Crown Brookhaven the new king of Region 3-5A football.
Friday night at King Field, Brookhaven held off a second-half comeback attempt by Laurel to win the Region 3-5A thriller, 42-35.
Laurel had been flawless in the region, boasting a win streak in 3-5A that dated back to October of 2014.
Brookhaven, laden with returning talent from an 8-4 finish a year ago, found its opportunity to dethrone the four-time region champs with a strong running game and sealed the win with a big defensive stand in the red zone late in the fourth quarter.
Laurel trailed 28-7 at the half.
“I’m probably more proud of our guys right now than I have been of them all season,” said Laurel head coach Todd Breland. “They played a very good Brookhaven team. They had us by the neck, and we came out in the second half with a lot of energy and fought back. We gave ourselves a chance at the end.”
Brookhaven improves to 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in Region 3-5A. Laurel falls to 3-3, 1-1 in the region.
Comeback attempt
Laurel looked like a different team in the second half.
Junior backup running back Zias Perryman scored rushing touchdowns, including a 65-yard burst down the left sideline with 7:54 left in the third quarter, on back-to-back possessions to narrow Brookhaven’s lead, 28-21.
When Brookhaven pushed back, extending their lead to 14 once again, Laurel responded again with back-to-back touchdowns on offense.
After junior quarterback Sinclair Ulmer connected with senior wide receiver Brandon Gordon for a 25-yard TD strike, Perryman followed on Laurel’s next possession with his third rushing touchdown of the night and in the second half. It tied the game 35-35 mere seconds into the fourth quarter.
Brookhaven regained the lead, 42-35, eight minutes later on a five-yard TD pass from junior quarterback Sevante Quinn to junior wideout John Hilbert.
Laurel threatened to send the game into overtime late in the final stanza, reaching as far as Brookhaven’s six-yard line, but the Panthers’ defense held their ground on four-straight scoring attempts by the Tornadoes.
Laurel fumbled the ball on a reverse pitch on fourth and goal as Brookhaven took over on downs and ran out the clock on three downs.
“This game was certainly a challenge for us,” said Breland. “Brookhaven is so good. I hope our kids see tonight that when you play with a lot of energy and passion, we can be good.
“There is still a lot of football left, and anything can happen. Like I have said before, in this region, you better enjoy it real quick or get over it real quick.”
Where they go from here?
Laurel plays host to Wingfield (1-5) in Week 8, as Brookhaven travels to Forest Hill (1-5).
Both are Region 3-5A matchups, and both kickoff at 7 p.m.
