CORDOVA - Plagued by 14 offensive penalties, the Edisto Cougars seemed to move backwards as much as they did forward in Friday's 20-6 loss to the Bamberg-Ehrhardt Red Raiders.

"We played real real poor. We had 65 yards in penalties at the half and you just can't do that and continually jump off-sides," Edisto head coach Andy Palmer said. "That stuff is just mental stuff that has got to be corrected. It was a lack of concentration.

"We also had (two players) ejected and that is not how we play football at Edisto High School," he continued. "That is not what we do here."

Johnny Moorer led the Cougar offense with nine carries for 68 yards. Quarterback Legrand Thomas was 7 of 14 passing for 66 yards and two interceptions while Charlie Furtick scored the lone Edisto touchdown and had 6-yards rushing on three carries.

For the first time this year, Red Raiders running back Daquan Bowers was held under 100-yards rushing, finishing with 14 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown. Anquan Thomas led the Bamberg rushing attack with 57 yards on 10 carries while quarterback Chris Presley added 51 yards on 12 carries including two touchdowns.

"I thought that it was one of the more balanced and better games that we have played," Bamberg-Ehrhardt football coach Ron Duncan said. "I was very pleased with the effort and the way we played. Once we got up 20 to nothing I just wanted to run the ball and eat the clock and that is what we did."

The Red Raiders struck first on the opening drive when Presley powered his way to a 2-yard touchdown with 5:11 to go in the first quarter, capping a 13-play 80-yard drive that took 6:49 off the clock. Dylan Searson would miss the extra point but Bamberg led 6-0.

With 5:48 to go in the first half Bowers scored on a 3-yard touchdown run and then added a two- point conversion with 5:48 to go in the second quarter, and Bamberg carried a 14-0 lead into the half.

After the Bamberg defense forced a three-and-out, Presley scored his second touchdown of the night on a 6-yard scramble with 4:14 to go in the third quarter. Edisto would block the extra point and Bamberg led 20-0.

The Cougars scored on their last drive of the game when Furtick found the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown with 3:38 to go in the game to make it 20-6 which would prove to be the final.

"We are extremely proud of how it ended," Duncan said. "We did what we wanted to do."

Despite offensive struggles, Palmer said his team was a strong one that could handle adversity.

"We are a very resilient football team. I preach resilience to the kids and I preached it coming into this game," Palmer said. "Now we have to move on and get ready for region play and when we go into Woodland next week we just have to make sure we don't kill ourselves."

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