FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL - River Bluff defeats Lexington, Irmo earns post-season berth

Batesburg-Leesville loses in return of former head coach

Posted 11/7/20

 

The River Bluff varsity football team has consistently done 2  things well this season--run the ball on offense and force turnovers on defense. 

In Friday’s 35-10 win …

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FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL - River Bluff defeats Lexington, Irmo earns post-season berth

Batesburg-Leesville loses in return of former head coach

Posted

 

The River Bluff varsity football team has consistently done 2  things well this season--run the ball on offense and force turnovers on defense. 

In Friday’s 35-10 win over crosstown rival Lexington, that familiar theme returned. Gators running back Riley Myers accounted for all 5 of his team’s touchdowns, notching 124 yards on 24 carries. 

River Bluff’s Kevin Culcleasure pulled in 2 interceptions to add to a pair of fumble recoveries that gave the Gators defense 4 turnovers for the game. 

The scoring dominance by Myers might not show it, but the Gators did manage to spread their offense around a good bit in this game. Quarterback Jackson Stone’s 67 yards rushing was second only to Myers’ total while he also completed 6-16 passes for 83 yards.

The Wildcats kept things close in the 1st half. They scored twice in the 2nd quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Reese Marcum to Dionta Sanders and a 29-yard field goal by Brady Bolin to make the score 14-10 at the half. 

The Gators’ defense shut down the Wildcats offense in the 2nd half. Wildcats’ quarterback Marcum produced most of his team’s offensive yardage, finishing with 107 yards passing and 34 rushing in the loss.

River Bluff had already qualified for the playoffs for the 3rd straight year. It will open at Fort Dorchester. 

Lexington (0-5) will finish the season at home next week against Spring Valley.  

Newberry 35, Batesburg-Leesville 19

Head coach Phil Strickland’s return to Panther Stadium proved successful for he and his 4th ranked Bulldogs.

The 6th ranked Panthers took a 7-0 lead after Damazhay Long returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. Newberry (3-1) answered with 35 unanswered points, starting with the 1st of 2 touchdown runs by KJ Robinson.

OT Sims rushed for a score and caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zayheim Epps as time expired in the 1st half to extend the lead to 28-7.

Epps also scored on a keeper to make it 35-7 in the 3rd quarter. 

Both halves ended with skirmishes between the 2 teams with 1 ejection at the end of the 1st half.

With the win, Newberry will open the Class 2A playoffs at Chesnee. Meanwhile, Batesburg-Leesville will await Saturday whether it will receive an at-large berth which means a 1st round matchup at top-ranked, undefeated longtime rival Abbeville.

Irmo 36, Westwood 14

Win or stay home.

This was the prospect facing the Yellow Jackets as they played host to the Redhawks in their 2nd straight appearance on WACH 57 Sonic Friday Night Rivals.

Scoring 28 unanswered points, Irmo clinched the 2nd playoff berth out of Region 4-4A with the victory at WC Hawkins Stadium. It will travel to Westside for the 1st round matchup next week. 

Westwood scored on its opening drive with a 2-run touchdown run by Rashad McCain and 2-point conversion. 

Irmo tied the game at 8-8 in the 2nd quarter on a quarterback keeper by Dylan Williams and a 2-point conversion.

Westwood reclaimed the lead on its next possession. Facing a 3rd down at its own 45, Noah Jennings took the short pass from McCain, then tossed it to a streaking Nicholas Gilliam down the visiting sidelines for a touchdown with 6:07 left in the 2nd quarter.

Just before halftime, Deedrick Starkes scored from 4 yards out of the Wildcat and the PAT by Jose Villanueva sent Irmo into the lockerroom up 15-14.

Starkes added 2 more touchdown runs in the 2nd half to extend Irmo’s lead to 29-14. Jayon Chambers closed out the scoring with a 2-yard run with 3:17 left in the game. 

Chapin 27, York 21

Bennett Galloway’s touchdown run with 1:34 left helped the Eagles take a comeback road win.

The Eagles rallied from a 14-point deficit by scoring 21 unanswered points. Galloway accounted for 2 scores in the victory.

Chapin (5-2) will close out the regular season in Prosperity for the annual “Battle of the Bell” matchup against Mid-Carolina.

Holly Hill Academy 58, WW King Academy 0

The Knights’ 2020 season ends with a loss in the 1st round of the SCISA 8-man playoffs. 

Fox Creek 28, Swansea 14

river bluff, lexington, football, Irmo

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