Benedict Grinds Out Win Over Morehouse

Every score after Benedict’s touchdown in the first quarter was like sprinkles on a sundae as the defense held Morehouse to five points in a 21-5 in Atlanta.

Morehouse and Benedict stepped onto the field Saturday a week after winning their first game of the season. Both did so in a similar fashion. Morehouse scored a touchdown inside of two minutes to defeat Kentucky State 31-28 in the XXVI Chicago Football Classic. Charles Simmons 8 8-yard pass to Malaqhi Jones with goose eggs on the clock lifted Benedict to a 31-28 win over Edward Waters.

The Maroon Tigers delivered the first punch. Brogan Korta made an amazing 31-yard catch at the Tigers’ 7-yard line -with a defender literally and figuratively hanging on him. Quarterback Miles Scott delivered the ball just as Benedict’s 235-lb defensive end Solomon Riggins (Dutchtown HS) lowered the boom.

It was a costly hit as the officials determined it was excessive and ejected Riggins from the contest. As the senior transfer left the field, he responded to a challenge from a Morehouse student saying the Maroon Tigers still wouldn’t find the end zone.

Riggins was right. Morehouse settled for a 32-yard field off the foot of kicker Steve Spruill.

In the first few games, the reason Morehouse failed to capitalize on a chunk yardage play would have been due to a penalty. That wasn’t the case on Saturday. The Maroon Tigers were only penalized three times for 35 yards, a huge improvement.

Benedict’s Head Coach Ron Dickerson, Jr. was proud his squad didn’t add fuel to the fire. “We’ve done that (given up a big play) before and then gave up another big play and another big play,” said Dickerson. “They went in this week and said we are going to bend but we are not going to break, and we are not going to bend much.”

Benedict responded with a 9-play, 60-yard drive to the end zone. Simmons, Damien Moate, and Zavien Foster traded carries but it was a 29-yarder from the quarterback on third-and-four that caused the most damage. Moate capped the drive with a brutish 5-yard run through the teeth of the defense.

Protecting the quarterback and reducing turnovers are the next items on the Morehouse coaching staff’s to-do list. Benedict’s defense racked up six sacks to go with at least double the number of hurries.

The punishment took its toll on Scott who took a hard hit just before the half and never returned to the game.

Morehouse’s defense dished out its fair share of punishment sacking Simmons four times and allowing 66 yards through the air. And don’t let the 155 yards on the ground fool you. Running the ball against the stalwart defense was rough. Benedict ran the ball 45 times to get it. Caleb Grant and Sean Johnson racked up 9 tackles each to lead the House. Grant also sacked Simmons twice. The defense scored thanks to Ronald Davis, III pulling down Foster in the end zone for a safety.

“We beat our head against the wall watching this (Morehouse) defense,” said Dickerson. “This defense is very talented and very good and they do a lot of stuff because they play three downs and so It changes everything you have to think about and have to do.”

Quarterback Charles Simmons rallied the troops later in the third quarter after the defense turned Morehouse over on downs at the 36-yard line. Simmons led the way with an 11-yard jaunt on fourth and one. Three plays later his pass to to the right pylon was hauled down by Malik Mullins to give the Tigers some breathing room.

Morehouse didn’t mount much of an offensive attack the rest of the way with its longest drive covering 34 yards on six plays.

Josh Modupe’s sack and strip of Khamar Carlisle resulted in Benedict’s final touchdown of the day – a 25-yard pass from Simmons to Tyrique Carter.

Dickerson, Jr. credited the tough win over Edward Waters for the momentum his Tigers used to defeat Morehouse. “We were taking baby steps forward but kept coming up short,” said Dickerson. “We just needed that extra oomph and when we got it, it kind of helped us to continue to believe and do the little things to be consistent. We gotta be disciplined and we gotta be consistent.”