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For much of Friday night, First Presbyterian Day High School and Tattnall Square Academy were locked in a physical, low-scoring defensive battle. The game had a number of big hits, turnovers and long grueling drives. In the second half, however, FPD running back Dylan Reeves found a crease and exploded through the Trojan secondary, as the Vikings never looked back for the remainder of a 26-12 win.

The 65-yard fourth-quarter run from Reeves, as well as the defense that forced two interceptions, were the catalysts for FPD’s big second half, snapping a three-game losing skid, improving their record to 5-4.

Heading into tonight’s matchup between the two Macon rivals, FPD head coach Brett Collier said the message was to stick with the approach that had made his team successful earlier in the season.

“The emphasis was, be who we are, play our style of football, work really hard,” Collier said. “It’s gonna turn our way eventually. And tonight it did.”

Tattnall, which has fallen to 4-5, struck first behind star junior running back Micah Clyde. The Trojans moved downfield on their opening possession, with freshman quarterback Angelo Bellamy Jr. completing two back to back chain moving passes that helped set up Clyde’s unscathed touchdown run around the right edge. A missed extra point left the Trojans ahead 6-0.

FPD responded with a meticulous drive of its own. Sophomore quarterback Cash Walker converted a fourth down with a pass along the sideline before scoring on a gritty quarterback sneak. The Vikings also missed the extra point, leaving the game knotted at six after the first quarter.

FPD quickly regained control of the ball in the second quarter after intercepting Bellamy. Reeves broke loose for a 40-yard gain during the ensuing drive, and sophomore quarterback Cash Walker later capped it off, rolling to his right after a play-action fake before finding an open receiver in the end zone on fourth down. Another missed extra point made it 12-6.

The Tattnall offense quickly went three and out, giving the Vikings plenty of time to put together a late half scoring drive.

The Trojan defense however, stood tall. As Walker dropped back to scan the field, a Tattnall defensive lineman came barreling through the Viking offensive line untouched, slamming Walker to the ground viciously and nearly forcing a safety. The monster defensive play led to an FPD punt from deep in their own territory shortly thereafter.

The two Macon squads headed into halftime with a one-possession game on their hands, both looking to get back in the win-column.

The third quarter, similar to the first half, was slow and defensive, as neither offense found the end zone in the period.

The Trojans usually strong run game was getting consistently stood up by the FPD defensive line, forcing Coach Hester to look elsewhere.

Tattnall still went to their star, Micah Clyde, but were now feeding him in the passing game in the flats.

This tweak in the game plan helped the Tattnall offense finally put together what looked to be a promising drive in the middle of the third with Bellamy getting out of the pocket and connecting with Clyde out of the backfield on a long catch and run to get the Trojans into Viking territory.

FPD however was able to make a crucial fourth down stop, hitting Bellamy with ferocity as he attempted to scramble for the first down marker, snatching any momentum away from the Trojans.

While FPD’s offense quickly went three and out, their stellar defense got it right back on the following Tattnall drive with another interception downfield.

The fourth quarter arrived with the game stalemated at 12-6, neither offense able to overcome the physical defensive play of their opponent.

The Vikings, however, continued to lean on their ground attack early in the fourth and sophomore Dylan Reeves was able to give his team the spark they needed. The speedy running back shot out of a cannon for a 65-yard run as he swerved through the Tattnall defense with a beautiful cutback around the 50 yard line that allowed him to get all the way down to the 10. The explosive play set up a short yardage touchdown from 5-yards out shortly after. FPD’s failed two-point attempt left the score at 18-6 with about nine minutes remaining.

After forcing a quick punt yet again, the Vikings went right back to their run game. Another big 28-yard run helped push FPD deep into Tattnall territory, where senior Eli Rutherford punched in the football from one yard out. The Vikings stretched their advantage to 26-6 with 4:20 left.

Despite some mistakes early from the young quarterback Bellamy Jr., he showed perseverance on Tattnall’s final drive. With three minutes left, he connected with senior receiver Champ Price on a deep pass before finding him again for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 26-12.

Following the quick score, the Trojans failed to recover the ensuing onside kick and FPD ran down the clock to secure a 14-point victory.

“He made some great plays tonight, made some great, great throws on that last drive,” Tattnall coach Barney Hester said of his freshman quarterback following the loss. “He’ll be fine.”

Hester said missed tackles and failed opportunities hurt his team the most, especially after halftime once FPD’s running back took over.

“We did not execute like we needed to,” Hester said. “Just didn’t tackle well and didn’t play great defense all night long.”

For Collier, the victory was as much about his players’ response to adversity as the final score.

“They’ve not hung their heads through a tough month of football,” Collier said. “And I’m really proud of that.”

Collier’s Vikings will look to build on this strong win as they will be facing off against another Macon rival at Mount De Sales Academy next Friday. For Coach Hester, he will be rallying his team after a rough two game stretch, as they will look to get back on track in a clash with the reigning state champion Stratford Academy Eagles.