Bradenton Christian’s Bathie Thiam delivers big in Panthers victory

He was there to corral the deflected pass off two defenders, turning it into a big gain that keyed a scoring drive.

He was there on defense with a diving grab for an interception to swing momentum to his team.

He followed that pick with a touchdown pass and added some field goals with his powerful right leg.

Bathie Thiam was everywhere for Bradenton Christian in a 26-13 victory over St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep in Monday’s football game that was continued from a Sept. 1 postponement due to inclement weather.

“Out of 10, I’d probably say 8 1/2,” Thiam said on how he’d rate his performance Monday. “I made a couple mistakes, a couple tackles (missed).”

Thiam’s stat line (seven catches for 74 yards) on offense wasn’t gaudy, but he was involved in several pivotal moments for the Panthers (2-3, 2-1 division).

Producing highlight-filled games wasn’t always the case for Thiam, who shared the spotlight with other players in past seasons.

But he was one player that Dan Fort said he noticed on film when he became Bradenton Christian’s head coach in March.

“The first thing I noticed was kickoff,” Fort said. “He put three or four in the end zone. I went ... ‘At least I have a kicker.’ ”

Thiam’s leg is traced to his first sporting love: soccer.

Before he began playing football at age 11, Thiam was kicking a soccer ball in Senegal, where his parents and most of his relatives still reside.

For Thiam, he plays the sport for Bradenton Christian during the winter months. But in the fall, he’s blossomed into a leader on the football field.

“He’ll get vocal over things that need to be said, but most of the time he’s pretty laid-back, chill,” Fort said. “He gets along with everybody. That’s one of the reasons why he’s one of the most beloved kids on the team.”

On Monday, Thiam created pivotal plays to closed out the first half that sparked the Panthers’ victory.

After a month-long break, the Sunshine State Athletic Conference Coral Bay Division game resumed with 5:52 remaining in the second quarter at Dan van der Kooy Field at the Bouwer Athletic Complex.

The Panthers had the ball at the Chargers’ 25.

Thiam capped Monday’s opening possession with a 23-yard field goal.

Shorecrest answered with Drew Zolper’s 55-yard touchdown pass to Apollo Kaepernik. That was one of two big scoring plays for Shorecrest. The other was a 64-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter.

“That’s why we put the defense that we did in, it was supposed to stop the big play,” said Fort, whose team won for the second time in three days.

Thiam’s game-changing presence took shape in the last two minutes of the first half. A pass destined for a Shorecrest interception bounced off two defenders and into Thiam’s hands, before he jetted to the Shorecrest 10 for a 42-yard gain. Thiam booted another field goal four plays later, then intercepted Zolper’s pass shortly into Shorecrest’s next drive and executed BCS’ fake field goal — the first of two successful special team plays — with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Nolan Averso in the first half’s final play.

“I know with four seconds left in the half or a game, teams sell all out to block a field goal, because they assume you aren’t going to fake it,” Fort said. “So I said, ‘We’ll fake it. We’ve practiced it enough.’ ”

Thiam, who said he talks to his family whenever he can, relocated to America for a better education when he was 11. He moved in with his aunt, and the adjustment process with life and sports, specifically football, took some time.

But after Monday’s game, which began with BCS superintendent Dan Vande Pol reciting a prayer for the Las Vegas shooting victims as the American flag waved at half-staff, he’s showing his importance to the Panthers.

“(Thiam’s) just a playmaker,” Fort said.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 9:46 PM with the headline "Bradenton Christian’s Bathie Thiam delivers big in Panthers victory."