A good old-fashioned barnburner unfolded at the Belhaven Bowl Saturday night.
In its first home game of 2026, Belhaven narrowly ousted East Texas Baptist 45-44 in a matchup that featured early scoring, plenty of ups and downs, and even an interception that sealed a much-needed Blazers win after falling to Millsaps in the Riverside Rumble a week prior.
The opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown by East Texas Baptist’s Paul Woodard. Belhaven immediately joined in on the house party when Javon Slaton took the next kickoff into the end zone to tie the game.
On the first actual offensive possession of the night, former Blazers quarterback Jack Crawford ended a methodical drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to give East Texas Baptist a 14-7 lead.
Then, the big plays began to pour in again.
Belhaven running back Julien Tabor broke free on the right side for a 62-yard touchdown before quarterback Ian Burleson found Will Jones over the middle for an 82-yard score on the ensuing possession. Woodard got East Texas Baptist back on the board with a 73-yard touchdown run that knotted the score at 21-21 at the end of the first quarter.
The scoring didn’t slow much in the second quarter as both teams continued to trade blows.
After Belhaven defensive back Bralen Steele strip-sacked Crawford on East Texas Baptist’s 39-yard line, Lyndell Boatman finished a short drive by knocking the ball through the uprights from 41 yards out.
To no surprise for anyone in attendance, East Texas Baptist went back to Woodard, who responded with another touchdown run. Blazers running back Cayson Williams followed with a short scoring run of his own, but another Crawford touchdown pass put the Tigers back in front.
In what could be considered the play of the game, Belhaven’s Xander Roberts blocked the extra-point attempt, a lost point that would come back to haunt East Texas Baptist.
The halftime score was 34-31 in favor of East Texas Baptist, a midway score that was reminiscent of Hal Mumme’s Air Raid days at Belhaven.
The second half simmered a bit, at least in terms of scoring. The Tigers kept the Blazers off the board for most of the third quarter while adding 10 points on a field goal and – you guessed it – another Woodard touchdown.
Belhaven found the end zone at the end of the third quarter when Tabor powered in from four yards out, cutting the deficit to 44-38.
The fourth quarter was all defense until Burleson connected with Dwayne Winfield on a 16-yard touchdown pass to give the Blazers a one-point lead, 45-44.
But with more than five minutes on the clock, there was still plenty of time for East Texas Baptist to answer.
Belhaven forced a punt with 3:20 to play before having to punt itself with 1:42 left. The Tigers marched down the field, gaining 50 yards on eight plays to reach Belhaven’s 28-yard line. A fourth-down conversion saved the drive, but that’s when Alex Desarzant called game. The veteran defensive back jumped in front of Crawford’s next pass and intercepted the ball at the 6-yard line, sealing a Blazers victory in what was an instant classic.
Quick stats
- Burleson completed 15 of 27 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, while Tabor carried the ball 24 times for 119 yards and two scores to help lead the Belhaven offense.
- Defensively, Belhaven recorded 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, and three takeaways. Jimmy Byrd had a team-high 10 tackles, three of which were for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery. Quincy Jackson finished with five tackles, two of which were for loss, one sack, and three quarterback hurries.
- For East Texas Baptist, Crawford completed 14 of 29 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns with the game-deciding interception. Woodard had a whopping 238 rushing yards and four touchdowns, including the score on the opening kickoff.
Next up
Belhaven: The Blazers (1-1) will be back at home against Central on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is at 11 a.m.
East Texas Baptist: The Tigers (1-1) will host Centenary on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
