Bullard comes through in the clutch

Published 11:08 pm Friday, October 23, 2020

Good teams find a way to win when the chips are down, and that’s exactly what the Baldwin Braves (3-0 region, 3-0 overall) did on their home field Friday night. 

Trailing West Laurens (2-1 region, 3-3 overall) 13-12 with less than four minutes to play and facing fourth down on the Raider 39-yard line, BHS quarterback Derrick Lewis lofted a pass for primetime playmaker Javon Bullard who ran under it for a touchdown to give the Braves the 19-13 lead. Bullard, who is committed to the University of Georgia, had a monster game defensively at free safety as well that was capped off with a fourth-down quarterback sack with 1:42 to play. 

The Braves were down 10-6 at halftime after some sloppy play in the first two quarters. The offense turned the ball over twice and the wide receivers had three costly drops. 

But football is a four-quarter game.

“I’m so proud of the way the kids stood up and fought in the second half,” Baldwin head coach Jesse Hicks said. “The kids did a great job defensively in the second half stopping the stuff they (West Laurens) had been doing to hurt us earlier. What I love was that when it was time to make the big play, Javon and Derrick did it.”

Baldwin grabbed the lead for the first time Friday with 2:53 left in the third quarter when Lewis hit sophomore wideout Shatavious Hogan on a 4-yard pitch-and-catch touchdown. West Laurens drove down deep early in the fourth, but left the red zone with only a short field goal. It wasn’t the type of score the visiting Raiders wanted, but it was enough to put them up 13-12.

Momentum swung more in West Laurens’ favor when they lined up to punt on their next possession. The live ball hit a Baldwin player, and the Raiders fell on it at the Braves’ 14. West Laurens would only go backwards from there though, as they would have to settle for another field goal attempt. This one did not split the uprights, and it gave BHS new life.

The ensuing drive was when the Baldwin offense drove the football down and Lewis hit Bullard for what would become the game-winning score.

“We really persevered out here tonight,” Bullard said in the midst of celebrating the victory. “When you’re down it really tells you a lot about your team. For us to beat adversity like that is a great feeling.”

Wide receiver Kirtavious Hightower was another player who stepped up for Baldwin Friday. He was Lewis’ Mr. Third Down on at least three separate occasions, and was crucial in keeping offensive drives moving. Junior linebacker Gavin Davis was big for the Braves as well, totaling double-digit tackles along with Bullard. 

Baldwin now stands as one of two teams undefeated in Region 4-4A. Perry holds the other distinction, and was playing out of region Friday against Tift County. 

“This win is huge considering the fact that [West Laurens] was favored to win the region,” Coach Hicks added. “Coach Kagan McClain is one of the best coaches I know — him and his staff. You could tell by the way their kids fought. The win means a lot to us because we played a real good football team, and we did it with a lot of heart. We were able to focus, fight and finish tonight.”

The Braves will see if they can keep those three things up next week when they travel to Howard High School in Macon.