The Blue Devils rolled over Riverside Military Academy Friday night in the Granite Bowl by a score of 40-6. The Devils had many highlights on the night while rolling up 378 yards of total offense and limiting RMA to just 99 total yards on the night. The Blue Devils RB Austin Jones 60 yard run in the first quarter on a big 3^rd down was the longest run of the night and led to the first Elbert Co. touchdown. This would be the beginning to what would be a stellar night for many of the Blue Devils offensive weapons. Jones was the leading rusher for the night on 6 carries for 113 yards; however, Fullback D.J. Lewis was not far behind with 11 carries for 92 yards. Explosive backs Demarco Freeman, Valdon Cooper, and Freshman Tyshon Dye also had stellar nights with Freeman having 11 carries for 75 yards and 3 touchdowns, Cooper 6 carries for 38, and Dye 6 carries for 22 yards and 1 touchdown. Quarterbacks Robert Huff and Hunter Blackmon also turned in strong performances. Huff (2 for 3) completed a 22 yard touchdown pass to TE Keldric Rambert with 31 seconds left in the 2^nd quarter to take the Blue Devils into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 27-6 lead over RMA. Hunter Blackmon added the Devils final touchdown of the night on a 10 yard run into the end zone in the 4th Quarter. The offensive Line comprised of Ethan Fortson, Taylor Smith, Seth Martin, Eli York, Keneen Umble, and Tray Huff as well as the TE’s Chance Yeargin, Keldric Rambert, and Taj Letman did a stellar job of controlling the offensive line.

Defensively the blue devils got stronger as the game progressed holding RMA to only 99 yards of offense but only giving up 28 yards in the 2^nd half and laying some BIG hits on RMA. The defense kept pressure on the QB all night with DE’s Eric Crenshaw (5 tackles, 1 sack, & 1 fumble caused), Trey Heard (1 sack), and Jim Hill and DT’s Ricky Ham (8 tackles), Antonio Hickman (5 tackles), and Ethan Fortson. The young LB crew comprised of Sophomore Bryce Martin (5 tackles), Junior Taj Letman (4 tackles &1 fumble recovery), Sophomore Trent Allen (5 tackles & 1 fumble caused), Sophomore Philip Settles (4 tackles), Sophomore Tyler Mahaffey, and Freshman Tyshon Dye did a good job as well. The secondary comprised of Junior Shi Marshall (4 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception), Sophomore Hunter Blackmon (4 tackles), Junior Davion Shackleford (1 interception), Junior Valdon Cooper, Senior Austin Jones, & Senior Trez Haley also played extremely well with Cooper and Marshall laying 2 of the biggest hits of the night that lit the granite bowl up! The defense created 4 turnovers on the night starting with big hits by DE Eric Crenshaw and OLB Trent Allen with DB Shi Marshall and OLB Taj Letman coming up with the recoveries. Marshall and DB Davion Shackleford also each came up with an interception in the 2^nd half. Punter Andy Corder averaged nearly 40 yard per punt on the night and Omar Vargas was nearly perfect on the night converting 4 of 5 XP’s.

Many of the young blue devils got playing time in the 2^nd half and continued move the ball offensively and to lay some big hits on the Eagles to finish the night off with a strong effort in the Blue Devils opening game.