BYRNES @ GAFFNEY RECAP

THE SWAGGER IS BACK AT THE RESERVATION!! The Gaffney Indians pulled off their biggest win of the season and the biggest win in the history of The New Reservation, as they defeated the Byrnes Rebels 26 to 16 in front of a packed house. The score of the game was closer than the game actually was, as Gaffney took control in the second quarter. This is the first victory by the Indians over the Rebels since 2006, when they defeated them twice. This was also the biggest win for Head Coach Dan Jones, in his short time as The Commander-In-Chief of the Indians football program.

The game started with Gaffney holding the Rebels to a three and out on their first offensive possession of the game. The Indians would take possession after the Byrnes punt and we would soon see what the offensive game plan would be for the night. The Indians moved the ball down the field with a ball control short passing and running game eating up time of possession. The Indians would move into the Rebels redzone, but they would turn the ball over on downs. The Byrnes offense put together their best drive of the game, as they drove down deep into Indians territory. The Indians came up big on defense and forced the Rebels to settle for a 32-yard field goal and a 3 to 0 lead to end the first quarter.

In the second quarter the game started to change in favor of the Tribe, as Gaffney's Snoop Byers would intercept a Zach Blair pass at the Rebels 35 yard line. The Gaffney offense, which had moved the ball very well with no points to show for their effort, would finally cash in as QB DeEdward Burris found WR Quinshad Davis, with the first of his two TD receptions, from three yards out and a 7 to 3 Gaffney lead with 5:50 left in the first half. Burris would hit Davis for another TD from five yards with 15.6 seconds left in the half and a 13 to 3 halftime lead.

The Indians received the second half kickoff and continued their ball control attack, as they drove the ball inside the Byrnes thirty yard line. Burris would then throw one toward the end zone to WR Khris Brown which he caught for a 29-yard TD that would extend the Tribe's lead to 20 to 3. Later in the third quarter, the Byrnes offense would get the ball inside the Gaffney 30-yard line after a Gaffney punt and they drove down to the Indians 6-yard line and faced a forth-and 2. The Gaffney defense came up big once again as a pass to the end zone was knocked away. The Indians led 20 to 3 after three quarters of play.

The Rebels would get the ball back in Gaffney territory, after another short punt, and they would finally cash in for points. With 10:08 remaining in the game Rebels RB Shakeem Wharton scored from 3-yards out to cut the Gaffney lead to 20 to 10. The Gaffney offense would respond on their next possession with a 76-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard TD run by Burris for a 26 to 10 advantage. The Indians got two huge plays on the drive, one by WR Ryan Frock on a third-and-8 for a first down and a 36-yard pass to Quinshad Davis down to the Byrnes' 1-yard line to set up the score. The Rebels would add another TD with 2:41 left in the game, which was set up when the Gaffney punter fumbled the snap and had to fall on the ball in Gaffney territory. Byrnes QB Zach Blair would hit WR Akia Booker with a 21-yard TD pass to make the score 26 to 16. The two point conversion failed and the Rebels could get no closer. The Game ends with the Gaffney Indians winning 26 to 16.

My View From The Stands..... (1) I saw a Gaffney Indians team come out and establish the tempo of the game in the first quarter and gain more and more confidence as the game went along. (2) I saw a Gaffney team that had a very good game plan on both sides of the ball and were able to execute that plan. (3) I saw the best Jr. WR in the state in Gaffney's Quinshad Davis have another great game. He had his forth 100-yard receiving game of the season and two more TD's. (4) I saw QB DeEdward Burris continue to get better and better and he is developing into one of the best QB's in the state.

CONGRATULATIONS INDIANS ON A BIG WIN!!

Until Next Time.