Southeast Raleigh rallies past Garner football

After giving up 174 points in its first three games of the season (all losses), Southeast Raeligh knocked off perennial Greater Neuse River 4A Conference champ Garner Friday night, 26-20, in both team’s league openers.

The Bulldogs mixed in a solid running game with big timely, productive passes from N.C. State recruit Dylan Parham to rally for the win.

Parham hit Malik Ford on a 15-yard TD pass on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 26-20 lead and the Bulldog defense held Garner scoreless the rest of the way.

They said it

“We told the guys coming in here that if we could come in here and do what we were capable of doing it would set up the rest of our season,” said Southeast Raleigh coach Michael Thibodeau. “We did it. The battle now comes through us. For so many years it’s gone through Garner and when you come to Garner and win you become the one everybody’s shooting for.”

Turning Point

Garner, 3-2, drove to the Southeast 17-yard-line with 39 seconds left and faced a fourth-and-3. The Trojans put the ball in the hands of tailback Collin Eaddy on a sweep action and Southeast’s Jabari Davis shot through a hole to trip Eaddy up short of the line. Isaiah Martin came in to make sure Eaddy didn’t reach the line and the Bulldogs celebrated like never before.

“I was at corner and I saw a little jet sweep coming, he tried to cut back up, I just tripped him up a little bit and the game was over,” Davis said. “We got more turnovers than normal, made some great stops tonight as a defense.”

The win is just Southeast’s second (on the field) in 19 regular-season contests against their nearby rivals. (The Bulldogs, who are 2-3 overall, picked up a forfeit win after the fact during that span as well.)

Three Who Mattered

Isaiah Martin, Southeast Raleigh: His interception on the first Garner drive of the second half set up the first TD of the Bulldogs’ comeback.

Dwain Porterfield, Southeast Raleigh: Recovered a fumble from his linebacker position and made multiple tackles for losses.

Collin Eaddy, Garner: He ran for 106 yards and two TDs in his first game back after missing time with an injury, was the Trojans’ most productive weapon running and catching on the final drive of the game.

By the Numbers

0: Yards Andreis Harris had to score his first career touchdown. He covered a Bulldog punt in the end zone that teammate Dijimon Harris had blocked to put Garner up 20-12.

3: Turnovers by Garner in the second half.

“Our turnovers just did us on offense, we missed assignments on defense and on special teams,” said Garner coach Thurman Leach. “We didn’t play fundamental football and that starts at the top with me.”

4: Trips in the red zone that produced 0 points for Garner on the night.

160: Combined rushing yards by Southeast backs Lee Holmes (70, 1 TD) and Jeffrey Onyegbule (90) against Garner on the night.

206: Combined penalty yards by the two teams.

2009: Year in which Garner last lost consecutive home games.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 10:36 PM with the headline "Southeast Raleigh rallies past Garner football."