Terrell Academy, Frederica Academy scrimmage ends in tie

DAWSON — For a moment, it looked like Terrell Academy had found the perfect ending to a sweltering Friday afternoon.

Quarterback Bryse Peachey scrambled away from trouble on fourth-and-long, kept the play alive and fired a strike to Cal Powell, standing alone in the end zone. With less than a minute remaining, the Eagles appeared to have the touchdown that would give them a preseason victory over Frederica Academy.

Then came the flag.

The touchdown was wiped away by a penalty, and Terrell Academy and Frederica eventually walked off the field with a 21-21 tie after an entertaining scrimmage played under a blazing South Georgia sun.

With temperatures in the upper 90s, the heat was as much a part of the afternoon as either team. Multiple water breaks and timeouts were used to keep players hydrated and safe as the Eagles and Knights got their first taste of game action before the regular season.

And despite the conditions, neither team backed down.

Terrell Academy struck first after a second-quarter turnover gave the Eagles the ball deep in their own territory. They responded with a drive of more than 75 yards, although the final few yards proved to be the most difficult.

The Eagles earned a first-and-goal inside the Frederica 10, but the Knights refused to give ground. Terrell finally faced fourth-and-3 with the drive — and its first touchdown — hanging in the balance.

Peachey took care of it himself, battling his way through the line and into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Until then, both teams had relied heavily on the running game.

Frederica soon changed that.

Cannon Schlegel broke free on a reception and raced to the Terrell 10, setting up the Knights’ first touchdown. Frederica then struck through the air again when Jaylen Baldwin took a screen pass into the end zone to put the Knights ahead 14-7.

The drive consumed approximately 9½ minutes, and it appeared Frederica would carry the lead into halftime.

Peachey needed only one big play to change that.

On Terrell Academy’s ensuing possession, Peachey spotted Alex Klughart alone behind the Frederica secondary and hit him for a 75-yard touchdown. Suddenly, a half that appeared destined to end with the Eagles trailing instead finished tied 14-14.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Frederica didn’t wait long to strike in the fourth.

Schlegel hauled in a 60-yard touchdown pass to put the Knights back in front, 21-14.

Again, Peachey answered.

The Terrell quarterback completed three short passes along the sideline as the Eagles began moving down the field. Then he found Colt Eisenhart open for a 55-yard touchdown, pulling Terrell even at 21.

The Eagles’ defense forced a stop on Frederica’s next possession, giving Peachey one more opportunity.

This time, things quickly went wrong. Peachey was stopped behind the line on a running play and then sacked, eventually leaving the Eagles facing fourth-and-long with only 48 seconds remaining.

What happened next almost provided the play of the afternoon.

Peachey escaped the rush, scrambled through defenders and found Powell alone in the end zone for what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown.

The celebration didn’t last.

A penalty erased the score and gave Frederica one final possession. The Knights attempted four passes without a completion, allowing Terrell to get the football back with seven seconds remaining.

Peachey managed one final completion along the sideline, but a Frederica defender made the tackle and the clock expired.

While Peachey and the passing game provided many of Terrell Academy’s biggest plays, the Eagles also received an encouraging performance from sophomore kicker Liam Kelley.

Kelley was perfect on all three extra-point attempts and repeatedly drove his kickoffs into the end zone, eliminating any opportunity for Frederica to generate a return. For an Eagles team preparing for the regular season, having that kind of reliability in the kicking game could prove to be a valuable weapon.

There was no winner on the scoreboard, but Terrell Academy left the field having shown plenty during its preseason test — particularly an ability to answer every time Frederica appeared ready to take control.

The Eagles now have two weeks to build on Friday’s performance before the results begin to count.

Terrell Academy opens the regular season at home Aug. 21 when Southwest Georgia Academy comes to Dawson.