Highlander Jamboree showcases SCISA football
Photos and story
by Mike Maddock
Mike@TheColumbiaStar.com

Cardinal Newman's Will Garnett runs for a first down on a fourth and four play. Ben Lippen's Eddie Gilliard is in pursuit.

SCISA Region I AAA threw a party and didn't invite the defending state champion Augusta Christian Lions. The Ben Lippen Falcons, Cardinal Newman Cardinals, Hammond Skyhawks, and Heathwood Hall Highlanders got together at Heathwood Hall Friday, August, 18, 2006, to usher in another year of high school football.

The Jamboree consisted of four 12-minute quarters matching Ben Lippen and Cardinal Newman for the opening two quarters and Hammond and Heathwood Hall for the final two.

First Half: Cardinal Newman Cardinals 14, Ben Lippen Falcons 7

In the first match-up, the Cardinals were the team with a new head coach, but Ben Lippen was the school with the new look. The Falcons unveiled a balanced offense led by starting quarterback Greg Dunston. He marched the Falcons 65 yards completing passes to Rob Brigman and Phillip Deter and mixing in a 13 yard run by Robert Keen, a 23 yard run from Emmanual Hightower, and a quarterback draw to the two yard line. Fullback Aaron Emard completed the drive with a touchdown run.

Heathwood Hall's Hampton Graham catches a touchdown pass in front of Hammond's Robert Simmons.

Cardinals Newman's head coach may be different, but their offense is not. Coach Mike Bolchoz and his Cardinals responded with a powerful ground game relying on misdirection, speed, and several different running backs. Palmer Stokes picked up five tough yards for a first down on the Cardinals' fourth play of their first possession. Quarterback Jones Brown scrambled ten yards for a first down to put the Cardinals at the Ben Lippen 41 yard line, and then on a misdirection play, Will Garnett raced down the left side to the Ben Lippen one-yard line. Palmer Stokes would walk it in from there.

The Cardinals opened the second quarter with a 14 play, 8.5 minute, 85-yard drive mixing several timely pass plays with some power football. Collins Harper caught two passes for 40 yards, and Brown connected with Will Garnett for 12 yards on and fourth and four play from the Ben Lippen 33 yard line. After a five-yard loss, Jones Brown scrambled twice for the final 26 yards and a Cardinal Newman touchdown. Thomas Winstead then ran about 30 yards on a two point conversion starting right then reversing his field dodging Falcon defenders to find the left corner of the end zone to put the Cardinals up 14-7.

Hammond's Jarry Kuilan scored two touchdowns.

The Falcons got two more chances driving to the Cardinal Newman 47 yard line with 5.0 seconds remaining on their last possession, but Dunston's final pass fell incomplete.

Second Half: Hammond Skyhawks 27, Heathwood Hall Highlanders 14

While the first half of the Jamboree featured a low scoring ground game, the second half was wide open and full of points. On the first possession, the Skyhawks ran a double reverse with a half-back option culminating in a 35-yard pass from Robert Simmons to Alston James. Running back Jarry Kuilan then had runs of 10 and 20 yards scoring on the second to give Hammond a 6-0 lead. The drive took 47 seconds.

Hammond cheerleader Caroline Wilson is lifted up by (L-R) Brittany Bennett, Paige Gamble, and Sarah DeBruhl.

A little over three minutes later, Heathwood Hall quarterback Brett Whalen found Hampton Graham in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass. The drive featured a 17-yard pass to James Rogers and a nine-yard pass to Adam Walker. The Skyhawks were whistled for a hit out-of-bounds on Walker, which tacked on 15 more yards and put the Highlanders on the Hammond 13-yard line and set up the pass to Graham.

Whalen was sacked and fumbled on the Highlander's next possession giving the Skyhawks the ball at the Heathwood 23-yard line. Running back Jarry Kuilan would get Hammond to the three-yard line with runs of six and 13 yards respectively, then Hammond quarterback Punky DaSilva found Ben Strickland in the end zone to put the Skyhawks up by six.

The Skyhawks ended the third quarter with a six-play, 72-yard drive featuring runs of six, seven, and 33 yards by Kuilan. Fittingly, Kuilan finished it with a 10-yard scamper for a touchdown giving the Skyhawks a 20-7 advantage.

Cardinal Newman cheerleaders: Back row standing (L to R) Jordan Hardy, Katherine Gaulin, Kelly Zander, Margaret Tompkins, Brooke Alexander, Margaret Solomon, April Edwards, Kara Lighthart; Middle row bending (L to R) Courtney Poston, Evelyn Sexton, Tori Martinez, Ashley Marczesky, Caroline Enoch, Kasey Nunn, Courtney Alexander, Leesa Delphia; Bottom row sitting (L to R) Lauren Thaxton, Rachel Bedenbaugh, Ashley Pennington, Taylor Lowman, and Mary Clare Egan.

The Highlanders would pull to within six on their opening ten-play, 4 minute 15 second, 65-yard drive of the final quarter. Whalen had 21 yards rushing and 33 yards passing all to receiver Hampton Graham. Adam Walker added 12 yards rushing and scooted in from the one-inch line to score the Highlanders' final points.

The Skyhawks capitalized on another Heathwood Hall turnover at the 2:07 minute mark. This time an interception by Kyle George gave them the ball at the Highlander 27-yard line. Again Kuilan did most of the groundwork with runs of seven and 15 yards. Back-up quarterback Taylor Smith powered in for the final five yards giving Hammond the victory 27-14.

Hammond Head Coach Erik Kimrey

Ben Lippen's Greg Dunston tries to get away from Michael Bolchoz. Heathwood Hall Junior Varsity cheerleaders (L-R): Alexandra Cooke, Mary Covington, Logan Ress and Caroline Keisler.