Few football programs in Lexington County have seen the improvements Swansea has in the past two seasons. 

From 2020 to 2023, the Tigers went 5-31, including a 0-10 2023 season. Since the arrival of head coach Willie Fox, the team has had a dramatic turnaround, going 7-4 last year and starting 3-0 this season. 

The Tigers improved to 4-0 Friday night after a 28-27 win over Pelion. It was a back-and-forth battle between the two local schools. Swansea scored the game’s final touchdown and added a go-ahead two-point conversion in the closing minutes to take the win. 

 ”We're a good football team, but we are a young football team,” Fox said. “ I think we grew up a little bit tonight. We faced some adversity for really the first time this year, got down and had to come back. So I'm really proud.”

Entering the match, Swansea has dominated, outscoring its opponents 138-7. This game was the first time the team had truly been tested this year, and they passed. 

DeAndre Caldwell led the way with two touchdowns and over 60 yards rushing. Quarterback Kendall Wright was 8-for-11 passing for over 100 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 89 yards and a touchdown. 

Pelion’s Tre Jackson had a huge game, rushing for over 175 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Alan Moore threw for around 180 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Jai Chuniesingh exploded for over 140 yards and a touchdown. 

“Coach [Corey] Helms is doing an outstanding job. He’s a great guy. I’m from Pelion.  That's my alma mater,” Fox said of his competition after the game.  “ They were a really, really good football team. We told our kids that all week. I'm not sure they exactly believed us until that first half.”

The Panthers came out of the gate hot, starting with the ball and going on a 10-play 67-yard touchdown drive. 

Moore and Chuniesingh kept the drive alive after converting on a third-and-27.  Moore hit his receiver with a quick check-down pass, and Chuniesingh ran 54 yards to pick up a first down and keep the drive alive. 

Five plays later, Brady Cottingham took a handoff from the one-yard line and scored. 

Swansea took no time to respond and found the endzone on their first play from scrimmage. Wright took the snap and ran up the middle, through the Pelion defense and took off 63 yards for the touchdown.

The extra-point try missed by a wide margin as the team played without a kicker. It was the last PAT or field goal try Swansea attempted, a detail that directly contributed to the result of the game. 

Pelion’s next drive ended in a punt. Swansea took over and moved into Panthers territory. The team converted on a fourth down just outside the red zone to keep moving before Caldwell scored his first touchdown. 

The Tigers’ two-point try was no good, making the score 12-7 at the end of the opening period. 

Pelion started the second quarter with its second touchdown drive. The Panthers also converted a fourth down just outside the red zone to set up a rushing touchdown. Jackson took the ball lowered his shoulder and rammed over a Swansea defender on his way into the endzone. 

Trailing 14-12, Swansea scored a one-play touchdown for the second time this game after Trace Selfridge took a screen pass 51 yards to the house. This time, the Tiger two-point conversion was good, and the team led 20-14.

The Panthers tied the game just before the halftime break, going on a 7-play 50-yard drive. Jayden Fields came down with the score after a pass bounced off a few other players and into his hands. The following PAT attempt was no good, keeping the game tied going into the second half. 

While the start of the game was full of offense, defense took over in the second half as the two teams combined for just 15 points. 

“Brad Coleman , our defense coordinator, he did an outstanding job of making some adjustments at halftime. He's been coaching football for a long time, and I'm lucky to have him,” Fox said. “We didn't shut them out in the second half, but we played much, much better, and our kids came out.”

Pelion struck first early in the third quarter. The Panthers' defense forced and recovered a Swansea fumble, setting the offense up with good field position. 

Moore and Chuniesingh connected on another big play. This time, Moore launched the ball deep to Chuniesingh in the endzone. He jumped up with a Swansea defender and came down with it to put his team ahead with the touchdown. 

Swansea failed to respond as neither team scored again for the rest of the quarter. 

The Tigers were finally able to string together a long drive midway through the fourth quarter. After starting inside their own 10, the team took 11 plays and moved the ball 92 yards, capping the drive with an 18-yard run by Caldwell. 

With their kicking issue, Swansea lined up to go for two. A made conversion puts the team up one. A failed try would put the Tigers down one. 

The team took the snap from the two-yard line and handed the ball to P.J. Larry. He turned his legs running through the bodies of linemen in front of him and crossed the goal line for a successful try. 

“We felt like we had an advantage in the middle right there,” Fox said. “ Our offensive line said, ‘Hey, run zero, let's go right at them,’ zero's our wedge play, and hey, if my offensive line tells me to run a play, then we're going to go with them.” 

Leading 28-27, Swansea’s defense took the field looking to stop Pelion and give its offense a chance to get the ball back and kill the clock. 

Pelion moved the ball, getting into Swansea territory. The team got close, reaching Swansea’s 23-yard line, but an incomplete pass on fourth down put the nail in the coffin.

Swansea took over and ran out the clock to end the game. It was the Tigers’ ninth straight win over Pelion dating back to the Panthers’ last win in 2009.

Pelion, 2-1 this season, will be back at home next week to host Mid-Carolina. Swansea will be on the road playing Barnwell. Each team has two games left before the start of the region season. 

“We just got to keep growing up,” Fox said. “ We're not where we need to be maturity-wise, so hopefully this one will wake us up a little bit. Hopefully we'll grow up even more, and we just got to continue to improve.”  

Week 3 Scoreboard

Newberry: 45, Chapin: 22

Dutch Fork: 42, Gray Collegiate: 14

Irmo: 51, Carolina Forest: 21

Greenwood: 36, Lexington: 30

River Bluff: 14, Gilbert: 7

Westwood: 65, Airport: 7

May River: 36, Brookland-Cayce: 29

Swansea: 28, Pelion: 27

Ridge Spring-Monetta: 22, American Leadership: 0

Lower Richland: 28, Batesburg-Leesville: 6

Northside Christian: 30, Andrew Jackson: 20