BY EVAN BROWN
FOR THE OBSERVER
BEULAH — After a back-and-forth first half left Beulah High School (3-1) (1-1) and Geneva High School (2-2) (1-1) tied at 21, the Bobcats made the necessary adjustments to pull away for a 49-35 victory on Sept. 11 in a game that featured three combined kickoff return touchdowns.
Beulah leaned on a strong rushing attack and a series of defensive adjustments to take control after halftime, scoring 28 points in the second half while forcing three turnovers.
“We challenged them at halftime. It was a new game. Can we come out here and finish?” Beulah head coach Michael Courson said. “21-21, there’s adversity in front of you, and what are we going to do about it?”
The Bobcats finished with 429 total yards, including 342 on the ground. Running back Brody Peacock led Beulah with 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, while wide receiver Tristen Robinson added 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Kason Kalla also contributed 82 rushing yards and a touchdown while completing four of 11 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Beulah struck first, with Kalla breaking loose for a 53-yard touchdown run to put the Bobcats up 7-0. Geneva answered back with a methodical seven-play 69-yard drive that saw wide receiver Kaden Senn find the end zone on a six-yard touchdown run to even the score at 7.
The tie didn’t last long. Robinson, who was impossible to bring down all night, answered immediately, bursting down the Geneva sideline for an 81-yard touchdown on the ensuing kickoff to take a 14-7 lead with 4:29 remaining in the first quarter.
“I seen an open hole, and I took it,” Robinson said. “I just took off. I had to use my jets and just go. My teammate set up a great block.”
Geneva threw a punch right back, taking advantage of another big play to tie the game when quarterback Tucker Taylor connected with wide receiver Braylon Soles on a screen pass for a 54-yard touchdown.
The Panthers then took advantage of a poor snap and a turnover on downs, and eventually took the lead for the first and last time with running back Braylon Soles punching a one-yard touchdown run in with 6:32 left in the first half.
Beulah had one more answer before halftime. The Bobcats put together a nine-play, 47-yard drive that leaned heavily on their rushing attack. The drive featured a fourth-down conversion from a Kalla quarterback sneak, which was promptly followed up by a 5-yard Brody Peacock touchdown run to tie the game going into the half.
The game entered the half looking to be a shootout, but Beulah came out of the locker room with a different look on the defensive end.
“We made some adjustments— moved Brody Peacock around,” Courson said. “He’s tough to block, so move him around, put him on the line, put him at the nose and that kind of shored up what they were trying to do with us inside.”
The adjustments showed immediately.
Beulah needed just three plays to take the lead in the second half. After a 4-yard run from Kalla, the quarterback connected with Robinson for a 51-yard completion down to the Geneva 12.
Peacock finished the drive on the next play with a 12-yard touchdown rush to put the Bobcats ahead 28-21.
The defense then forced a turnover on downs when Beau Duck and Brody Peacock combined for a tackle on fourth-and-10, setting up the Bobcat offense on Geneva’s 29-yard line. Robinson found the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run shortly after, putting Beulah ahead 34-21.
Geneva wouldn’t go away though, and responded with Kade Senn taking the kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Beulah lead to 34-28.
The Bobcats’ defense would continue to make plays to keep the momentum on their side.
Late in the third quarter, defensive back Qua Frazier recovered a Geneva fumble at the Panthers’ 38-yard line.
On the following Geneva drive, linebacker Ryder Lowery picked up a fumble and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. Kalla then found Robinson on the two-point conversion, giving the Bobcats a 42-28 lead.
The turnover well wouldn’t run dry for the Bobcats, as Robinson continued to impact the game, intercepting Taylor with 10:57 left in the game.
After a series of penalties pushed Beulah back, the Bobcats faced fourth-and-18 from the 19-yard line. Kalla found wide receiver Brayden Bunn in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 49-28 with 4:54 remaining.
Geneva would return the ensuing kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown, but the Bobcats held on to secure the 49-35 victory.
“The offense played great — our defense played great in that second half,” Courson said. “We got a little sloppy there with about six minutes to go, so there’s stuff to clean up. But all in all, we’ll take the victory.”
The Bobcats will look to build on the win next week when they travel to Union Springs to face Bullock County (3-0) (2-0) on Friday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m.
