FOOTBALL: Turnover troubles frustrate East Laurens in region opener at Bleckley

Turnovers both gave, and took away for the East Laurens Falcons Friday on their visit to Cochran for a first region game. 

Despite forcing three to partially offset the five that went to Bleckley County, they could do little to capitalize on any of them, or a handful of other chances to find the scoreboard. 

The Royals, for their part, cashed in three along with a blocked punt to bust things open, and rode another 300-yard, multi-touchdown passing night from quarterback Brody Fleming to a 40-0 blowout victory, and bounce-back from their close week 2 loss. 

Bleckley (2-1, 1-1 region 2-High A) returns to action quickly on Thursday night at Southwest Macon. East Laurens (0-2), whose search for the win column continues another week, will finally play its first home game of the fall on Friday as it welcomes Central to the New Falcon Field. 

At points in the night, the Eastside defense measured up to its steep task of defending a prolific and polished Bleckley passing attack. And it came up with a big play, despite a long completion, on the Royals’ first drive by raking the ball loose for a fumble after a Josh Stanley catch. 

The recovery at their own 25 sparked an opening drive of around 50 that had the Falcons nearing the red zone. But disaster struck as they gave it back to Bleckley on a backfield lateral that missed its target, for a recovery by Terrollieo Brimidge. 

The Royals ultimately punted after about 20 yards of progress, but got the ball right back on the recovery of a muffed reception at the East Laurens 22. And that set up Deondrez Roberton’s 2-yard touchdown run off a direct snap for the first points of the game. 

Bleckley pounced later in the first quarter, using a Brimidge sack and a Willy Walters tackle to force the Falcons to kick it away, and Fleming hit a 73-yard shot to Stanley to add on. 

Another special teams issue cost East Laurens the ensuing kickoff, as Jonah Kelley came up with a tumbling ball they couldn’t track down to give the Royals plus field position. They cashed it in readily as Fleming hit his tight end and likely favorite early-season target Connor Cairney for a 12-yard touchdown. 

Kelley’s PAT made it 20-0, and suddenly it was all Bleckley after one. 

East Laurens put a nice drive together after the change of quarters, but again gave the football away on a fumble after reaching the Royal 2. 

The Falcon defense, with the help of a Raquis Stanley sack, halted the Royals on a fourth down in the red zone. But another punt preceded the second Fleming-to-Stanley touchdown connection of the night from 40 yards minutes from the half, and it was 27-0 into intermission. 

A tennis match of punts resumed early in the third, but Stanley soon broke the silence on a 37-yard pick-six. After East Laurens deflected a second point-after of the night to keep the score at 33-0, Bleckley returned the favor by blocking a punt on the next Falcon possession for another takeover in plus field position.

The Royals were turned back initially, but got a free first down on a penalty, and made the most of it with Fleming’s 21-yard pass to Octavius Tate for the last touchdown of the night. 

Stanley logged one more interception on the ensuing East Laurens drive, but a Bleckley fumble and Dianco Murray recovery (his second for East Laurens in as many games) at the home 15 provided the Falcons one more chance to twist the zero on their side of the scoreboard into a number. 

Even despite a pass interference penalty to halve the distance, the golden opportunity came up empty after an intentional ground, and two Bleckley sacks, the last by Tug Pasby on a fourth down to give the football back to the Royals and exhaust the clock.

Fleming completed 16 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns. Josh Stanley had six grabs for 192.