Bogan stuns Bowen on sophomore Jaylen Brown’s TD catch with 44 seconds left

Bogan sophomore Jaylen Brown leaped over two defenders in the end zone and caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 44 seconds left on Thursday at Eckersall Stadium.

The grab gave the Bengals a 12-8 victory against Bowen in a crucial Blue Southeast conference game.

“I make those catches all the time,” Brown said.

Bogan’s players celebrated with screams and back flips. The jubilation is well-deserved. The school didn’t have enough players to field a team Week 1 and was forced to forfeit against Hubbard.

The Bengals (6-1, 4-0) have ripped off six consecutive wins since then.

“It was shaky over the summer,” Bogan coach Ernest Bryant said. “We had kids all over the place and discipline issues. So we had to take that forfeit Week 1. But we went and we recruited the building well. Our principal is very supportive.”

Junior quarterback Xavier Terrell threw the game-winning TD pass. He was 11-for-20 for 102 yards with two TDs. He had 12 carries for 111 yards. One of those carries was the biggest play of the game.

With just two minutes remaining and Bogan trailing 8-6, Terrell burst free down the right sideline for a 59-yard gain to put the Bengals at the Bowen 2. That set up the game-winning TD.

“I’ve been running out of bounds all game,” Terrell said. “I had to keep it going and go for the TD and stay undefeated with my boys. The adrenaline was pumping.”

Brown had six catches for 72 yards. Sophomore Jumauri Mickles had three receptions for 29 yards, including a 10-yard TD in the second quarter.

“[Brown] is my number one,” Terrell said. “But all the receivers are great and they game crucial blocks. This was a team effort.”

Terrell took over as starting quarterback halfway through last season. The Bengals were 2-7 last year. He also plays safety. Brown is a defensive back. Nearly all the starters play both sides of the ball.

“[Terrell] is a quiet kid—except when it comes to football,” Bryant said. “He’s become a better leader. The kids look to him to make plays like that. It’s a big deal.”

Joshua Moton opened the scoring with a 30-yard TD run for Bowen (5-1, 2-1) in the first quarter. Moton had six carries for 79 yards.

Jumarion Sidener had eight carries for 29 yards for the Bengals and grabbed an interception in the second quarter. Sophomore lineman Dedrik Graham contributed a key tackle for loss on a fourth-down play in the final minutes to shut Bowen down on the Bogan 2.

“The kids are learning,” Bryant said. “We are trying to clear the selfishness. It is showing no. They are blocking for each other.”

Next up for Bogan is a showdown against Julian (4-1). The Jaguars are also unbeaten in the Blue Southeast.

“They have definitely bought in,” Bryant said. “We have a good mix with a lot seniors and plenty of freshmen as well. The energy is building around the building.”