Trailing 23-7 early in the 4th quarter after just giving up a safety, the Spartanburg Vikings made a decision that changed the course of the game…an onside kick. The Vikings recovered and the rest is history.
Spartanburg defeated Westside 28-23 Friday night, a comeback fueled by some amazing catches by senior WR Eric Rice, some huge defensive stops, and a Damyjai Foster run that was a thing of beauty.
Below are my thoughts on the game:
- Boy it sure is nice to have Connor Shugart back. He played his first game without that huge club on his hand and looked like a super star. He was everywhere on the field and was constantly the first to make contact. He fills the run gaps faster than anyone I’ve seen all season.
- I don’t know how Eric Rice stays on his feet after getting hit multiple times but he does and it led to the first score in the 4th quarter. 10 catches for 94 yards and 2 TDs…he was our offensive player of the game. He’s a true go-to target for Yex.
- The Vikings started incredibly flat on offense but picked up once we started throwing it down the field. I thought we got a little to predictable with all the plays around the line of scrimmage, but once Yex threw some balls down the field, the offense never looked back. It opened up quite a few holes including the run for Foster.
- I’d like to state for the record again that Connor Shugart is awesome.
- This team fights and claws and grinds for everything and it’s a lot of fun to watch. This is the most talented team in Spartanburg history, but it’s one that is very easy to be proud of.
- Foster is becoming a true lock down corner. He did a great job when matched up 1 on 1 with their best WR Kendrick. He’s becoming more physical with WRs than earlier in the year.
- Will Lawson had an excellent game. Did a lot of little things to help the Vikings win.
- Overall, it was a very good win for Spartanburg who has had multiple chances this year to cap off some comebacks but have fallen short. Getting one could go a long way.
