Dillon Christian School defeated Bethesda on Friday night. Here is a photo gallery by Craig Brown.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Craig Brown
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By Craig Brown
The Dillon Christian School Warriors hosted the Blazers of Bethesda Academy located in Savannah, Georgia in round one of the SCISA Class 1A playoffs with the Warriors getting a hard fought 40-28 win. The Blazers were the hardest-hitting team the Warriors have faced all year. Bethesda is one of three private schools in Georgia that have joined the SCISA. The Blazers boast sending several players on to the next level in football and basketball and prides themselves at helping underprivileged students achieve a first rate education.
On the Warriors’ first offensive possession Colby Thorndyke broke several tackles on his way to a 67-yard touchdown run. The conversion failed holding the Warrior lead to 6-0 with 11:32 left in the first quarter.
A hard-hitting defensive battle continued until 1:25 was left in the first quarter with the Blazers on the Warrior 14-yard line and fourth and long Bethesda sent in its’ talented kicker David Hale. Hale sent the ball straight through the goal post for the 31-yard field goal. The attempt would have been good from over 50 yards as the ball hit the roof of the concession stand with a thud. Hales’ field goal cut the Warriors lead to 6-3. The first quarter would end with this score.
Thorndyke picked up his second touchdown of the game on an 11-yard run. The conversion failed. With 11:55 left in the second quarter the Warriors were ahead 12-3.
It did not take the Blazers long to rebound as they finished their next drive on some good passing from quarterback Antjuan McKay that took them to the Warrior three-yard line where Erek Pettiford ran it in for the touchdown. Hales’ extra point kick closed the Warrior lead to 12-10 with 10:13 left in the second quarter.
With 9:12 left in the second quarter Blazer running back Ivan Gooding gave the Blazers the lead on a 22-yard run. McKay ran in the conversion to put the Blazers up 18-12.
Hale booted a 28-yard field goal with 3:21 left in the second quarter to increase the Blazer lead to 21-12.
The Warriors put together a scoring drive that took just over two and a half minutes ending with quarterback Cameron Sweat hitting wide receiver Adam Norman with a 22-yard pass. Thorndyke ran in the two-point conversion to cut the Blazer lead to 21-20 with 52 seconds left in the second quarter.
A Josh Brown kickoff landed in front of a Blazer up back that failed to react to the ball allowing Warrior speedster Hayden Hickman to recover the kick on the Blazer 26-yard line with no time off the clock.
Sweat and Norman hooked up again with a 26-yard touchdown pass. Thorndyke added the two-point conversion to give the Warriors a 28-21 lead with 46 seconds left on the clock.
Norman intercepted a McKay pass on the Blazer’s 39-yard line with 24 seconds left in the first half of play. The Warriors were not able to advance the ball into the end zone and the first half of play would end with the Warriors up 28-21.
The Blazers evened the score at 28-28 on a 21-yard pass from McKay to Gooding followed by Hales’ kick with 10:05 left in the third quarter.
On the Warriors next offensive possession Sweat and Norman would connect for a third time with this TD pass going for 44 yards. The conversion failed holding the Warrior lead to 34-28 with 8:07 left in the third quarter.
The Warrior defense held the Blazer offense to three downs and punt.
Norman fielded the punt and raced 55 yards through the Blazer defenders for the touchdown. The conversion failed. With 6:52 left in the third quarter the Warriors were out front 40-28.
The remainder of the third quarter and all of the fourth quarter was a defensive struggle with the game ending with the Warriors getting the 40-28 first round win.
On offense for the Warriors, Cameron Sweat was 9 of 12 passing for 211 yards and three touchdowns adding 26 yards on the ground. Adam Norman caught six passes for 150 yards and three touchdowns and returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown, Colby Thorndyke had 137 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns and caught a pass for 17 yards and ran in two 2-point conversions, Hayden Hickman had 97 yards on 15 carries, Logan Jones caught a pass for 30 yards, Austin Heasley caught a pass for 14 yards, and Cooper Lane added two yards rushing.
On defense, Cooper Lane had 12 tackles with four assists, Colby Thorndyke had 11 tackles with five assists, Walker Chavis and Caleb Boykin had nine tackles and two assists each with Chavis adding two quarterback sacks, Josh Brown and Hayden Hickman had five tackles with an assist each; Adam Norman, Austin Heasley and Gabe Bissell had three tackles with an assist each with Norman adding an interception; Zach Wilkes and Logan Jones had two tackles with an assist each, and Kaleb Pulley added a tackle.
Warrior team statistician Matt Adams had the Warriors at 473 yards and the Blazers close at 424 yards.