Spartanburg 35 JL Mann 9
A year ago, the Vikings saw their season end on the road at Mann in an effort where their lack of offense came back to bite them. Their defense didn’t allow a touchdown all game long. The offense for the Patriots all came on the defensive side of the ball as the Vikings threw 2 pick 6’s in the 17-7 loss.
This season, Spartanburg, as much as Coach Hodge would deny it, was looking for some revenge on their home turf.
This game started out very similar to the last – an absolute rock fight. The 2 sides traded punts until very late in the first quarter when Viking QB Trey Burke connected with Justin Rice from 14 yards out to take the lead they would never relinquish.
Following a Mann fieldgoal to break their goose egg, Trenton Lynch re-upped the ante with the first of his 2 rushing touchdowns in the game – this one from 70 yards out. His other came near the halfway point of the 3rd quarter on a 23 yard scamper.
The Patriots mustered a touchdown late in the 3rd stanza, but following the blocked PAT, the Vikings went on to score the next 14 unanswered to ice the game away.
Trenton Lynch finished the night with 193 rushing yards and the pair of TDs on 20 carries. Chris Sutton was also over the 50 rushing yard mark with 59 on 12 touches. Trey Burke was 9 for 20 passing with 166 yards and a pair of scores. Justin Rice was the leading receiver with 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 3 catches.
With the win, Spartanburg has secured a berth in the 5A Division I Upperstate Championship next week. The Vikings will make the trek down I-26 to take on Dutch Fork with a 7:30 kickoff.
Gaffney 21 TL Hanna 7
Gaffney has a strong defense. That is well-noted. The question mark has been Jayvon Gilmore’s confidence level and Gaffney’s ability to consistently move the ball. Any doubt about his confidence was erased fairly quickly against the TL Hanna Yellow Jackets in the 5A Division II quarterfinals.
After Hanna went 3 and out on their opening series, the snap on the ensuing punt sailed over the punter’s head to set Gaffney up in plus territory. A few plays later, Gilmore connected with running back Jaiden McDowell from 7 yards out to put the Indians up 7-0.
After another Jacket 3 and out, the Indians marched 71 yards and upped the advantage to 14-0 when Jayvon Gilmore hit Shane Davidson for the 2nd of his 3 passing TDs of the game.
With just under 6 minutes to play until the half, Jamarcus Smith joined the party with a 15 yard touchdown reception to make it 21-0 going into the break.
Gaffney was shut out in the 2nd half, but Hanna was only able to muster one score off the Indians’ stifling defense late in the 3rd stanza. Gaffney cruised on to a spot in the upperstate championship and will now travel up 85 and Highway 5 to Rock Hill to take on the #1-seeded Northwestern Trojans in a rematch of the 2021 5A upperstate quarterfinal, which Gaffney overcame a 14-6 halftime deficit to win in overtime.
MVP 30 Crescent 14
The Stars had to overcome some adversity in this 3A quarterfinal matchup. They took an early 7-0 lead on their first offensive series only to have the Tigers strike back in a flash. Crescent missed the PAT on their first score, but would still later go on to take the lead 14-10 on a TD and 2 point conversion in the waning moments of the 1st quarter.
In the 2nd frame, the Stars managed to keep Crescent off the scoreboard, eventually allowing themselves to reclaim the lead on a fieldgoal from Henry Phillips at the horn, making it 16-14 at the half.
It took until the 8 minute mark of the fourth quarter, but eventually the Stars pulled away, going on to score 14 unanswered to make for the final margin.
With the victory, Mountain View Prep remained undefeated and punched their ticket to the 3A Upperstate championship game in their inaugural season. The Stars will host Belton Honea Path in what has the potential to be an epic showdown next week..
