Savannah Country Day came into its matchup with cross-town rival Savannah Christian looking for its first win of the season and Hornet Coach Joey Blackmore had his squad pumped up and ready for the Raiders.
Blackmore knows he has a workhorse leading his offense in running back Thomas Holland and he put his faith in the senior who delivered with a gutsy performance on both sides of the ball.
On SCD’s first possession, Holland ran for all 14 plays, in an 80-yard drive that ate 8:20 off the clock as he plunged in for a 3-yard score to close the impressive series off with another rugged effort.
The drive set the tone for the game as Savannah Country Day played a physical brand of football as the Hornets won their first game of the season and celebrated Homecoming with a 21-10 non-region victory over the Raiders on Friday, Sept. 18.
Holland ran for 129 yards and the score on 29 carries as the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder ran like a back weighing in 30 pounds heavier. He consistently moved the chains on third down conversions and played defense in the second half ― picking off a pass and making several tackles for losses as he helped lead SCD to its first win over SCPS since 2021.
“I’m proud of the way our guys found a way to win tonight,” said Blackmore, the former North Dakota State standout safety in his second year leading the program. “We dug deep and believed in ourselves tonight. And when Thomas is running the ball, our guys know we can score on any play. He’s a physical runner who never stops. Our offensive line, led by Finn Smith, Connall Smith and Mathieu Garrett did a great job opening holes for him tonight.”
SCD’s junior quarterback Devin Trawick came up with some big-time, game-changing plays. He scored on a scramble as he peeled off to his left and sprinted down the sideline for 27-yard touchdown that put SCD up 14-7 with 5:41 left in the third quarter.
With 1:40 left in the game and the Hornets leading 14-10, SCD faced a 4th and 6 at the Raider 18, but Blackmore chose to go for it, and Trawick dropped back to pass and found a wide open Jalen Jordan wide open over the middle for an 18-yard score. It was the first career touchdown for the sophomore and one that Jordan will never forget.
Trawick ran for 37 yards and the score on three carries and was 3 of 4 passing for 33 yards and the touchdown.
Savannah Christian was playing without starting quarterback Caden Godbee after the junior was hurt in a loss to Fellowship Christian last week. Senior Jim Massey started and was 4 of 8 passing for 37 yards with the interception.
SCPS sophomore Wesley Dinkins led the Raiders (1-4) with 67 yards rushing on 16 carries. The Raiders got a 3-yard scoring run from Landon Tyson and a 32-yard field goal from Karson Leake, but SCPS had just 149 yards of total offense on the night.
The Hornet defense was led by Wells Headley and William Rhodes, along with Holland and Warren Ward, who had a big sack late to ice the game.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: How Thomas Holland led Savannah Country Day football to a win
