Montgomery Bell Academy took advantage of two early turnovers to pull clear of host Baylor on Friday night, then got one more takeaway late to seal a 38-28 win in TSSAA Division II-AAA football.
The Big Red improved to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in the East/Middle Region, while the Red Raiders slid to 6-3 and 2-2.
"Losing the turnover battle, you can't expect to win games," said Baylor coach Phil Massey, whose team finishes the regular season next Friday in Nashville at Father Ryan.
"But I still believe our kids are capable. We'll grow from this. We still have a lot in front of us," Massey said.
MBA took a 3-0 lead on a 37-yard field goal by Reid Jacobs six minutes in. Seconds later, on Baylor's first snap, quarterback Cooper Wick was picked off by MBA's Alan Young. The Big Red scored five plays later, with Rhett Hayles going in from 6 yards. Jacobs' kick made it 10-0 with 3:32 still left in the first quarter.
Young picked Wick again on Baylor's next possession. Seven plays later, on the first play of the second quarter, quarterback Marcel Reed covered the last 7 yards to stake MBA to a 17-0 lead.
Baylor got untracked on its next drive, with Caleb Hampton grinding out rushing yards and turning a third-and-8 screen from Wick into a 35-yard pickup. With 8:21 left in the first half, Wick threw 9 yards to Carson Yates for a touchdown, bringing the Red Raiders to within 17-7.
Baylor stormed out in the second half, taking the ball first and using only six plays to go 80 yards. Hampton, who finished with 120 yards on 21 carries, covered the last 30 himself, pulling Baylor to within 17-14.
Two series later, MBA took possession at Baylor's 26 after a short Red Raiders punt. Johnothan Moore scored from 8 yards to push MBA's lead back to 10 with 5:40 left in the third quarter.
Baylor needed barely more than a minute to respond. On the third play of the next drive, Wick hit Amari Jefferson in the flat. Jefferson did the rest, sprinting 74 yards for the touchdown, and once again Baylor was within three at 24-21.
At the start of the fourth quarter, MBA's Reed led an 11-play scoring drive that ate nearly half the period. He covered the last 8 yards himself, putting the Big Red ahead 31-21.
MBA's Young then delivered the dagger, snagging a tipped pass from Wick and returning it 29 yards to put the Big Red ahead 38-21. Baylor tacked on a final touchdown when Wick hit Yates from 10 yards with three minutes left.
Contact Bob Gary at sports@timesfreepress.com.