2024 Week 9 Bear Tracks

The artificial fog still hung in the air as the BHP Bears stormed the field, ready to prove, yet again, why they are ranked the top 3A team in the state. But what unfolded against Crescent wasn’t just another Friday night victory; it was one of the strangest halves of football I have seen. When the dust (or fog) settled, the Bears remained undefeated in region play, moving to 7-1 on the season, as expected, but how they got there was strange.

The night began as you’d expect. Marquise Henderson, the human bulldozer, led a blistering four-play, 62-yard drive, racking up 60 yards himself before bursting into the end zone on a 36-yard run. Classic Bears football. Henderson doing Henderson things. Business as usual, right?

Wrong. That’s when the weirdness set in.

Crescent’s first play from scrimmage? A high snap that sailed over the quarterback’s head, tumbling backward for a 19-yard loss. Two plays later, they punted. Simple enough. But then BHP, usually a well-oiled machine, sputtered. On their second drive, an inexplicable 21-yard loss forced them to punt it right back. Chaos was brewing, and we weren’t even out of the first quarter.

Then Patrick Sloan, apparently deciding to join the madness, scooped up a Crescent fumble and rumbled 36 yards for a defensive touchdown. The crowd roared, a little unsure of what they were watching. Was this a football game or a comedy of errors?

Crescent showed some life, aided by a few penalties, and cut the lead to 7. But before the Tigers could blink, KJ Miles took the ensuing kickoff 64 yards to the house. Just like that, the Bears were up 21-7 with 14 seconds left in the first quarter. The bizarre ballet continued—Crescent punts, BHP blocks, and before you knew it, the Bears found the end zone again. By halftime, the score was 28-7, despite BHP scoring just one offensive touchdown.

When the dust (or fog) finally settled, the Bears had racked up 400 yards of offense, a couple of field goals, two defensive scores, and some special teams magic. It was a bizarre path to victory, sure, but in the end, domination is domination.

Now, let’s pause for a second. I like to keep things positive, so let's start there. From my admittedly untrained eye, Tajeh Watson-Martin had himself a game at cornerback. Crescent came in with a plan—they wanted to test him deep, just like they had successfully done against MVP. Long go-routes to their big receiver were supposed to be the key. But every time they tried, Tajeh was there, stride for stride, blanketing the receiver like wet saran wrap. No space, no separation, no shot. It was the kind of lockdown coverage that makes you wonder if Crescent might’ve wanted to rethink that game plan.

But, not everything was sunshine and rainbows. BHP racked up 17 penalties for a staggering 149 yards. That’s 149 yards of free real estate they handed Crescent, including four penalty-assisted first downs. Just for perspective, that’s the same number of first downs Crescent managed on their own via rushing and passing combined.

Now, I’ve talked about penalties before, especially after the bye week. And I get it—if there were an easy fix, the coaching staff would’ve sorted it out by now. But the reality is, if the Bears keep racking up penalties like this, it’s only a matter of time before it bites them. These are the kinds of mistakes that can flip a game, especially as the competition stiffens. You saw it Friday—penalties helped Crescent score, and penalties brought back points for BHP in the Palmetto game. Eventually, one of these flags could be the difference between moving on and packing it up for the season. But after compiling some of the Quick Stats below, penalties might not be as bad of a sign as we might believe.

So, while the Bears are rolling now, there’s still work to be done. They’ve got the talent, the grit, and the dominance to go the distance, but as any coach will tell you, discipline might be the thing that makes—or breaks—a championship run.

The Bears, ever methodical in their dominance, handled Homecoming and a bye week with the cool precision of a team that knows it's playing for something bigger. They’re still perfect in region play—unblemished, unfazed, and, perhaps most importantly, unstoppable. But now, with two games down and two more region games to go, they turn their eyes to the road again. This time, it’s Pendleton that awaits. The lights, the travel, the expectations—they’ve seen it all before. And come Friday night, they’ll trek out with the same relentless focus because, for this team, it’s not just about winning—it’s about making a statement.



Week 9 Preview



As the Bears roll on, they head into enemy territory this Friday to face the Pendleton Bulldogs. Another Anderson County showdown awaits, with BHP looking to keep that undefeated region record intact, all while setting up a tantalizing region championship clash in the season's final game. This one, though? It’s about keeping the pedal to the metal.

Pendleton sits at 3-3 on the year, 1-1 in the region, a team that opened hot but quickly hit a rough patch. They started the season strong, dispatching Chesnee, 47-21, and gutting out a 12-8 win over Keenan. But then the wheels came off—losses to Woodmont, Powdersville, and Walhalla followed before they righted the ship with a resounding 57-7 thrashing of West Oak. So, who exactly are these Bulldogs? A riddle BHP is more than happy to solve.

The key to Pendleton’s offense lies in the hands of wide receiver Abijah Webb, a playmaker in every sense of the word. Last year, Webb was a human highlight reel: 80 receptions, over 1,100 yards, and 15 touchdowns. This season, in four recorded games (4 game stats submitted to MaxPreps), Webb has already racked up 28 catches for nearly 500 yards and 7 TDs (3 receiving, 4 rushing). Oh, and by the way, he’s just been selected for the Touchstone Energy North-South game. Yeah, he’s the real deal.

Throwing the ball to Webb is freshman quarterback Jace Grass. He’s just a freshman, but in four games, he’s logged over 1,000 yards through the air with 9 TDs, primarily targeting Webb, Anthony Scott, and Dashaun Jenkins. On the ground, Bray Spear is their main option, though his 232 yards suggest that Pendleton isn’t exactly beating teams up between the tackles.

Defensively, Pendleton leans on two standouts: Trent Garner and Cody Williams. Williams, another North-South game selection, has shown flashes with 20 tackles and a pick this season. Garner? He’s been an absolute menace—8 sacks, 55 tackles, and a couple of forced fumbles in just four games. Think of him as the heartbeat of their defense, someone who BHP will need to account for on every snap.

Pendleton’s head coach Grayson Howell has made this team one of the most pass-heavy outfits in the state. Last year, they had two receivers eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, and even when they faced BHP in the playoffs, they boasted three receivers with 9 catches apiece. But here’s the rub: for all their aerial fireworks, they’ve had a tough time stopping the run. And it hasn’t just been a hiccup—it’s a full-blown weakness. Last year, without BHP’s star running back Marquise Henderson, the Bears still shredded them for 266 rushing yards. This season? Walhalla’s Landon Robinson went off for 305 yards against them.

Now, let’s talk about what BHP needs to do on Friday. First things first—pound the rock. Pendleton’s track record against the run is more than a trend, it’s a flashing neon sign. Henderson is the best back in the state, and he’s probably salivating at the thought of what he could do against this defense. But even if it’s a committee effort for BHP, the Bears need to put up a massive chunk of rushing yards and force Pendleton to deal with that all game long.

Defensively, BHP needs to continue its dominance. This defense has been lights out all season, only giving up 8 offensive touchdowns in the first three-quarters of their games. That’s just one offensive TD per game going into the fourth quarter. Oh, and by the way, they’ve scored 5 defensive touchdowns themselves. Last week against Crescent? BHP allowed a grand total of 40 yards by halftime and scored two defensive TDs for good measure.

The final key? Win the turnover battle. BHP has forced turnovers in nearly every game, racking up four takeaways in the last two weeks. That’s what good teams do—they don’t just get the ball back, they capitalize on it, turning those turnovers into points and leaving their opponents gasping for air.

So here we are, with the Bears one step closer to a region championship showdown against Walhalla. A win this week sets up that colossal home finale for the title and the top playoff seed. But first, it’s time to hit the road one last time in the regular season, and we expect the Bears to show just how special this team can be when everything’s clicking.



Previous Matchup: 2023 Playoffs Round 2



Score: BHP 44 -- Pendleton 28

2023 BHP vs Pendleton Offensive Stats:
Team Rushing: 51 rushes for 263 yards and 5 TDs
Team Passing: 9/11/0 for 130 yards
Team Total: 62 plays for 393 yards and 5 offensive TDs

Rushing Leader: #8 Justin Lathon - 30 rushes for 177 yards and 4 TDs
Passing Leader: #7 Noah Thomas - 9/11/0 for 130 yards
Receiving Leader: #6 Qua Alexander - 6 receptions for 69 yards
Defensive Leader: #23 Jakyri Anderson - 7 solos, 4 assists, 2 hurries, a pass breakup, and 34 defensive points

2023 Pendleton vs BHP Offensive Stats:
Team Rushing: 13 rushes for 23 yards
Team Passing: 28/45/1 for 292 yards and 4 TDs
Team Total: 58 plays for 315 yards for 4 TDs

Rushing Leader: #11 Luke Gray - 11 rushes for 24 yards
Passing Leader: #11 Luke Gray - 28/45/1 for 292 yards and 4 TDs
Receiving Leaders: #9 Kory Jones - 9 receptions for 114 yards and 2 TDs



Quick Stats





Bear Talk



This week, I caught up with Andrew Jenkins, BHP’s offensive coordinator. Now, I didn’t ask Andrew to spill secrets, but I did have just three questions for him. Here are those three questions and some major insight from Coach Jenkins.

Q: With a player as talented as Marquise Henderson in the backfield, some might wonder why he doesn’t carry the ball on every play. Can you walk us through the deeper considerations behind offensive play-calling, and how you balance utilizing such a dynamic player while keeping the offense unpredictable?

Coach Jenkins' Answer:
There are a lot of factors that go into how many times we try to get it to Quise. He is one of the most competitive people I’ve ever been around. He wants to help us win on offense, defense, special teams, in games, in practice, in checkers… etc. He is not happy when he isn’t in, to say the least. But here are a few thoughts on his or anyone’s touches in the game.

1) It’s a long season and being healthy is our main concern for all of our players. If we feel confident in a lead we try to get a lot of our starters out. He scores so fast and has lots of long TD runs. He rarely has a 4th quarter touch and very few 3rd quarter touches for that reason.

2) We try to take what a defense gives us. Sometimes all eyes are on 3 which opens up opportunities for our other very talented offensive weapons. We put Quise all over the field and you can literally watch the whole defense get set around where he is. He can pull 2-3 defenders just by faking a screen or jet sweep or run and open up the field for his teammates. He is an incredible blocker as well and an amazing team player.

Q: You were a key part of the 2004 state championship team. What characteristics or intangibles do you see in this current team that remind you of what made that 2004 team so successful? Are there any specific qualities or team dynamics that stand out in comparison?

Coach Jenkins' Answer:
Obviously, both teams are super talented. Our defense this year reminds me a lot of the 04 team. More than all of that this group loves each other and they play for each other. In 04 we had a lot of guys playing both ways and we are starting to get a little more of that as we get closer to the championship phase of the season. The 04 team got better each week and this group has that same drive. Our best football is in front of us.

Q: With the emergence of players like Tajeh Watson-Martin as a receiver, Justin Lathon as a rusher, and even Jakyri Anderson running routes, how do you approach the decision to utilize defensive players on offense? What goes into balancing their roles and maximizing their impact on both sides of the ball?

Coach Jenkins' Answer:
Very proud of all of the guys you mentioned. Tajeh and Noah have a great connection and I think he and Jakyri will connect very soon as well. Justin has always been our big bruising back and I’m very proud of how he plays on both sides. Their roles will grow as we move through the championship stage of the season. They come off the field from defense and get some water and get corrections then they come find their coach to get in on offense. We have specific plays for all of our guys on offense that accentuate their talents. We have plenty of guys that are dudes on both sides of the ball and that’s how you win in November is by getting the ball to your best guys.

I want to thank Coach Jenkins again for giving us some great insight into this team.



Wrap Up



Here we are again, Bear fans. The nights are turning crisper, the kind of crisp that lets you know the season is changing—both the one on the calendar and the one on the football field. Darkness creeps in earlier, and with it, the truth about championship teams starts to reveal itself, like a secret whispered in the wind.

I've been around winning teams enough to recognize what makes a contender. And this squad? Well, they've got all the makings of something special. But having the tools and using them are two different things. It’s going to take laser focus, week in and week out, if they're going to hoist that trophy when the final whistle blows.

Now, let’s talk about this week's matchup: the Pendleton Bulldogs. If you ask me these Bulldogs are in for a long, lonely stay in the doghouse. The Bears are coming, and they’re hungry. And when this team is focused, there’s no leash in the world that can hold them back.

This week’s game? It’s not just a step toward a championship—it’s a statement. Let’s go, Bears!

Prediction: BHP 49 - Pendleton 14

We want to see all of you Bear fans at Palmetto to support the Bears this Friday. But if you can't, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and X. Stay in the loop. Because Friday, we will be dropping the GameDay Graphic and will be live Tweeting stats and highlights during the game.

Comments