Southside battles but falls to Washington County; Quinerly points to growth heading into Week 4

Southside battles but falls to Washington County; Quinerly points to growth heading into Week 4

CHOCOWINITY — Friday night’s showdown between Southside and Washington County was every bit as competitive as expected. The two teams went back and forth in a game that featured explosive plays, costly penalties, and emotional swings. In the end, the Seahawks came up short, dropping a 36-32 decision to fall to 1-2 on the season.

Despite the loss, head coach Andrea Quinerly said he saw plenty of positives from his young group.

“What was good was the players never gave up — they fought right to the last second of the game,” Quinerly said. “I’m proud of that. The thing we’ve still got to work on is penalties, and we also have to build that chemistry. We’ve got a young team, and sometimes it’s easier to point at faults instead of looking inward, but that’s part of growing.”

Big Plays Define the Night

Southside struck early with Isiah Knight’s 58-yard kickoff return touchdown, setting the tone for a night where the Seahawks made their share of highlight plays.

On offense, junior quarterback Ryan Lewis and freshman quarterback Jaheim Moore shared time under center. Lewis scored twice on the ground, finishing with six rushing yards and two touchdowns while adding a 20-yard completion. Moore went 7-of-16 passing for 99 yards, rushed for a touchdown, and connected with Chance Haywood and Knight in the passing game.

Knight continued his breakout season with 70 rushing yards, 48 receiving yards, and the kickoff return score. Haywood hauled in four receptions for 69 yards, while senior running back TJ Minor was steady with 47 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Defensively, Devonelle Brimage turned momentum with an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown, while also recording 4–5 tackles on the night.

Quinerly pointed to Knight and Brimage as key performers.
“Isaiah Knight continues to look good — he had plenty of yards and scored again,” Quinerly said. “And on defense, Brimage had about four or five tackles and those two interceptions, one he returned for a touchdown. Both of those guys really stood out.”

Numbers Tell the Story

Southside finished with 176 rushing yards on 35 carries and 120 passing yards (8-of-17 combined). The Seahawks moved the chains 10 times but were hampered by nine penalties for 55 yards and one interception.

Washington County countered with 164 rushing yards on 28 carries and 127 yards through the air on 5-of-8 passing, scoring once and tossing two interceptions. Both teams were flagged heavily, combining for nearly 130 penalty yards.

Emotions High After the Loss

Quinerly said the loss cut deep for his players, but that emotion shows how invested they are.

“Of course they were hurting last night — there was a lot of pain over the game,” Quinerly said. “We went in expecting to win, so it hurt more. But I can appreciate that. There were a lot of tears, all the way until we got back on the bus. That tells me it matters to them, and that means a lot to me.”

He added that the team’s buy-in is clear.
“They believe in me, they believe in this coaching staff and what we’re doing,” Quinerly said. “That makes me proud, but it also lets me know I’ve got to work harder to help them get over that edge.”

Looking Ahead to Martin County

The Seahawks will travel to face Martin County (1-2) this Friday. Both teams share the same record, and Quinerly said the matchup will come down to toughness in the trenches.

“Martin County is very athletic,” he said. “It’s going to be about which defense can stop the run. We’ve got to come in focused and ready to play.”

For Quinerly, it’s also a continuation of a matchup that holds tradition.
“We’ve been looking forward to playing them,” he said. “These schools used to be in the same conference years ago, and we play each other in every sport. It’s a game we want to keep on the schedule.”

And as Southside heads toward conference play, Quinerly views this Week 4 contest as another measuring stick.
“It’s still a measuring stick for us,” he said. “The big thing is how we handle adversity from a tough loss. Mentally, how do we respond in practice? That’s going to show us what kind of team we’ve got before we hit conference play.”