BLYTHEWOOD – Friday night didn’t go the way the Blythewood football team planned.
Facing an undefeated Ridge View squad with the Region 4-5A crown on the line, the Bengals were overwhelmed in a 47-7 regular-season finale at District Two Stadium. But Blythewood’s season is far from finished. November football is officially here, and the postseason offers an immediate clean slate.
Blythewood’s brightest offensive moment against Ridge View came through the air. Senior quarterback James Veasey dialed up Noah Nelson on a touchdown strike for the Bengals’ lone score. Veasey delivered an efficient night under center, completing 11 of 16 passes for 105 yards. Nelson hauled in three catches for 27 yards, while senior kicker Liam Menchetti tacked on the extra point.
Sophomore wideout Dalton Purcell flashed big-play ability, stretching the field with two catches for 45 yards—averaging a team-high 22.5 yards per grab. Junior Tay’Shawn Johnson pulled down three receptions for 24 yards, and junior Damarien Frazier added two catches. On the ground, junior running back Landyn Strong carried the load, picking up 40 yards on 11 carries with help from Traveon Hamilton’s 15 rushing yards. Strong and senior Amari Fisher gave Blythewood juice on special teams, combining for 78 return yards.
Still, the Bengals struggled to sustain drives against a fast Blazers front, managing just 161 total yards. Meanwhile, Ridge View’s offense erupted. Quarterback Derek Howard III threw for 266 yards and five touchdowns, while Spencer Bobian tallied 93 rushing yards and Bijon Virgo and Isaiah Small added touchdown runs.
The Bengals’ defense refused to fold.
Senior defender Chris Long piled up a game-high 11 tackles, including three stops behind the line of scrimmage. Fisher made his presence felt all night, racking up eight tackles and jumping a route for an interception with a 10-yard return. Seniors Justin Reaves and Jayden Lane added five tackles apiece, while senior Deraun McDaniel blew up the backfield for a 10-yard sack and two tackles for loss. Senior Dalton Purcell jumped on a loose ball for a fumble recovery as the unit combined for eight tackles for loss and two takeaways.
With the regular season wrapped, the Bengals look ahead.
Blythewood (4-6, 1-3) locked up the No. 12 seed in the Class 5A Lower State playoff bracket. Their reward is a road trip to the Lowcountry this Friday night to clash with the fifth-seeded Summerville Green Wave (7-3) in round one.
The winner will advance to face No. 4 Carolina Forest on Nov. 13. Carolina Forest has a first-round bye.
Records reset to 0-0—and the second season begins.