Wee win over Wewa — After narrow victory, coach ironing out Seahwak strategy as team preps for feisty Franklin

Execution was a little off, but effort won out.

The South Walton Seahawks battled to a 24-21 win over the Wewahitchka Gators in a Kickoff Classic Friday night.

“The effort was good for a preseason contest,” said South Walton Coach David Barron Monday afternoon. “But the execution was not very good.

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“We’ve got to see if we can’t get South Walton ironed out,” he said before the Franklin County Seahawks come to town this Friday.

South Walton will host Franklin County at 7 p.m. this Friday in a season opener.

“Franklin has three athletes that can score at any time,” Barron said.

Senior Daylin Modican, who has moved from quarterback to running back, “can motor,” Barron said and James Winfield, a senior, “will be the fastest on the field.”

Barron said he was also impressed with their ninth grade quarterback Dewayne Griggs.

“They’ve got speed,” Barron said.

“But I’m not going to worry about Franklin until we get South Walton improved,” he said.

Although the South Walton Seahawks made mistakes against the Wewa Gators Friday night, Barron said, “they’re correctable.”

The thing he was most proud of was the effort.

“The effort was there. You can’t coach that, but you can coach execution.

“And I think we were in a little bit better condition than they were,” he said noting Wewa had a lot of players cramping up from the heat. “I think we out-physicalled them. We hit well.”

One of those good hits came early in the first quarter, when the Seahawks knocked the ball loose from the Gators inside the 20-yard line. Tyler Abbott made the recovery, his first of two on the evening.

South Walton took over and picked up a couple of first downs before having to punt it away.

Each team had the ball twice in the first quarter, with the Seahawks getting on the board at the start of the second period. Keith Stewart capped off a nine-play drive with a 4-yard plunge into the end zone. Jonathan O'Hara kicked in the point after.

In the last six minutes of the first half, Wewa put together a 12-play drive with Beau McCorvey hitting a wide-open Justin Flowers for a 22-yard score. Flowers kicked in the PAT and the game was tied 7-7.

South Walton got the ball back with 51 seconds left on the clock giving O'Hara time to boot a 24-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead at the half.

To start the third quarter, the Seahawks picked up a couple of penalties on a personal foul and facemask call. When the Seahawks finally got the ball, they struck fast. Sophomore Ryan Rookis broke loose for a 74-yard scamper to the end zone.

"He (Rookis) has in innate ability to make you miss," Barron said.

O'Hara kicked in the PAT and South Walton led 17-7.

In the last few seconds of the third, South Walton scored again on a 3-yard run up the middle by Jay Gatto. O'Hara kicked in the PAT for a 24-7 lead.

To start the fourth, Wewa made a bad pitch and Abbott recovered his second fumble of the game for the Seahawks. South Walton failed to capitalize on the turnover.

Wewa got the ball back and put it in the air. McCorvey hit Dvante Baham for a 19-yard gain and then Jamaree Hunter for a 12 pickup. With 3:20 left to go, McCorvey aired it out to Hunter who fell back into the end zone for a 21-yard score. Flowers kicked in the PAT for a 24-14 game.

The Gators got the ball once more and again scored on a pass play. McCorvey hit Baham for a 39-yard score and Flowers kicked in the PAT for a 24-21 finish.

For the game, South Walton quarterback Dylan Asbury completed 4-of-8 passes for 40 yards, while Wewa's McCorvey completed 9-of-23 for 155 yards and three touchdowns.

Leading rushers for the Seahawks were Rookis with 82 yards, Gatto with 39 and Asbury with 22.

Tops for the Gators was Baham with 95 yards and McCorvey with 59.