With all the controversy surrounding the team off the field, Gray Collegiate Academy has continued to look sharp on the field, beating Camden on Sept. 9 30-12. 

Gray gave up chunks of yardage to Camden but did a good job of keeping points off the board. The War Eagles forced five turnovers in the game, with four coming in the Camden red zone. 

“This is one of our better defenses we've had here at Gray,” head coach Adam Holmes said. “When times got tough, defense stepped up, made big plays down on the goal line, causing turnovers.”

BJ Montgomery carried the offense, rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown. Receivers Zai Offord and Jamarious Lockett combined for 78 reception yards. 

“We got a one-two punch, me and Caleb,” Montgomery said. “We also got great receivers, Jamarious Lockett, Zai Offord, Zion Job, and Connor Holmes.”

The first quarter was full of mistakes from both sides with every possession ending in a turnover.

Camden started the game by returning the opening kickoff to the midfield line, giving the offense strong field position. The Bulldogs then trooped down the field, setting up a 1st and goal opportunity.

The War Eagles held Camden to 0 points on the drive after a huge sack against Camden quarterback Grayson White. This forced the Bulldog field goal unit on the field, but the try missed wide right and resulted in a turnover on downs. 

The first Gray possession of the game resulted in a three-and-out. But the snap on the punt was low, resulting in a turnover. Camden’s offense took over right where they left off, in the War Eagle red zone. 

The Gray defense did not let the Bulldogs get comfortable on the field. One play into the drive, Gray’s Zion Job leaped up and snatched a pass out of the air, giving his squad the ball back. 

The War Eagles gave the ball back after moving downfield into enemy territory. Dre'von Dopson dropped back before getting drilled as he threw. The ball wobbled in the air, winding up in the hands of Camden’s Emmanuel Presbot who took the ball all the way to Gray’s 30-yard line. 

Camden carried this drive into the second quarter and scored the game's first points after a 17-yard touchdown reception by Aidan Heriot. The point after try was blocked though, giving the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead instead of 7-0. 

Gray responded to the Camden touchdown by putting together an impressive drive of its own. Montgomery carried for 47 yards on the drive, but it was receiver Blaine Redmond who scored the game-tying touchdown after a nine-yard reception. 

The War Eagles were forced to go for two after the kicker was told to leave the field for a uniform violation. Montgomery punched it in and gave his team an 8-6 lead. 

Camden threatened to score again, getting in opponent's territory. The Bulldogs used a hard count to draw an offsides on 4th and 6, but a false start on 4th and 1 caused them to punt. 

With just over two minutes until halftime, Gray utilized its offensive weapons to go 76 yards down the field and score. Lockett made the longest play of the drive by catching a 26-yard reception. Job had a 25-yard reception, and Offord had three receptions and capped the drive off with a 16-yard touchdown. 

“I just think it shows that we're versatile in what we do offensively and defensively,” Holmes said. “If we need to pound it, we can pound. If we need to throw it, we can throw it. If we need to cover guys, we cover.”

Gray started the second half with the ball and lost no momentum during the break. The team continued to lean on Montgomery, who rushed for 29 yards, but this time got to run it in the endzone himself. 

“I'm just proud of his work effort and the way he's fought this time,” Holmes said. “It was time to lean on him a little bit. The whole line did a good job at times, and sometimes, it was just BJ making plays. So, I'm proud of his effort. It shows that we can lean on him if we need him to make big plays.”

Turnovers continued to be a problem for Camden. The team fumbled again in the red zone after two more big plays from Heriot got them in position to score. 

Montgomery almost torched the Camden defense for an 86-yard touchdown on the first play of the next drive, but a holding penalty brought the play back. Gray eventually punted the ball. 

Camden then fumbled again, this time five yards from the endzone. The next Bulldog possession was just as disastrous, ending in a fumble on 4th and 5. 

Dopson scored the final Gray touchdown of the game on the next drive, keeping the ball on a quarterback sneak for a one-yard touchdown. Charlie Scarborough caught the two-point conversion to go up 30-6. 

Camden kept trying and put together one more scoring drive. White took his team down the field, then finished the drive himself rushing for the score from five yards out. 

The Bulldogs attempted to get the ball back by attempting an onside kick, but Gray jumped on the ball and ran the clock out on its last possession to end the game. 

Gray now sits at 4-0 on the season with an unknown journey ahead of them. With their region foes expected to forfeit their games against the War Eagles, Gray will look elsewhere for competition. 

Holmes revealed the team has a few games lined up but won’t confirm opponents until at least Tuesday when the athletics department is set to meet with parents. He did confirm the team will play on the road next week. 

“We got some very good football teams in front of us that we're going out of state to play,” Holmes said. “If teams don't want to play us, that's fine. We'll find somebody that does, and we found (four) really good football teams … that want to play us and they're going to give us a good look.”