJ Mayes on a 54-yard strike.

The score by Mayes put the Titans back in the lead 10-7 with 9:00 left in the second quarter. This quarter would see Facer make his second interception of the game, and defensive lineman senior Hoyt Pula also would intercept a Johnson pass attempt. With 1:30 left before halftime, the Bengals would step up, and senior Ethan Adamson sacked Hopkins to end the drive after Pula’s interception.

Third quarter

The Bengals took control of the game starting the third quarter with an interception by senior cornerback Siale Ofa. With the momentum after the turnover, the Bengal’s offense found a rhythm with short passes and making first downs. Johnson connected with Peters on passes in the flat that kept the Bengals offense moving. The Bengals ended their drive with a 34-yard field goal by senior Drake Fletcher and tied the game 10-10.

Throughout the third quarter, the Bengal’s offense would controlled the ball with their short passing game. Ininsid runs by junior Mason Haertel also kept Bengal drives alive. With 1:29 remaining in the quarter, the Bengals took their first lead on a 10-yard touchdown run by junior Beau LaFleur. After the extra point by Fletcher, the Bengals led 17-10.

Fourth quarter

With 8:02 left in the game, the Titans Thompson kicked a 42-yard field goal for a 17-13 score. The Titan’s defense was vital in the final quarter by making tackles and not giving the Bengals any big plays. Hopkins found Blanton on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 2:48 to make the score 20-17. Blanton tight-roped the sideline and dove into the end zone for a spectacular touchdown.

The Titans would add a 37-yard field goal by Thompson with 1:59 remaining in the game to record the final score of the evening.

Outstanding performances

The Titans started strong with Facer’s two first-half interceptions, and he made nine total tackles in the game. Dominant fourth-quarter stops were made by Pula, Tatum Martin, Carter Child, Ty Tesch, and Trevin Shaw. Riggin Hamblin and Wyatt Pierce added pressure to Johnson and made it difficult to stand in the pocket. Linebacker Preston Haney made key stops and led the team with 11 total tackles and Marriner Richards added ten stops. Cornerback Jayden Perry played solid in the secondary and helped keep the Bengal’s offense from making big plays.

“We played together and trusted each other,” said Martin. “Our line played great, and linebackers all had each other’s backs.

Mayes had another outstanding game with ten catches for 152 yards and a touchdown.

The Bengals saw the Johnson-Peters connection succeed throughout the game. Johnson finished the game passing for 322 yards and one touchdown pass. Senior wide receiver Nash Matheson made nine catches for 88 yards and Peters had eight catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.

The defensive front for the Bengals, Kimball Shill, Caleb Stock, and Adamson often made plays to keep the Titans off-balance.

photo courtesy James Tate of Titan’s Riggin Hamblin pressuring Bengal’s quarterback Jack Johnson