Belhaven University Athletics

JACKSON, Miss. - Belhaven held leads in both halves Saturday, but Central scored the final 21 points of the game to pull away for a 31-17 win at Belhaven Bowl Stadium.

The Blazers (1-2) led 17-10 early in the third quarter before the Dutch answered with three consecutive touchdowns.

Belhaven created its first scoring opportunity just two plays into the game. Tre Chaffier forced a fumble at the Central 40-yard line, and John Ross Craven came out of the pile with the recovery.

A 12-yard completion from Ian Burleson to Dwayne Winfield and a 13-yard run by Jaylon Harris moved the Blazers into the red zone. The drive stalled at the Central 10, but Lyndell Boatman connected on a 27-yard field goal to give Belhaven a 3-0 lead.

The Belhaven defense kept Central off the board for the remainder of the opening quarter. Jimmy Byrd pressured Gentry Dumont into an incomplete pass on fourth-and-eight at the Belhaven 28, and the Blazers followed with a three-and-out on the Dutch's next possession.

Central tied the game on a 22-yard field goal with 6:06 remaining in the second quarter. Belhaven responded with its best drive of the first half, marching 75 yards in 10 plays.

Burleson twice found Cannon Carruth to convert third downs, including a 14-yard completion on third-and-11. Julien Tabor then took over, rushing for 48 yards on the final four plays of the drive. He broke through the middle for a 29-yard touchdown that put the Blazers back in front, 10-3, with 1:50 left in the half.

The Dutch needed just 99 seconds to answer. Brett Connolly connected with Tate Jirovsky for 52 yards on third-and-eight before finding him again for an eight-yard touchdown with 11 seconds remaining, sending the game to halftime tied at 10.

Belhaven came out of the break with an eight-play, 66-yard touchdown drive. Burleson converted a third down with a 17-yard pass to John Davis, then hit Nehemiah Philip for a 26-yard score on third-and-five. Boatman's extra point gave the Blazers a 17-10 advantage with 11:14 remaining in the third quarter.

Central answered with a 77-yard drive of its own, tying the game on Connolly's five-yard touchdown pass to Elam Parises.

The Blazers moved back into Central territory on their next possession. Kaleb Browning broke an 11-yard run, and Burleson connected with Davis for 16 yards to reach the Dutch 32. Central's Brecken Ritzert intercepted the next pass at the 20 and returned it 25 yards, setting up the go-ahead drive.

Jase Grunder finished the ensuing 55-yard possession with an eight-yard touchdown run on the second play of the fourth quarter, giving Central its first lead at 24-17.

Belhaven crossed midfield once more midway through the final period, but the drive stalled after an intentional-grounding penalty. The Dutch then put the game away when Cody Klein broke free for a 67-yard touchdown with 3:17 remaining.

Central finished with 445 yards of offense, including 224 on the ground, while Belhaven totaled 302 yards. The Blazers held the ball for 30:47, collected 18 first downs and converted 9-of-15 third downs. Central finished 5-of-12 on third down but forced three Belhaven turnovers while committing one.

Burleson completed 15-of-28 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. Tabor led the ground game with 73 yards and a score on 16 carries, while Browning added 28 yards on five attempts.

Philip led the Belhaven receivers with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Davis finished with three receptions for 44 yards, Carruth added 25 yards on two catches and Winfield recorded two receptions for 20 yards.

Brayden Bullock led the defense with seven tackles and a quarterback hurry. Quincy Jackson totaled six tackles, three tackles for loss and half a sack, while Chaffier finished with five tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and the forced fumble. Craven added five tackles and the fumble recovery.

Kyle Norris punted five times for 200 yards, averaging 40 yards per attempt. Two of his punts traveled 50 yards.

Belhaven will have an bye week before beginning USA South play at Brevard on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

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