The Greenbrier Wolfpack returned to the site of the end of their long losing streak.
Thanks to two big returns from Ryan Clayborn, the Wolfpack left Olvey Field and Hokey Jackson Stadium with another win.
Clayborn ran a kickoff back for a touchdown and his long punt runback set up another score as the Wolfpack downed Bradwell Institute 34-22 Tuesday night. With the win, the Wolfpack improved to 3-3 on the season and 2-2 in Region 1-AAAAA.
The Tigers fell to 1-5 on the season and 0-4 in the region.
Carlito Savea’s 5-yard run capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive that put the Tigers on the board, and when the Wolfpack were offsides on the point after, the Tigers opted for a two-point conversion. Savea shoved his way in, and the Tigers grabbed an 8-7 lead with 2.6 seconds left in the first quarter.
But when the second quarter began, Greenbrier was back in front. Clayborn took the ensuing kickoff and raced down the Wolfpack sidelines for an 86-yard touchdown return. Lavaughn Simon’s point after put the Pack ahead 14-8.
Simon’s 29-yard field goal with 7:45 left in the first half pushed the lead to 17-8. Bradwell threatened on its next possession, going from its own 16-yard line to the Greenbrier 8 and chewing up more than five minutes off the clock. Savea, though, was sacked on fourth down, ending the scoring chance.
The Tigers posted 200 yards of total offense in the first half but the Greenbrier defense clamped down in the second half. The Wolfpack also picked off Savea twice and held the Tigers without a first down through their first four possessions of the second half.
Meanwhile, Greenbrier’s offense took advantage of field position to pull away. Simon connected on a 34-yard field goal, after the Pack took over at the Tigers 17, and Clayborn’s 46-yard punt return led to Cole Trupp’s 4-yard out of a wildcat formation and a 27-8 lead.
Trupp’s 10-yard touchdown run, his third of the night, with 9:03 to go capped a 14-play, 86-yard drive that lasted 7:14 – and included five penalties for 45 yards against the Wolfpack.
Savea hit Tyon Jones for a 69-yard touchdown strike with 8:28 to play, and the Tigers ended the scoring on Savea’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Holloway Jr.
The Wolfpack ran the ball on each of its last 23 plays of the game and racked up 171 yards rushing in the second half alone. Four Tigers offsides penalties resulted in Greenbrier first downs – three on third downs and another on fourth down.
Bradwell had just 19 yards rushing in the second half after rolling up 129 yards on the ground in the first two quarters. Savea completed 15 of 25 passes for 142 yards.
The Tigers host South Effingham on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
