Before the football season started, Beach Coach Michael Thompson emphasized how important Jordan Newton would be to the Bulldog squad ― describing him as one of the best linebackers and best running backs in Savannah.
The senior lived up to his coach's expectations as he starred on both sides of the ball in the Bulldogs 40-0 non-region win over Groves on Thursday, Sept. 3, at Islands Stadium.
Newton ran for 115 yards on nine carries and broke away for a 53-yard touchdown at the end of the first half, while showing his power on a 44-yard scoring run with 2:38 left in the third quarter.
He also showed his skills as a receiver, as Jayvion Williams hit him for a 23-yard touchdown with 9:13 left in the third quarter.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder said he likes
playing linebacker better than running back because of his penchant for hitting, and his rugged running style mirrors his defensive mentality.
Beach had a bye week after losing 20-13 in overtime to Windsor Forest in its opener, and the Bulldogs were eager to get back on the field after a week off.
Beach didn't waste any time setting the tone Thursday night.
Senior Willie Mayes Jr. got things started by taking an end around to the end zone on a 56-yard run where he sprinted down the left sideline to score.
Williams put the Bulldogs up 14-0 with a 5-yard scoring run with 4:14 left in the first quarter. Then Williams found a wide-open Jayvion Williams for a 25-yard scoring strike at the start of the second quarter.
Junior James Johnson picked off a pair of passes for the Bulldogs and Jordan Brito also had an interception. Newton was a force at linebacker as the Bulldogs held Rebel star Taff James to 63 yards on 18 carries. Groves ran for 65 yards and had 75 yards of total offense, getting just two first downs on the night.
Newton scored the final three touchdowns for the Bulldogs (1-1), who are set to host Long County at Groves Stadium on Friday, Sept. 11.
Last season, Beach reached the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Thompson, in his sixth year at the helm, was encouraged by his squad's play in the win over Groves.
"We lost in overtime to a good team in Windsor Forest," said Thompson, a former standout linebacker in his playing days at Georgia Southern. "Then we had a week to reflect and work on our weaknesses. I thought we stayed focused for four quarters tonight and our energy was good ― we stayed intense for the whole game. We just need to keep improving and think of going 1-0 each week."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Jordan Newton lives up to coach's hopes as Beach football dominates Groves
