Lions force 4 turnovers in 7th straight win

FAIRFIELD – Opportunistic defense and a ground-and-pound approach led the Briarwood Christian School football team to its seventh straight victory on Thursday night.

Briarwood (8-1, 6-1 Class 5A, Region 4) forced four turnovers, scoring 14 points off them, and rushed for 253 yards in a 28-18 victory over region foe Fairfield at Clements Stadium.

“We knew it’d be difficult, but what our defense really did good was win the turnover battle,” Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester said following the game.

The Lions defense recovered three fumbles on the night, each of them forced by Crawford Kent. The first one came on the ensuing play following a Briarwood touchdown early in the second quarter. The other two came in the fourth quarter and allowed Briarwood to put the game away.

“It’s crucial,” said Cole Garner, who recovered two of the fumbles. “We started out pretty slow, so it’s crucial when there’s mistakes and we capitalize on it. Crawford Kent forced all three of the fumbles, he just had a great game.”

Christian Ferguson recovered a third fumble, and Andrew Jones came up with the fourth turnover after pouncing on a loose kickoff return.

“I’m proud of Cole Garner, who had some big plays tonight recovering the football,” Forester said. “He did a great job. He’s a senior that’s a little banged up, but he’s leading and I’m proud of that.”

Garner would like to have one of those plays back, however. With Briarwood holding a 21-12 lead early in the final quarter, Garner scooped up a fumble and bolted for the end zone. After running 20 yards, he was caught from behind and stripped near the goal line. Fortunately for the Lions, Daniel Corbin fell on the ball at the 1-yard line, and Tyler Waugh scored his second short touchdown on a 2-yard run two plays later to make it 28-12.

Garner laughed while recounting the play after the game.

“I turned around and I shouldn’t have turned around,” he said.

Fairfield found success throughout the night in the passing game, scoring first on a 7-yard pass from Omar Young to Reginald Perry to go ahead 6-0. Young found Malachi Holt-Bennett for a 46-yard touchdown just before halftime, and Briarwood took a 14-12 lead into the break.

Young finished the evening 15-of-25 for 213 yards and a pair of scores. He also scored a late touchdown on a 2-yard run that proved inconsequential. Holt-Bennett was his go-to target, as Holt-Bennett had 117 yards on seven grabs.

But Briarwood’s rush defense was impenetrable — the Lions allowed just 37 rushing yards — and the turnovers combined to play a big part in the winning effort.

“The defense did a great job,” Forester said. We knew they had a lot of danger on the field, they had a big tight end that’s got offers, they’ve got another great receiver, a good quarterback.”

In order to keep those dangerous players on the sideline as long as possible, Briarwood entered the game determined to run the ball. 

“We were going to pound it and we were going to force them to force our hand, and I don’t think they could,” Forester said. “What (offensive coordinator Bobby) Kerley’s done with the offensive line, with Trent Howard leading the way, we’ve got a really powerful, strong offensive line that I’ve been proud of their growth this year.”

The plan worked, as the Lions piled up 191 rushing yards, most of them coming on the back of Luke Reebals. In his first full game as the top running back — as Luke Prewett recovers from an injury — Reebals piled up 125 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.

“Reebals did a great job tonight, being a playmaker. His feet are so quick and making the little cuts, he’s got really good vision,” Forester said.

After a scoreless first quarter, both teams scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter. Reebals and Waugh sandwiched rushing scores between a pair of Fairfield passing scores, as the Lions took a 14-12 lead at the half.

Blake McKenna caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from sophomore running back Riley Margene, who took a direct snap and lofted the pass to an open McKenna in the third quarter.

With the win, Briarwood secures a first-round home playoff game on Nov. 8. There is still a chance the Lions win the region title, depending on next week’s results. The Lions travel to Hueytown, the No. 3 team in Class 6A, next Friday to wrap up the regular season.

“We’ve put ourselves in a chance to win the region championship,” Forester said. “We need to go out and play Briarwood football against Hueytown and we’ll see what happens. They’re one of the best teams in 6A, so we’re kind of excited about that challenge.” 

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