Buccaneers blast off

HENDERSONVILLE – The Beech High School football team had 11 plays of 29 yards or more on Friday evening.

As the game wore on, Portland had no answers for the Buccaneer depth as Beech rolled to a 70-15 victory at Shackle Island Stadium.

The Bucs were coming off of a 49-7 loss to visiting Independence one week earlier.

“Last week, the big loss, it gave us a motivation,” Beech junior tailback/linebacker Rodrick Napper said. “It was a wake-up call. The week before, we had a district win (41-3 at Gallatin). We came in the next week (against Independence) thinking it was going to be easy. Every game is not a walk in the park. We have to treat every game like a district game … like a playoff game.

“We had a real good week of practice. We put it together. We did what we’re supposed to do.”

The winless Panthers actually hung tough until the second half, trailing 28-15 at halftime.

“We played hard,” Portland head coach Greg Cavanah said. “We still didn’t tackle anybody all night long. That was a major concern coming in. When we get up against slashy runners, we have trouble tackling. We have to spend time tackling. Of course, we do that every week, but we have spend more time on it.”

The Buccaneers (3-2 overall, 3-0 in District 9-AAA) finished with 528 yards of total offense.

Beech had three pass plays of 30 yards or more.

The Buccaneers gave senior Nathaniel Brown the start at quarterback, after junior Ian Hafner started the team’s first four games.

Hafner was active in the passing game though, catching four passes for 54 yards.

Brown completed five of eight pass attempts for 94 yards, and freshman Nelson Smith threw a quick pass late in the third quarter to junior Devin Smith. Devin Smith made a defensive back miss and turned it into a 56-yard touchdown.

“Nathaniel had a really good week of practice,” Beech head coach Anthony Crabtree said. “Ian has done a really good job of blocking and catching the ball. To have a better perimeter game, we felt like we could put Nathaniel at quarterback and Ian at receiver.”

The Buccaneers scored on all but two possessions, fumbling the ball away as Panther junior Ethan Brummett recovered on the game’s opening series.

However, Beech junior tailback Auston Vanzant opened the scoring with a 51-yard touchdown run on his squad’s next series.

Later in the first quarter, a Portland punt hit the leg of a Buccaneer, and Panther senior Jessie Walker recovered at the Beech 28 yard line.

Two plays later, Portland quarterback Chris Greer broke free for a 17-yard run that set up his own 2-yard touchdown plunge.

Game-changers

Napper put his squad in front to stay with a 38-yard scoring scamper less than 90 seconds later.

Then, Buccaneer senior Aaron Pacenka intercepted a pass, leading to Vanzant’s 14-yard touchdown run on the next play.

The Panthers (0-5, 0-2) responded with a 12-play, 71-yard scoring drive that included a 24-yard completion from Greer to Brummett on a fourth-and-4 play.

On the final play, Portland senior tailback Devontae House broke multiple tackles after being hit in the backfield and then made his way upfield for a 10-yard touchdown run.

“I don’t think we had a very good plan against what they did (offensively),” Crabtree said. “They did a good job of executing what they were trying to do.”

Greer threw to Brummett in the end zone on the two-point conversion attempt, and Brummett secured the football after initially juggling it, creating a 21-15 margin with 7:48 remaining in the half.

“They play the run hard,” Cavanah said. “They’re pretty physical up front. Their defensive coordinator (Greg Abner) does a good job of scouting, of putting kids in the right position.

“If you can’t throw the ball, you have to run the option. Greer was doing a good job of reading it (in the first half), and House was doing a good job of running … and we had some good blocking.”

Vanzant had runs of 29 and 35 yards on the ensuing three-play, 69-yard scoring drive. He reached the end zone on the 35-yarder.

Senior Carson Garrett made the ensuing point-after touchdown (PAT) kick for a 28-15 lead at halftime.

Huge quarter

However, Beech rapidly pulled away in the third quarter, with senior Damon Wilson recovering as the Panthers fumbled the second-half kickoff.

Hafner ran 14 yards for a touchdown two plays later.

On Portland’s second play from scrimmage in the second half, Napper broke in front of a pass but couldn’t catch it.

However, two plays later, he did come up with an interception and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.

“Everyone on our defense can make plays and our second string,” Napper said. “We are just deep. Everyone wants to make plays.”

Vanzant had a 46-yard touchdown run on the first play after the Buccaneers regained possession, and Hafner then stripped the football from House. The loose football bounced up into Napper’s arms, and he sped 81 yards for his third touchdown.

“Turnovers early in the fourth quarter took us from 13 points to four scores down,” Cavanah said.

Later in the third period, the Smiths connected for the team’s fifth touchdown of the half, and junior Adam Edwards followed with one of his four successful PATs, extending the margin to 63-15.

Buccaneer sophomore tailback Corey Lewis capped the scoring with a 46-yard touchdown dash with 3:23 remaining.

Vanzant led Beech’s offensive attack with 201 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just 10 carries, and Napper 73 yards on eight carries.

The 70 points set a program record. Beech’s previous record was 64 points, which came in a pair of playoff games during the program’s 2012 state-championship season (a 64-28 win over visiting Kenwood in the first round and a 64-31 victory at Jackson North Side in the semifinals).

Portland has a bye week before hosting Hendersonville on Oct. 3.

The Buccaneers host Siegel on Friday.

Sports reporter Craig Harris can be contacted at 575-7138.

B – Auston Vanzant 51 run. Carson Garrett kick. P – Chris Greer 2 run. Mason Denning kick. B – Rodrick Napper 38 run. Garrett kick. B – Vanzant 14 run. Garrett kick. P – Devontae House 10 run. Greer to Ethan Brummett. B – Vanzant 35 run. Garrett kick. B – Ian Hafner 14 run. Garrett kick. B – Napper 45 interception return. Garrett kick. B – Vanzant 46 run. Adam Edwards kick. B – Napper 81 fumble return. Edwards kick. B – Devin Smith 56 pass from Nelson Smith. Edwards kick. B – Corey Lewis 46 run. Edwards kick.

RUSHING

Portland – Devontae House 16-85, Chris Greer 20-53, Kemper Dixon 7-30, Ethan Brummett 4-19, Malik Maxwell 4-8, Brandon Meador 1-(-2).

Beech – Auston Vanzant 10-201, Rodrick Napper 8-73, Corey Lewis 2-58, Willie Bibbs 2-19, Ian Hafner 2-18, Chris Peach 4-17, Ta’bious Claybrooks 1-4, Nathaniel Brown 1-(-12).

PASSING

Portland – Chris Greer 5-12-2-61.

Beech – Nathaniel Brown 5-8-0-94, Nelson Smith 1-10-56.

RECEIVING

Portland – Devontae House 4-37, Ethan Brummett 1-24.

Beech – Ian Hafner 4-54, Devin Smith 1-56, Damon Wilson 1-40.