Deshaun Fenwick dazzles as Braden River rolls to easy victory
Braden River High running back Deshaun Fenwick had a big night during the Pirates’ playoff win over South Fort Myers on Friday night and had the big boys in front of him to thank for it.
Fenwick rushed for 241 yards and three touchdowns in the Pirates’ 41-13 victory over the Wolfpack in a Class 7A-Region 3 game that was, by all accounts, highlighted by Braden River’s outstanding offensive line.
“The offensive line took over the game in the third period,” fullback Knowledge McDaniel said. “They opened the holes, and then the running backs were able to find the holes. And the receivers were able to get open. We found our spots and made plays. We came out a little slow, but played well in the second half.”
The Pirates (9-1) scored early and often and then held off the Wolfpack after South Fort Myers closed the first half looking to make a game of it, trailing 21-6 at intermission.
“The offensive line and Deshaun led the way tonight,” Braden River coach Curt Bradley said. “We got off to a good start, and that’s what you want to do playing on the road against a dangerous opponent. We had a little lull in the second quarter, but we came back from it well.”
The game was out of hand enough to go to a running clock early in the fourth quarter.
The Pirates will meet rival Venice in a region semifinal clash next Friday night.
Freddie Ward rushed for 102 yards for South Fort Myers (5-5).
“We handled adversity well out here,” Bradley said. “We were in control for most of the first half, but the defense spent a lot of time on the field. I think after getting ahead 21-0, we could put it on cruise control, but you can’t really do that against good teams.”
Braden River took control of the game with an offensive onslaught in the first quarter. After holding the Wolfpack to a three-and-out on its first series, Tyrone Collins took a punt and raced 75 yards for a touchdown to stake Braden River to a 7-0 lead with 9:24 left in the opening quarter.
Four minutes later, the Pirates got on the board again when Fenwick scored on a 75-yard touchdown run to put Braden River ahead 14-0.
Fenwick scored for the second time — this one on a 3-yard run — late in the first and the Pirates entered the second quarter with a 21-0 lead.
But then South Fort Myers’ defense regrouped and shut out the Pirates in the second quarter. The Wolfpack put together two scoring drives that resulted in field goals.
The Pirates took the kickoff to start the second half for their fourth touchdown, as Fenwick broke free for a 30-yard scoring run that made it a 28-6.
The next time the Pirates had the ball, quarterback Bryan Gagg hit Craivon Koonce with a 38-yard bomb that made it 35-6.
McDaniel ended the Pirates’ scoring with a rushing touchdown in the fourth.
This story was originally published November 10, 2017 at 10:56 PM with the headline "Deshaun Fenwick dazzles as Braden River rolls to easy victory."