Untimely fumbles, Baldwin’s big plays spoil homecoming as Dublin suffers first loss

Baldwin and its big-play offense made no secret of an intent on stretching the field vertically in Friday night’s battle of unbeatens with Dublin.  

But out of about eight deep shots the Braves took, they hit on only one that netted only about 23 yards after a sack on the following play. 

As things turned out, it was the Baldwin defense that carried the night in an upset of the top-ranked Irish where its two big scoring plays were attributed to a simple run and screen pass that caught the Dublin defense in compromising spots. 

Big gainers near halftime, on a run by Tavares Hooks that helped tie the score at the end of the second quarter, and in the final minutes of the fourth, when Justin Burton took a bubble screen 67 yards for the final lead, lifted the Braves to the 20-14 spoiler on homecoming night in the Shamrock Bowl. 

Burton was a target of many of the long-distance throws Baldwin (3-0 overall) attempted to establish along with the run game that was more of its bread and butter. 

Hooks had 10 carries for 120 yards, and quarterback Kamden Patterson 41 on nine scrambles. He was 14-of-25 for 208 passing. 

Baldwin’s bulky defensive line impressed in its work against the Dublin front, allowing under 200 yards rushing. 

But the Irish (2-1) had bigger problems with fumbles, which continued as a trend from the previous week’s win over Perry, in which they had about five of them, but lost only two. 

About four more Friday, mainly associated with snap and exchange issues in the backfield, led to three more giveaways that didn’t help in regaining some offensive momentum that subsided after back-to-back confident scoring drives early in the game. 

Dublin’s first went three plays and out, but good runs by Ryland Yates, Dontavius Cannon and Travion Bostic got them rolling on a second possession that found the end zone late in the first quarter, as Bostic followed the kick-out block of Jalen Dardy over the right side and into the end zone. 

A point-after kick by NaZyon Mitchell gave the Irish a 7-0 lead. 

On the next turn, early in the second quarter, they were forced into another punting situation at their own 23. But Yates, on his rollout for a rugby-style kick, saw an opening and went for it, picking up 37 yards and a first down to keep the eventual scoring drive going. 

Moments later, he’d hit Will Wallace on a deep play pass to reach the red zone, and Cannon drove his way into the end zone on a third and goal to aid in getting the lead to 14-0. 

The Baldwin defense crammed things in tight, and stopped the run pretty effectively the rest of the way to force punts, turnovers or fourth-down stops from that point on. 

Its comeback began out of halftime, when Dublin’s variety of turnover issues came to the forefront. 

Those began with an onside kick try to open the third quarter as the Braves bounced one off an Irish special teamer, and recovered to start a drive that netted a couple of first downs, but was eventually turned back on downs around the Dublin 30, as Mitchell caught Patterson a few yards short on a scramble to the left-hand side. 

Despite recovering from a fumbled snap to open the next series, the Irish had an exchange problem in the backfield on second down, and put it on the ground for a Baldwin recovery right about where its last drive left off. 

The Braves took their customary shot right after the turnover that was dropped at the 2, but did some more dinking and dunking to work their way inside the Dublin 5 for a fourth-down score via sweep by Jerlindous Armstrong. 

Patterson linked up with Hooks for two to even the score at 14. 

The Irish survived another onside scare on the ensuing kickoff, and then traded punts with Baldwin (a sack by Domimarkeyo Walden forcing the second) to get the game into the fourth. 

Ball-handling problems struck again on the next two possessions, which were both making progress well across midfield in hopes of a tiebreaking score. 

But nothing resulted, Dublin regained possession, and had to punt again. 

Baldwin got the ball back with four minutes to go for what was likely its last chance in regulation, and made the best of it. 

Patterson hung one up over the middle and found Burton on a diving reception at his own 46 on an early play. 

Jaydon McRae pushed the Braves way back to their 33 on a sack with 90 seconds left. 

But following the boost came a big bust, as the Braves went with a bubble screen to Burton in the right flat, and the entire left side of Dublin’s secondary got sucked into blocks on the edge by Bryan Goddard and D.J. Hill. 

Bostic made a good run at a tackle to save the touchdown, but couldn’t catch him on the 67-yard sprint to the visiting locker rooms with just about a minute left in the game. 

Baldwin’s two-point conversion attempt was denied. 

The Irish had some more early positives on their final drive, getting out to the 37 yard line on Bostic’s kickoff return, then picking up double digits on the first play as Yates hit him on a completion over midfield, with a solid 42 seconds remaining on the clock. 

But the Braves stiffened on the next series, bottling a screen and reverse handoff for Jamarcus Knight that followed a first-down spike to set the Irish up with fourth and a decent bit. 

Pressure from Jamori Lester would ruin a chance at the conversion, as Yates was hit on his release of a fluttering pass that Bostic caught, but well short of the marker. 

The Braves’ big-play threat loomed large all night, though each of its early bombs missed their targets. 

A first try three plays in was incomplete, but drew a pass interference flag. Another one later in the same drive was overthrown on a third down, to necessitate a punt. 

Early on possession 2, Baldwin tried one off a flea-flicker, but Irish DB Kye Young had Burton enveloped in coverage, and the ball fell harmlessly to prompt the Braves to kick it away again. 

A completion over the middle to Jacob Hester got the Braves into Dublin territory for the first time on their third possession, then to Burton on a similar catch-and-run to get to the edge of the red zone. But the scoring bid was denied as the Irish withstood a few pressured heaves on third and fourth down to get the ball back ahead of their drive to go up two scores. 

Hooks’ explosive run came immediately after, as Dublin got caught in a counter play, and two men with a chance at the tackle missed as the junior sprinted up the middle and left a vapor trail to the end zone. 

A failed two-point conversion left the halftime score at 14-6, as both sides got the ball one more time, and reached plus territory. 

The Irish gave it over on a fourth down, and Baldwin couldn’t get the connection on a last-second shot to the end zone.