Mullins comes up short in loss to North Myrtle Beach

High school football can be an awesome display of character and integrity with true colors really come out in times of celebration and in times of turmoil.

This past Friday night’s game between the Mullins Auctioneers and the North Myrtle Beach Chiefs tested the resolve and the character of Head coach Miles Aldridge’s players.

North Myrtle Beach came strong out of the gate, taking the opening kickoff and driving to the Mullins 30. The Auctioneers held and forced a field goal attempt booted wide right.

With the ball back in their possession, Mullins was unable to move and punted the ball back to North Myrtle.

Again, the Chiefs drove inside the Auctioneer 30. And, this time, they found the end zone. Tremaine Bellamy hauled in a pass inside the 10 yard line and dove to the pylon for the touchdown that made it 7-0 with two minutes left in the opening quarter.

Mullins responded when Bobby Crawford ran the quarterback keeper to perfection for a 33-yard gain. Two plays later, Crawford found his receiver, Marquis Gore, open for 32 yards for a first and goal at the inside the 10-yard line.

Starting the second quarter, a penalty pushed the Aucs back to the 13 and Crawford was sacked under pressure, giving the ball back to North Myrtle Beach.

Six plays later, it was Bellamy again. The star running back broke off a 41-yard scoring run to make it 14-0.

Less than four minutes later, Bellamy would notch his third touchdown of the night from 12 yards away. Aldridge’s team was staring at a 21-0 deficit late in the second quarter

At that point, a determined Rembert Timmons returned the kickoff to the Mullins 45-yard line. Timmons then ran for 10 more yards into Chiefs’ territory. Crawford called his own number for a 30-yard gain and then Jim Reaves put on some nifty moves to put the pigskin near the end zone. Crawford went over the top for the first score of the night for Mullins. On the PAT attempt, the snap sailed over the head of the holder, but an alert George Page picked up the ball and found running room for the conversion. The two points drew the Aucs to within 21-8 at the half.

Inspired, the team came out for the second half and took the opening kickoff downfield quickly.
“I didn’t really say anything, except let’s keep playing football,“ Aldridge said of his team’s inspired second half. “We started getting some stops and making some plays and things happened.“
What happened next was Crawford faking the option and gaining yardage big yardage in scoring position. George Page spun off of a tackler and into the end zone to draw Mullins within six points.

The rally continued as Avery Grant slammed the Chiefs runner for a loss on the first play and the Auctioneers recovered a fumble to set themselves up in good field position.
Crawford gained eight more yards on the quarterback keeper and Joshua James gained eight more for the first down.

The Chiefs held Mullins to a fourth and five from the 15. However, Crawford threaded the needle to Page on the left sideline. Page came up with the nifty catch, a spin move and found the end zone to give Mullins the lead 22-21 lead with the extra point.

Mullins would hold the lead into the fourth, but an inside reverse play by the Chiefs converted a fourth down and they drove inside the redzone.

Carlton Chestnut converted a fourth down play for the Chiefs. Chestnut burst through the middle and dove in for the touchdown with 9:14 to play. The two-point conversion put the home team ahead 29-22.

With one last chance, Crawford moved Mullins to the 37-yard line of the Chiefs, but on third down, the signal caller was hit by some heavy pressure on a screen play and the pass was picked off.

A pair of first downs allowed North Myrtle to run out the clock and on the win that drops the Aucs to 2-2 on the season.
“I was very proud of the comeback our kids made,“ Aldridge said after the game. “Crawford and Page and many others have been making plays for us all season. And, we look forward to seeing more of them as we move closer to region play,” he said.
Mullins plays host to Creek Bridge this Friday night at 7:30 pm.