Senior Day at Bolden: Allen Fought to the Final Snap

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Some afternoons are made for football. Saturday at Bolden Stadium was one of them: sunshine, 68 degrees, and good crowds on both sides.

It was Senior Day for the Allen Yellow Jackets. By the end of the afternoon, one thing was clear from where I stood: this team fought for every single snap.

Down Early, Never Out

Tuskegee hit fast. The Golden Tigers led 13-0 after one quarter, and a lot of teams would’ve folded right there.

Allen didn’t.

Quarterback Brent Upshaw (#6) led a 9-play, 75-yard drive and finished it himself with a 12-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. You could feel the sideline wake up.

Then the defense went to work. Ja’mel Patterson picked off a pass at the goal line and brought it out 11 yards. Brian Dennis forced a fumble, and Mandrell Sanders fell on it.

A Team That Plays for Each Other

What stood out to me wasn’t just the plays. It was the bond.

Every big moment, the sideline exploded. Guys were up, pointing, yelling for each other, rooting like it was their own play. You don’t fake that. This group genuinely plays for one another.

In the third quarter, that energy turned into points. Senior Demetri Simmons (#9) ran hard to move the chains. Upshaw hit senior Nanders Lawrence for 29 yards and Deveon Williams for 18 more, setting up Jamorian Phillips (#23) for a 2-yard touchdown. Allen was right back in it.

The Seniors Showed Up

On their day, Allen’s seniors left their mark.

Carson Prichett forced a fumble and recovered it himself in the fourth quarter. Tyreshon Freeman made seven tackles. Michael Bowman went up for a 33-yard catch. Simmons punched in a 2-yard touchdown late in the fourth.

Upshaw kept making plays too. He broke off a 45-yard run that set up Ethan Piel’s 29-yard field goal, and Allen pulled within two.

To the Very End

With 58 seconds left, Allen got the ball at its own 20 needing a score. Upshaw went to work: 16 yards to Williams, 11 to Talik Graham, then 15 to Daevan Calvin. Suddenly the Yellow Jackets were at the Tuskegee 33 with a shot.

Nobody on that sideline sat down. Nobody stopped believing.

That’s the Allen I’ll remember from this one. They fell behind early, stayed connected, and fought until the clock hit zero.

Players of the Game

Offense: QB Brent Upshaw (#6). He threw for 199 yards, ran for 61 more, scored a rushing touchdown and broke off a 45-yard run.

Defense: LB JayShawn Smalls (#50). He had 15 tackles, including 2.5 for loss.