#4 Summerville rallies past Berkeley in shootout

Summerville - Championship teams find a way to overcome adversity and win games they may not have otherwise won. Summerville’s football team was put to their first test of the early 2024 season in Friday night’s rivalry showdown with Berkeley.

The Green Wave improved to 3-0 by overcoming a 21-10 third quarter deficit, avoiding the upset bid with a 41-35 road win in a game played in a drizzly rain.

After Berkeley (1-2) grabbed the 11-point lead with a touchdown in the first minute of the third quarter, the Green Wave scored on their first two offensive possessions of the third quarter and added a safety to gain a 27-21 lead after three quarters.

Summerville quarterback Jaden Cummings threw for 101 yards and a touchdown, giving him nine scoring passes in three games. He also added a rushing score,

Cummings fourth quarter touchdown pass to KeShon Washington for the 35-21 lead with 8:15 left in the game. The Green Wave led 41-28 late until Berkeley scored a touchdown with no time remaining on the clock.

Washington finished the night with 64 yards rushing and 33 yards on two catches. Jay Williams paced the Summerville ground game with 117 yards and Jaiden Kelly-Murray had to touchdowns.

Berkeley’s defense, which allowed 96 points in two losses to Summerville last season, proved a tougher unit, for a half, limiting Summerville to just 10 points in the first half.

While the defense was playing well, the Berkeley offense was masterful in their mixing of the run and pass, ripping off huge chunks of yardage.

Sophomore quarterback Henry Rivers had his best game of the early season through the air, throwing for 331 yards and a score. Receivers Kevin Boone and Keegan Bash combined for 15 catches for about 300 yards, while sophomore running back Jessie Brown rushed for a career-high 115 yards and a score.

When the Stags opened the third quarter with a touchdown in less than a minute to go up 21-10, all the pressure went to Summerville. The Green Wave answered with a touchdown from Williams and two-point conversion pass to trim the lead to 21-18 with 8:29 as moderate showers began to fall.

Cummings two-yard run later in the third gave Summerville a 25-21 lead.

Berkeley scored on its first possession of the game with Jehoava Williams capping a seven-play drive on a three-yard run with 5:56 left in the first quarter.

Summerville put together its best drive of the first half, covering 65 yards with Cummings hitting Kelly-Murray on a 10-yard pass to tie the game with 2:05 remaining in the quarter.

The Green Wave added a 27-yard field goal by Bennett Kelly with10:02 remaining in the second quarter.

Backed up to their nine-yard line on their next possession, the Stags methodically moved downfield, using plays of 10, 16, 33 and 14 yards to set up Rivers for a four-yard touchdown run and a 14-10 lead.

Berkeley ended the first half on Summerville’s one-yard line, choosing to forego a chip shot field goal but was stopped on fourth down as time expired.

Summerville improved to 64-23-4 against Berkeley in a rivalry that began in 1923.