SAVANNAH - As head football coach Mike Pfiester said after the game, “three weeks between football games is less than ideal” but that is what the Long County Blue Tide football team had endured when they traveled to Whitemarsh Island on Friday afternoon to take on the Windsor Forest Knights.

Despite a bye week and two hurricanes causing delays, the Blue Tide did not let it stop their momentum when they took on the Knights at Islands High School. The team earned a 25-0 shutout victory to move to 6-0 on the season, continuing their historic start on the year.

With the win, the Tide move to 6-0 and 5-0 in the region. They have matched their team high in wins for the season with four games left in the regular season.

The Tide started their second possession on the Knights 30-yard line after an 8-yard punt

On third and 15, the Knights could not pick up the first down as they were forced to punt from their own 21. The punt was very short and the Tide took over at the Knight 30. Wyatt Huston capped the seven-play drive on third and goal from the 1-yard line.

Knights quarterback Jaysen Jackson broke off a 16-yard run on Windsor Forest’s next possession but they were forced to punt from their own 26 eventually. Chase Bentley recovered the bad snap on the punt attempt and the Tide took over at the Knights 7.

Cortney Charles finished off the short drive two plays later from 2 yards out as the Tide took a 12-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The Tide attempted an onside kick but it the Knights recovered at their own 42. However, the Tide recovered Jackson’s fumble at midfield on the next play.

Jay’Quan Johnson got the call on the first play from the 50 and he took it 23 yards to the 27. Familia went another 26 yards to set up another goal-to-go situation at the 1.

Johnson finished off the drive on the next play as the Tide went up 18-0 with 7:28 left to go in the first half.

The Knights finally got into Tide territory after Cameran Woods’ 20-yard run to the 45. A late hit set the Knights up at the Tide 40.

Chris Hatfield broke up a pass on third down, and Tyler Gamble sacked Jackson on fourth down to give the Tide the ball back at their own 33.

Hatfield’s 47-yard reception was nullified by penalty, but on fourth and 3, Charles picked up 13 yards

With a minute left to go in the half, Huston’s pass was intercepted and returned it back to midfield with 27 seconds left in the half. The Tide immediately caused a fumble on the next play and recovered it at the 34 and went into the locker room up 18-0.

The Tide defense stepped up on the first drive of the third quarter as they forced a turnover on downs at their own 44. However, the Tide fumbled on the immediate next play as the Knights took over at the Tide 40.

A third and long from their own 32 seemingly was the end of the drive for the Tide. Huston took off on the run on the next play and was brought down short of the first down, but a helmet-to-helmet hit and subsequent unnecessary roughness penalty gave the Tide a first down at the Knights 43.

A facemask at the 37 set the Tide up inside the Knight 20. Two plays later, Dylan Tyler scored from 14 yards out to make the score 25-0 late in the third after Nick Contreras’ only attempted PAT of the game.

Williams came up with his third sack of the night before the Tide blocked the punt and took over at the 20 on the next drive.

The Tide eventually faced a decision from the Knight 25 after an incomplete pass and a false start backed them up five yards. The Tide brought on Contreras to attempt what would have been a record long field goal.

His 43-yard attempt was blocked as the Knights took over at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Tide finished with 220 yards rushing and held the Knights to 91 yards of total offense

They will host the Jenkins Warriors on Friday, October 18 in a game that will go a long way in determining the playoff seeding.

As for the Tide’s missed game against Calvary Day - moved from October 4 due to Hurricane Helene - it will now be played on Friday, November 8, the original start date for the state playoffs.

The GHSA announced the start of the playoffs would be moved back one week to allow teams that missed games during the school closures to make up those contests.