Carver strikes quickly, coasts past Americus-Sumter

The Carver Tigers used a fast start on offense and a stifling defense to pick up a huge Region 1-4A victory over Americus-Sumter, defeating the Panthers 27-3 on Thursday night at Kinnett Stadium.

Carver set the tone on the very first play of the game. With Americus-Sumter kicking off, Us Beasley took the ball 80 yards for a touchdown, and a Dane White extra point gave Carver a 7-0 lead with just 14 seconds off the clock.

On the ensuing possession for the Panthers, Jacolbie Hatchett picked up his first of two interceptions off an A.J. Payne pass, and two plays later, Carver was up 14-0 on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Romello Kimbrough to Jarius Thomas.

The Tigers had a two-touchdown lead with just 131 seconds off the clock and before most fans were comfortably in the stadium.

“For Us to start the game off like that, that’s something really big,” said Carver coach Dre’Mail King. “That will literally kill a team morale at the start of the game. I think that’s what it was — that one big play really kept us going. We got up 14-0, and after that, we just eased through the rest of the game.”

“We had a good senior night tonight, and I just tried to make it the best for them,” said Beasley, himself a senior.

Kimbrough called his own number on a 2-yard touchdown run on the final play of the first quarter, putting Carver ahead 20-0. After that, only 10 more points were scored in the entire game, with a Carlos Hernandez second-quarter field goal for the Panthers and Beasley’s second touchdown of the night on a 9-yard run for Carver in the third quarter.

King said the quiet end to the game was no cause for concern, but rather by design.

“It was a combination of making sure we mix up the play-calling and doing the things we like to do, but (Americus-Sumter) did a great job,” he said. “They played really good defense. They did some things different than what we saw on film, so it kind of got us off a little bit in the second and third quarter; we had to find our way back in it. We were able to make sure we managed the clock and managed field position. That’s what this game is about, managing field position.”

Surprisingly, this is the first time all season the Tigers have managed back-to-back victories. They opened the season with a loss at Opelika, then alternated wins and losses the next seven games.

“It’s a new coach, new system, new set of rules,” King said. “You’ve got to get in here and you’ve got to maneuver around. Last year, we lost 18 starters. A lot of these guys are young, so we were teaching them.

“Our schedule was a funny schedule — opening up at Opelika, playing Douglas County, letting Westover slip away, and playing tough against Cairo — every game we lost, we’ve been right there in them. We were still studying, learning, and getting used to the offense. I think we’re hitting on all cylinders right now. We’re doing a good job, and it’s great timing.”

The win puts Carver in second place by themselves in the region at 4-2, pending the outcome of this weekend’s region games. Northside is 3-2 and plays Westover on Friday.

Americus-Sumter falls to 3-3 and is currently in the fourth and final playoff slot, a half-game ahead of Columbus, Westover, and Hardaway, all who have yet to play this weekend.

Carver only has one more regular season game — a Thursday night contest against Hardaway at Kinnett — prior to the playoffs, while Americus-Sumter hosts Columbus next Friday to close out their regular season.

Key play: The very first play of the game was the tone-setter for the Tigers. U.S. Beasley took the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, starting a first quarter that saw Carver outscore Americus-Sumter 20-0 and take a stranglehold of the contest.

Difference makers: Carver – Romello Kimbrough, QB, 8-14, 124 yards, TD, 5 rushes, 41 yards, TD; Jarius Thomas, WR, 2 receptions, 65 yards, TD; Cameron Jessie, RB, 15 rushes, 64 yards; U.S. Beasley, RB, 4 rushes, 41 yards, TD, kickoff return TD; Jacolbie Hatchett, FS, 2 INT; Kam McFolley, DB, INT.

Coach quote: “We’re doing a great job of making sure that all the guys get in the flow of the game and put them in the right place. That’s the key to this game, putting the guys in the right place so we can execute the plays. We have a system, but once we understand what the system is, it’s about the right guys touching the football at the right time,” said Carver coach Dre’Mail King.

Player quote: “We just give it up to God for letting us gel at the right time. At the beginning of the season, we went through a few road bumps, and everyone wasn’t quite together. But God had a plan for us, and we’re gonna get it,” said Carver’s Us Beasley.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 10:46 PM with the headline "Carver strikes quickly, coasts past Americus-Sumter."