By Gary Thomas

Most coaches in any sport know that championships are built on the defensive side of the ball and Highland Home School (HHS) head coach Justin Bragg has put together a good group of players on the Squadron team. That cat-quick bunch is giving up an average of only six points per game, which gives them a No. 10 ranking in the AHSAA, and that’s all the high-powered offense of the Brantley Bulldogs could manage this past Friday night as they were handed their second straight at-home loss by the Fly Boys, 56-6.

Highland Home scored first on a nine-play, six-yard drive with 9:44 left in the first quarter when quarterback TJ Washington went in from four yards out. Austin Norman kicked a true PAT, and the Squadron got on the board for 7-0.

After the kickoff, Jayden Parks drove the Bulldogs offense nowhere as the Squadron defensive end JJ Faulk picked off a pass attempt at the Dogs’ 31-yard line. From there, Washington tallied his second touchdown of the quarter on a 17-yard scamper around the right end. Norman nailed his second kick to put the visiting Squadron up 14-0.

With 8:22 to go in the second quarter, running back Austin Crittenden got his name in the scoring column on an 18-yard draw play. Once again, Norman’s PAT was good, giving HHS a 21-0 lead over the home-standing Dogs.

With 5:51 left before halftime, Brantley got their only score of the night when Parks hit wideout Daylan Davis on a 51-yard scoring strike. The Dogs two-point PAT run was stopped as the Dags were behind 21-6.

But the Squadron wing-T offense was not done scoring in the half, when Washinton hit running back Javion McMillian on an 11-yard screen pass for the score and the Fly Boys entered the locker room leading 28-6 at halftime.

To start the third quarter, the big-blue defense forced a punt on the Dogs’ first possession of the second half by Parks as it rolled dead at the Squadron 35-yard line. And on the very next play, Tyler Chaney outpaced the Dogs’ defense 65 yards to pay dirt. Norman booted his fifth PAT kick of the night to give the Fly Boys a 35-6 lead.

Highland Home took over at the Brantley 32-yard line when fullback Tray Flowers recovered a bad snap on a punt attempt at that point. Two plays later, Washington tossed his second touchdown of the night when he hit Chaney on a 26-yard pass. Norman missed the PAT to give HHS a 41-6 lead.

With 3:22 left in the third quarter, Crittendon scored from 13 yards as Norman’s kick was no good to give the Squadron a 47-6 lead. Brantley drove the ball down to the Fly Boys 11-yard line, but the drive was stopped when McMillian picked off a pass at the 9-yard line before running down to the Brantley 18-yard line.

The Bulldog defense held the Squadron at their own five-yard line to take over possession. But with 9:53 to go in the fourth quarter, Parks was sacked in his own end zone for a safety. 

Crittenden closed out the scoring for the game on a 28-yard rush into the Dogs’ end zone and the Squadron clutched the win at 56-6.

The Fly Boys wing-T offense rolled up 422 yards, eight touchdowns and 22 first downs. But they went only 4-and-6 from the quarterback spot to throw 50 yards. 

Highland Home will host the Isabella Mustangs Friday and Brantley will travel to Georgiana to take on the Panthers in a key 1A Region 2 showdown.