Forrest opened the 2017 season at home versus five-time state champion and Division II powerhouse Battle Ground Academy (BGA) Friday night at Murrey E. Holton Field in Chapel Hill and the Rockets let some early opportunities slip away, leading to a 48-19 loss.

“We started the game fast, just like we wanted to,” Forrest coach Brent Johns said. “We should have been up 21-0 to start the game and we just had a few miscues early on and once we got down, we never could recover.”

Forrest squandered two first quarter scoring drives inside the BGA five-yard line, fumbling one away in the end zone and having the other one stopped on a fourth-and-one play at the 1-yard line

“We were executing the game plan, but just dropped the ball and it just took the wind out of our sails,” Johns said.

Yet the Rockets still held a 7-0 lead after the first quarter when Joel Burton pounced on a fumble in the end zone that was caused by a Josh “Tank” Hill sack on BGA quarterback Drew Martin.

Martin, who finished 24-for-28 passing for 327 yards and three TDs, plus two rushing touchdowns, threw two touchdown passes and ran for another before the end of the first half.

“Teams have spread us out before, but they really haven’t completed them like they did tonight,” Johns said. “Like coach Stephenson says, we are a bend but don’t break defense, but they just kept catching them, kept catching them, kept catching them and normally we hit them and tackle them up and they don’t keep catching them like that.”

Forrest added a second quarter touchdown on a Nick McClendon 40-yard run.

McClendon was the top rusher for the Rockets, gaining 147 yards on 20 carries.

After a three-and-out on Forrest’s first possession of the second half, Martin struck again on a 41-yard TD pass to Kel Hawkins, making it a 28-13 contest with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter.

McClendon scored his second touchdown early in the third quarter, but that was the last time the Rockets saw the end zone.

Martin ran and threw for fourth quarter touchdowns and a Julian Walton 40-yard touchdown scamper finished off the scoring for BGA, who amassed 430 yards of total offense in the contest.

Jewell was Martin’s main target, catching 9 passes for 161 yards and Reese hauled in five passes for 77 yards.

BGA hosts Nashville Christian School next week and the Rockets entertain Fayetteville at “The Rock” in another non-region matchup.

“Fayetteville won’t throw it around like these guys did, they will be a more run heavy team with Brandon Moore at running back,” Johns said. “Brandon is as good as any player we will face this year with the ball in his hands, he is pretty special.”

“We have good senior leadership on this team, so I’m not worried, we just have to get better.”

BGA 0 21 7 20-48

Forrest 7 6 0 6-19

1st Quarter

FHS-9:26: Joel Burton fumble recovery in end zone, Dalton Colvin PAT, 9:26

2nd Quarter

BGA- 9:09: Drew Martin 17-yard pass to Ollie Reese, Jack Sauder PAT

BGA-5:50: Hawkins 4-yard run, Sauder PAT

FHS-4:15: Nick McClendon 40-yard run, PAT no good

BGA-3:03: Martin 6-yard run, Sauder PAT

3rd Quarter

BGA-6:28: Martin 41-yard pass to Kel Hawkins, Sauder PAT

4th Quarter

FHS-11:14: McClendon 19-yard run, PAT no good

BGA-6:45: Martin 2-yard run, PAT run failed

BGA-3:37: Martin 35-yard pass to Jack Jewell, Sauder PAT

BGA-2:13: Julian Walton 4-yard run, Sauder PAT

Total Yards

BGA 430, Forrest 261

Rushing: BGA 101, Forrest 252

Passing: BGA 329, Forrest 9

First downs: BGA 12, Forrest 18

Turnovers: BGA 1, Forrest 2

Penalties: BGA 9-70, Forrest 2-3

Forrest offense

Rushing: Nick McClendon 20-147-2TD, Troy Turner 13-57, Wes McCoy, 6-25, Austin Porter 2-11, Drew Carlisle 2-6, Layton Bennett 1-6

Passing: Layton Bennett 1-8-9 yds, Josh Meglis 0-1-0-Int.

Receiving: Troy Turner 1-9 yds.

Defense

Tackles: Drew Carlisle 15 (Sack), Austin Geeting 5, Bryton Spitzley 5, Parker Stuard 5, Dylan Pendley 4, Joel Burton 3, Pryor Haines 3, Dowlen Hosford 3, Nick McClendon 3, Wes McCoy 2, Blaize Sweeney 2, Josh Hill (Sack), Troy Turner, Jacob Wright

Returns

Kickoffs: Nick McClendon 3-71, Drew Carlisle 2-8

Punts: Wes McCoy 2-for-60

Kicking

PAT: Dalton Colvin 1-1, Carson Baker 0-1