STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECAP (2011)

Turnovers Doom The Tribe!! The Gaffney Indians turned the ball over 4 TIMES, in the Title Game Saturday afternoon, at Clemson's Death Valley and fell to the Byrnes Rebels 31 to 24. It was a very disappointing performance by the Indians, as they fell short in their quest for a perfect dream season and a 17th State Championship. They end the season on a sour note and a 14 and 1 record.

The game couldn't have started any better for the Tribe, as they held Byrnes to a three and out and then they drove the ball impressively down the field and scored on a 11-yard pass from Copeland to C.J. Miller to take an early 7 to 0 lead. The Gaffney defense held Byrnes again and started another drive down the field and that is when the momentum of the game changed. The Tribe's Quinshad Davis caught a short pass from Copeland and was hit and he fumbled the ball and the Rebels recovered in Gaffney territory. The Gaffney defense stopped the Rebels and they lined up to kick a 47-yard field goal that turned out to be a fake when the ball was directly snapped to the kicker Kaleb Patterson and he ran for 15-yards and a first down at the Gaffney 17-yard line. A few plays later the Rebels scored on a 15-yard screen pass from Bentley to Akia Booker. The score was tied at 7 to 7 after the 1st quarter.

With the score tied at 7 in the 2nd quarter the Tribe turned it over for a second time when Copeland threw the ball right to Byrnes' Skip Barnes who raced untouched 31-yards for a TD. The Rebels led 14 to 7. The Tribe would bounce back, as they drove the ball 65-yards in 10 plays and scored on a 5-yard run by Copeland to tie the game at 14 t0 14. Later in the quarter the Rebels got the ball at the Gaffney 31-yard line after a short Gaffney punt. They moved down to the 5-yard line and had to settle for a 22-yard Kaleb Patterson field goal with 14 seconds left in the 1st half. The Rebels led 17 to 14 at halftime.

The 3rd quarter started with Gaffney driving down to the Byrnes 10-yard line. The big play in the drive was a 59-yard pass play from Copeland to Quinshad Davis down the Indians' sideline. The Byrnes' defense held the Tribe out of the end zone and they settled for a 32-yard Victor Ramirez field goal to tie the game up at 17 to 17. Byrnes would then put together their best drive of the game, as they drove 65-yards in 8 plays and scored on a 4-yard run by Shakeem Wharton to go up 24 to 17 wit about half the 3rd quarter left. The Tribe would come back with another drive down the field into Byrnes' territory only to have Copeland throw his second INT of the game. The 3rd quarter would end with Byrnes in the lead 24 to 17.

The Indians put together another drive into Byrnes territory only to have the most bizarre play of the season severely hurt their chances at victory. With Gaffney trailing 24 to 17 they faced a 4th and 1-yard at the Byrnes 44-yard line. QB Joey Copeland ran a quarterback sneak and appeared to pick up the first down, but all of a sudden Byrnes' Melvin Armstrong stripped Copeland of the football and came running out of the pile, while the Gaffney players did not know what was going on, and ran down the sideline 57-yards for a TD. Everyone thought that the play was over and the Indians had a first down. Copeland pleaded his case that his knee was down, the ref said no, the TD counted and the Tribe found themselves down 31 to 17 with about 9:00 minutes left in the game. So the forth and final turnover of the game for Gaffney was a killer. The Tribe was not finished, as they responded with a 5 play 81-yard drive and scored on a 54-yard pass from Copeland to Davis to cut the lead to 31 to 24 with 7:48 left in the game. The momentum was back on the Gaffney sideline. The defense stopped Byrnes and got the ball back for the offense with about 4:00 minutes left and was on the move again. The momentum was stopped when Byrnes Brandon Bailey was injured while tackling a Gaffney receiver at midfield. He was lying on the field motionless and unconscious and play was stopped for about 20 minutes while they put him on a board and carted him off the field. When play resumed the Tribe's drive was stalled and they turned the ball over on downs around the Byrnes 40-yard line. The defense would get the ball back for the offense with about a minute left in the game. Facing a 4th down at midfield, Copeland's pass to Davis went out of bounds, as he was calling for a hold from the Byrnes DB. The referee did not call it and the Rebels ran the final 30 seconds off the clock and they had shocked the Indians and the South Carolina High School football world with a 31 to 24 upset of the Indians.

My View From The Stands..... (1) I said going into this game and all season, that the only team that could beat the Gaffney Indians this season was the Gaffney Indians. They beat themselves with 4 TURNOVERS that Byrnes took advantage of. (2) The ball also bounced the Rebels way as well, as they put the ball on the ground three times and the ball bounced back to them and the two that Gaffney put on the ground bounced to them too. (3) The ball that they took from Copeland on the QB sneak, in the 4th quarter, was probably the most bizarre play that I have seen in a long time. It appeared from my vantage point that he was down and the Tribe had a 1st down. The Indians thought the play was over and before they knew what had happened they were running down the sideline with the ball foe a TD. (4) Of Byrnes 31 points, 21 was set up by Gaffney turnovers. They turned two of the turnovers, the interception in the 2nd quarter and the stripped fumble in the 4th, into points scored by their defense. If Gaffney don't turn the ball over they win by at least two TDs. (5) The Gaffney side of Death Valley was more than double the crowd of the Byrnes side.

FINAL GAME COMMENT

It was a very depressing end to Gaffney's great season and it was a great season even though they lost the Championship Game. It could have been a dream season with a win over Byrnes in the big game. It even got more depressing when I saw the final game stats. You will see what I am talking about in the Game Stats Summary section. The Tribe finished the season 14 and 1 and was ranked as high as Number 2 in the nation.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 24, Byrnes 12
Yards Rushing Gaffney 45, Byrnes 113
Yards Passing Gaffney 358, Byrnes 126
Total Yards Gaffney 403, Byrnes 239
Penalties Gaffney 5 for 40 yds, Byrnes 10 for 81 yds.
Turnovers Gaffney 4, Byrnes 0

Gaffney won the statistical battle by a large margin except the TURNOVERS. They were -4 in the turnover battle. YOU CAN SEE IN BLACK AND WHITE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS GAME WAS!

Individual Game Stats Summary

QB Joey Copeland was 26 of 44 for 358 yards and 2 TD passes and 2 INTs, 1 Rushing TD
WR Quinshad Davis had 8 catches for 184 yards and 1TD
WR Brandon Bevis had 6 catches for 47 yards
WR Ryan Frock had 5 catches for 58 yards
RB C.J. Miller had 30 yards rushing and 5 catches for 38 yards and 1 TD
K Victor Ramirez was 3 for 3 in PATs and had a 32 yard field goal

Tribe Blitz is going on a hiatus until after the holidays. You can look for my next post the first week of January.

Until Next Time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

GAFFNEY VS BYRNES STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (2011)

The Gaffney Indians defeated the Boiling Springs Bulldogs 35 to 7 and the Byrnes Rebels defeated Blythewood 31 to 0, to set up the highly anticipated match-up between the Indians and Rebels for the 4A Division 1 (Big 16) State Championship. The game will be played at Clemson's Death Valley at 3 PM on Saturday. Let's take a closer look at this HUGE GAME between hated rivals.

Gaffney vs Byrnes

The Byrnes Rebels come into this showdown 12 and 2 and riding a 10 game winning streak. The last team to beat the Rebels was the Tribe back in week 4 by a score of 35 to 13. The Rebels are led on offense by QB Shuler Bentley, WR Akia Booker and RB Shakeem Wharton. They have scored 642 points for an average of 45.9 per game.

The Rebels are led on defense by DL Rashad Dillard, DL Jamaal Johnson and DB Shane Samuels. They play a 3-3-5 on defense and they try to pressure the QB with their three down linemen. They have a boat load of sacks and the defense forces turnovers. The Rebels defense also scores points. The Byrnes kicking game is topnotch led by K Kaleb Patterson. Anytime they get within 50-yards they are a threat to score a field goal. They have given up 155 points for an average of 11.1 per game.

The Indians come into this game 14 and 0 and ranked Number 1 in the state and as high as Number 2 or 3 in the nation. As Tribe fans know, the offense is led by QB Joey Copeland with 42 TD passes and 25 rushing TDs, RB C.J. Miller with 1,065 yards rushing and 13 TDs and WR Quinshad Davis with 100 catches and 24 TDs. They have scored 686 points for an average of 49.0 per game.

The Indians are led on defense by DL Edward Bigby, DL Jaylin Miller, LB Quan Weeks, LB Savon Dukes, DB Snoop Byers and DB Cobby McDowell. They have given up 138 points for an average of 9.9 per game. The Gaffney kicking game has been good led by K Victor Ramirez.

Keys To The Game For Byrnes..... (1) Keep the Gaffney defense off balance by mixing up the run and the pass. (2) Get off to a fast start and make the Indians play from behind. (3) Put pressure on QB Joey Copeland. (4) Force some turnovers and score a TD on defense or special teams.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Do what Gaffney does offensively, try to be balanced and take what the defense gives them. (2) Get off to a fast start. (3) DO NOT TURN THE BALL OVER. (4) Put pressure on QB Shuler Bentley and get him rattled.

Game Prediction..... The Tribe with 16 State Titles and Byrnes with 10 State Titles. It don't get any better. It is the third game in a row that Gaffney has to play a team that they have already beaten during the season. They beat both Dorman and Boiling Springs for the second time and the Byrnes Rebels are next..... Gaffney 28 Byrnes 17

You can catch my State Championship Game Recap on Monday.

Until Next Time.

GO INDIANS BRING THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BACK TO TITLETOWN!!!

BOILING SPRINGS @ GAFFNEY PLAYOFF RECAP

The Tribe Is Death Valley Bound, as they ran past Boiling Springs 35 to 7, for the Upper State Championship, Friday night at The Reservation. The Tribe's offense took what the Bulldogs defense gave them and leaned heavily on the run, as QB Joey Copeland scored on a 9-yard run in the 1st quarter to give them a 7 to 0 lead. The Tribe's defense was dominant and Gaffney led 7 to 0 after the 1st quarter.

The 2nd quarter had Gaffney scoring two more rushing TDs, an 8-yard run by C.J. Miller and a 3-yard run by Hyleck Foster. The Bulldogs threatened to score, but was turned away by the Tribe's defense. The score at the end of the 1st half was Gaffney 21 and Boiling Springs 0.

The 3rd quarter started with Gaffney having to punt on their first possession of the 2nd half. The Bulldogs would then put together their best drive of the game, as they went on a 13-play, 92-yard drive to cut the lead to 21 to 7. The TD was scored by Deon Burgess on a 2-yard run. The Bulldogs would then surprise the Indians with an onside kick that was successful. On the Bulldogs ensuing drive, the Indians intercepted the ball, but they fumbled the ball back to Boiling Springs on the return. The Tribe's defense came up big again and stopped the Boiling Springs offense giving the ball back to their offense. The Tribe couldn't move the ball and they lined up to punt the ball. This set up the weirdest of all plays to turn the momentum back in Gaffney's favor. The Bulldogs' Jake Dills blocked the punt in Gaffney territory, but the Indians' Snoop Byers scooped up the blocked punt and ran for an Indian 1st down at the Boiling Springs 43-yard line. The Tribe would finish off the drive with a 10-yard TD run by Copeland and a 28 to 7 lead after the 3rd quarter.

The Tribe started the 4th quarter with a three touchdown lead and with all the momentum on their side. They would put together one more TD drive which was finished off by a 3-yard run by Copeland. This was Copeland's third TD of the game. The defense kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard the rest of the way and the Tribe won the Upper State Championship Game 35 to 7 over the Bulldogs. It's on to Clemson's Death Valley for the 4A Division 1 State Championship Game against Byrnes.

Individual Game Stats Summary

QB Joey Copeland was 15 of 27 for 199 yards and 0 INTs, 52 yards rushing and 3 TDs
RB C.J. Miller had 16 carries for 135 yards rushing and 1 TD
RB/WR Hyleck Foster had 9 carries for 46 yards rushing and 1 TD, 2 catches
WR Quinshad Davis had 5 catches for 68 yards
WR Brandon Bevis had 3 catches for 25 yards
WR Ryan Frock had 4 catches for 53 yards

My View From The Stands..... (1) It appeared the Boiling Springs defense was keying to stop the Gaffney passing game. The Tribe's offense relied more on their running game, as they were taking what the defense was giving them. (2) The Tribe was balanced on offense with 199 yards passing and 233 yards rushing. (3) The Indians seemed to hit a little emotional lull starting the 3rd quarter with a 21 to 0 lead. (4) The onside kick by Boiling Springs seemed to surprise the Indians, but I told the guy next to me that I expected them to try it and they executed it to perfection.

It's on to Death Valley in Clemson for a rematch with Byrnes for the 4A Division 1 State Championship. Game time is 3 PM on Saturday. My State Championship Preview will be posted on Tribe Blitz on Friday afternoon.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 14 (2011) BOILING SPRINGS @ GAFFNEY

Round 2 of the Division 1 4A Playoffs went pretty much as expected. The favorites, to make it to the finals, both won big with Gaffney defeating Dorman 33 to3 and Byrnes defeating Summerville 56 to 20. The other two games had Boiling Springs pulling out a close 28 to 27 win over Dutch Fork and in the Cinderella Bowl 14 Seed Blythewood defeated 11 Seed Wando 13 to 8. At the start of this High School football season, I didn't see Boiling Springs and Blythewood being one win away from playing in the State Championship Game. Who did?

Boiling Springs @ Gaffney

The Bulldogs and Indians played way back in August in Week 0 and the Indians had their way with them 47 to 0. The Bulldogs have improved quiet a bit and so have the Indians. The Bulldogs are 10 and 3 on the season and finished 2nd in Region 2 4A. The Indians are 13 and 0 and are Region 3 4A Champions. This is the first time in Boiling Springs football history that they have made it to the State Semi-finals. This is the biggest football game ever for Boiling Springs.

The Boiling Springs offense is led by their very athletic QB Tyrecous Garrett. He is also a major weapon in the kicking game as well, as he ran a kickoff back 99-yards for a TD last week against Dutch Fork. They also have a strong runner at the RB position in Deon Burgess. Their bread and butter is their running game. They have scored 437 points this season for an average of 33.6 points per game. You throw away the first two games when they were shutout by Gaffney and Greenwood and their average is 39.7 per game. They do have a problem with turning the football over which could be a factor in this game. They are also a heavy penalized football team.

The Boiling Springs defense has gotten better as the season has rolled along. They also get penalized a lot with personal fouls that have cost them at times. For the season they have given up 286 points for an average of 22.0 per game. The bottom line is, against good football teams they give up points and against bad teams they don't.

The Gaffney offense continues to be explosive and efficient working like a well oiled machine. QB Joey Copeland has thrown for 42 TDs and rushed for 22 TDs and has completed almost 70% of his passes. WR Quinshad Davis has 93 catches with 24 TDs. RB C.J. Miller has rushed for over 900 yards and scored 12 TDs. For the season the Tribe has scored 651 points for an average of 50.1 per game. As all Gaffney fans and coaches and fans of teams we have played have figured out, the Indians are not a one man team.

The Gaffney defense had a dominating performance last week against Dorman. That has been the norm for them this season. They have been overshadowed by the offense for most of the season. Players like DL Jaylen Miller leads the team in sacks, LBs Quan Weeks and Savon Dukes lead the team in tackles and DB Cobby McDowell leads in INTs, DBs Marquise Brannon and Snoop Byers have had great years as well. The defense has given up 131 points on the season for an average of 10.1 per game. PRETTY DOMINATING IF YOU ASK ME!

Keys To The Game For Boiling Springs..... (1) They must control their nerves. None of their players have played in a game of this magnitude. (2) They MUST be able to run the football consistently. Running is how they move the football and it will shorten the game and keep Gaffney's offense off the field. (3) They CAN'T turn the ball over. (4) They can't have the stupid penalties that have plagued them at times this season.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) DO NOT OVERLOOK THE BULLDOGS!! Come out focused on beating them. (2) Do not beat themselves with turnovers and penalties. (3) Do what Gaffney has done all season execute on offense and spread the ball around. (4) Take away the Bulldogs running game and make them have to beat you passing.

Game Prediction..... I look for this game to be a little closer than the Week 0 game. That game was over by halftime. I expect the Tribe to put the game away in the 2nd half..... Gaffney 42 Boiling Springs 14

TRIBE FACTS..... Joey Copeland needs 1 TD pass against Boiling Springs to break Kentrell Jones school record of 42 TD passes in a season. He tied it last week against Dorman.

You can check out my Boiling Springs @ Gaffney Recap on Monday due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Until Next Time.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM TRIBE BLITZ!!

DORMAN @ GAFFNEY RECAP (2011)

Defense Dominates Dorman, as the Indians roll past the Cavaliers. The Indians defense gave up a 58-yard drive to the Cavaliers and fell behind 3 to 0 early in the 1st quarter, but it was lights out the rest of the game. The Tribe got a 3-yard TD pass from Copeland to Davis to lead 6 to 3 after the 1st quarter.

The Tribe continued to dominate on defense and they got a 27-yard TD pass from Copeland to Davis to lead 12 to 3. Joey Copeland finally started to get in rhythm with his passes, as he was missing high on some throws and he also threw an INT. The high throws and the INT kept the Cavaliers in the game in the 1st half. The Tribe led 12 to 3 at halftime.

The Tribe started pulling away in the 3rd quarter, as they scored on a 1-yard run by Copeland to go up 19 to 3. Copeland also had another INT in the quarter, but the Gaffney defense shut the Cavaliers down and got the ball back. The Tribe led 19 to 3 after the 3rd quarter.

The Indians put the game away in the 4th quarter, as they scored two more TDs. Their first score of the quarter came on another 1-yard run by Copeland and they completed their scoring with a 12-yard run by Hyleck Foster. The Cavaliers never threatened to score against the dominating Gaffney defense after the 1st quarter. The Tribe won the game 33 to 3 and advanced to the Upperstate Championship Game on Thanksgiving Friday against Boiling Springs.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 24, Dorman 9
Yards Rushing Gaffney 149, Dorman 63
Yards Passing Gaffney 250, Dorman 59
Total Yards Gaffney 399, Dorman 122
Turnovers Gaffney 2, Dorman 2

Individual Game Stats Summary

QB Joey Copeland was 18 of 31 for 250 yards and 2 TD passes and 2 INTs, 63 yards rushing and 2 TDs
WR Quinshad Davis had 7 catches for 105 yards and 2 TDs
WR Brandon Bevis had 6 catches for 61 yards
WR Ryan Frock had 5 catches for 84 yards
RB C.J. Miller had 65 yards rushing
WR/RB Hyleck Foster had 17 yards rushing and 1 TD

My View From The Stands..... (1) Dorman fans failed to fill up the visitors side of The Reservation. (2) QB Joey Copeland was missing high with some passes in the 1st half. It looked like he may have been to pumped up for the game early. (3) The Gaffney defense recorded 6 sacks and they shut down Dorman stud RB Raymond Smith, as they held him to 58 yards on 17 carries. (4) It is usually tough to beat a good team twice in one season, but the Tribe beat the Cavaliers by 21 points back in week 1 and by 30 points Friday night.

The Tribe now gets to do what all High School teams want to do, they get to practice on Thanksgiving Day in preparation for their Upperstate Championship Game against Boiling Springs.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 13 (2011) DORMAN @ GAFFNEY

Round 1 of the 2011 4A Division 1 Playoffs are in the books. The Tribe won big over West Ashley 52 to 27, but they played the game with very little intensity. The only other game this season that the Tribe played with a lack of intensity was the Clover game. They won that game 55 to 3. So far even a lack of intensity can't stop the Tribe. Things start getting a little tough this week, as they face the Dorman Cavaliers for a second time this season. The Tribe won the first meeting 35 to 14 back in week 1 of the regular season. Let's look at this Round 2 Playoff Game.

Dorman @ Gaffney

The Cavaliers come into this game with a 7 and 5 overall record. They finished the regular season as the 3rd place team in Region 2 4A. They are the Number 9 seed in the Division 1 4A Playoffs and they defeated Number 8 seed Sumter 46 to 21, on the road, in Round 1. The Indians come into this game with a 12 and 0 overall record and they finished the regular season as Region 3 4A Champions. The Indians are the Number 1 seed in the Division 1 4A Playoffs.

The Dorman offense is led by RB Raymond Smith. He is their leading rusher with 188 carries for 1,788 yards and 30 TDs. He is also their leading receiver with 21 catches for 215 yards and 3 TDs. As Raymond Smith goes so goes the Dorman offense. Their QB is Trey Robinson and he has passed for 1,146 yards and 8 TDs. He also has 701 yards rushing and 5 TDs. The Cavaliers have scored 401 points for an average of 33.4 per game. They are averaging 263.2 yards per game rushing and 110.0 per game passing. So they are averaging 373.2 yards of total offense per game. They have a very strong running game and play-action passing game.

The Dorman defense is small, but they are very quick. They are led on defense by Ron Ogelsby, DeAndre Long and Sevelt Thompson. They have given up 190 points for an average of 15.8 per game. They are giving up 148.5 yards per game rushing and 106.6 yards per game passing. So they are giving up 255.1 yards per game in total offense.

The Gaffney offense continues to be led by QB Joey Copeland with 40 TD passes and 20 TD runs. He has thrown for 3,340 yards with a completion percentage of .690 and only 6 INTs.
He also has 508 yards rushing. WR Quinshad Davis has 86 catches for 1,644 yards and 22 TDs. They have also gotten very good production from WR Brandon Bevis with 37 catches and 4 TDs and WR Ryan Frock with 31 catches and 7 TDs. They are led in rushing by C.J. Miller with 840 yards and 12 TDs. Miller has also been productive in the passing game with 13 catches. The Tribe has scored 618 points for a per game average of 51.5. They have averaged 178.7 yards per game rushing and 309.4 yards per game passing. So the Tribe has averaged 488.1 yards per game in total offense.

The Gaffney defense continues to be dominant, as they are giving up an average of 232.0 yards per game in total offense. They are led by LBs Quan Weeks, Savon Dukes and DLs Jaylin Miller, Edward Bigby and DBs Snoop Byers, Cobby McDowell and Marquise Brannon. They have given up only 128 points for an average of 10.7 per game. The starting defense has only given up an average of 6.0 points per game. The defense has been sort of overshadowed by the powerful Gaffney offense.

Keys To The Game For Dorman..... (1) They must be able to run the football. That is what they do best. It will also help with time of possession in keeping the Gaffney offense off the field. (2) They must force some turnovers. (3) Make it a 4th quarter game. Gaffney has not had a game all season that was still in doubt in the 4th quarter.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) They must contain Raymond Smith. They are not going to stop him, but they can't let him run wild and take over the game. (2) DO NOT TURN THE BALL OVER!! They can't beat themselves with turnovers. (3) Play with the intensity and fire of a champion. They can't play flat like they did last week. (4) Execute on offense. The only team that can beat Gaffney is Gaffney.

Game Prediction..... This is Round 2 of the playoffs and Round 2 against Dorman this season. It is much more difficult to beat a team twice in a season. I see the Indians playing with the intensity that we are used to seeing and I see the Indians winning round 2 and advancing in a big way..... Gaffney 42 Dorman 14

TRIBE FACTS..... The Tribe is 7 and 2 against Dorman in the Division 1 Playoffs.

TRIBE FACTS..... Gaffney's last playoff victory over Dorman was in 2005. Their last playoff game against the Cavaliers was a loss in the semi-finals in 2009.

You can check out my Dorman @ Gaffney Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

WEST ASHLEY @ GAFFNEY RECAP (2011)

Even A Lack Of Intensity Can't Stop The Indians, as they pound West Ashley 52 to 27. They got two TD passes from Joey Copeland from 3-yards to Quinshad Davis and 30-yards to Ryan Frock to lead 14 to 0 after their first two possessions. The scores were set up by the Gaffney defense holding the Wildcats to two three and outs forcing two short punts and giving the offense a short field. The Wildcats put together a drive to eat up the remaining 6:50 off of the 1st quarter clock. The Tribe led 14 to 0 after the 1st quarter.

The 2nd quarter started with West Ashley capping their long drive with a 1-yard TD run by QB Karon Eady. The score was a surprising 14 to 7 early in the 2nd quarter. The Indians came right back down the field and scored on a 31-yard TD pass from Copeland to Davis. The Tribe's next possession ended with a Copeland TD run of 7-yards. They would then get a 30-yard yard field goal from Victor Ramirez to close their 1st half scoring. The Tribe scored on all five 1st half possessions to lead 31 to 7 at halftime.

The 3rd quarter started with the Tribe scoring, on their second possession, on a 2-yard run by Copeland to go up 38 to 7 with about half the quarter remaining. The intensity level really started to disappear for the Tribe at this point in the game. The Wildcats got a 56-yard TD pass from QB Thomas Woodhead to cut the lead to 38 to 13. The Indians ended the quarter with a 5-yard TD pass from Copeland to Frock and a 7-yard fumble return for a TD from LB Savon Dukes. The score after the 3rd quarter was 52 to 13 in favor of the Indians.

The 4th quarter started with Gaffney making wholesale substitutions. The Wildcats put a scoring drive together late in the quarter to make it 52 to 20. Then with a couple of minutes left in the game they got a pick six from David Campbell when he intercepted back-up QB Luke Lancaster to end the games scoring. The Final Score in Round 1 of the Division 1 4A playoffs was Gaffney 52 and West Ashley 27.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 21, West Ashley 15
Yards Rushing Gaffney 113, West Ashley 140
Yards Passing Gaffney 190, West Ashley 98
Total Yards Gaffney 303, West Ashley 238
Turnovers Gaffney 1, West Ashley 3

Individual Game Stats Summary

QB Joey Copeland was 19 of 24 for 188 yards and 4 TD passes, 40 yards rushing and 2 TDs.
RB C.J. Miller had 17 carries for 70 yards rushing, 3 catches for 15 yards.
WR Quinshad Davis had 8 catches for 99 yards and 2 TDs.
WR Ryan Frock had 3 catches for 42 yards and 2 TDs.
WR Brandon Bevis had 4 catches for 28 yards.
K Victor Ramirez had a 30 yard field goal.
LB Savon Dukes had a fumble recovery and return of 7 yards for 1 TD.

My View From The Stands..... (1) The intensity was not as good with the team, as it had been all season. (2) The Gaffney offense scored on their first five possessions of the game. (3) The offense was taking what the defense was giving them. The Wildcats defense was taking away the deep ball. (4) The intensity was not there with the fans as well. After winning the Region Championship, over rival Spartanburg, last week it is understandable that the team and fans would be a little flat playing a team you are suppose to beat handily.

It's on to Round 2 of the Playoffs next week, as the Tribe plays Dorman.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 12 (2011) WEST ASHLEY @ GAFFNEY

It's hard to believe, but we are done with the regular season of High School football. It's time for the playoffs. The Tribe wrapped up their regular season with a 42 to 0 victory over Spartanburg. The win over the Vikings gave the Indians the Region 3 4A Championship and a perfect 11 and 0 record. The Tribe also goes into the Division 1 4A playoffs as the Number 1 seed and with home field advantage until the finals. Let's look at Gaffney's 1st Round Playoff Game against West Ashley.

West Ashley @ Gaffney

The West Ashley Wildcats come into this 1st Round Playoff Game with a 6 and 5 record. They opened their school in the year 2000. They are located in Charleston, South Carolina and this years team is the schools first with a winning record. This will be the second meeting between the Wildcats and the Indians. They met at The Old Reservation in the 1st Round of the 2003 playoffs, a game Gaffney won 49 to 13 on their way to a 14 and 1 season and a State Championship.

The West Ashley offense is led by QB Thomas Woodhead, who has over 1000 yards rushing on the season. They do alternate QBs depending on what offensive package they are going to run. They use Woodhead the most, as they run the football more than they pass it. They have some big kids, but not a lot of team speed. They have scored 188 points this season for an average of 17.1 per game.

Defensively they run a 3-5-3 defense with a lot of quarters coverage. They try to keep you from going deep by keeping every thing in front of them. Defense has been their teams strength this season, as they have given up 172 points for an average of 15.6 per game. They have a lot of size, but not a lot of team speed on defense. The West Ashley team is very experienced, as they have 40 seniors on their roster.

The Gaffney offense just needs to do what they have been doing all season, spreading the ball around and taking what the defense is giving them. The Tribe has scored 566 points for an average of 51.5 per game. They should be okay as long as they focus on doing what Gaffney does, execute on offense.

The Gaffney defense should be able to dominate with their team speed. They have kicked it up a couple of notches the last couple of weeks. They have given up a total of 101 points for an average of 9.2 per game. If they focus on playing Gaffney defensive football, they should have another shut out on their resume.

Keys To The Game For West Ashley..... (1) Hope that Gaffney is not focused on playing them. (2) They have to force several turnovers and turn them into points. (3) They have to leave it all on the field. Try anything that they can to stay in the football game. (4) play a perfect football game.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Be focused to play football and not looking past the Wildcats. (2) Do not turn the ball over. (3) Just play Gaffney football and execute.

Game Prediction..... The West Ashley team comes all the way from Charleston to try and do something no one else has done this season. They are going to try and beat the Indians. They will leave Gaffney impressed with the Peachoid, The Reservation and the Gaffney Indians football team. THE TRIBE ROLLS TO THE NEXT ROUND..... Gaffney 49 West Ashley 0

TRIBE FACTS..... The last team to beat Gaffney at home in the playoffs was Orangeburg-Wilkinson in 1984.

TRIBE FACTS..... The last time Gaffney lost a 1st round playoff game was in 2002 at Summerville 37 to 27.

You can check out my West Ashley @ Gaffney 1st Round Playoff Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

GAFFNEY @ SPARTANBURG RECAP (2011)

Copeland Accounts For 6 TDs And Defense Destroys Vikings as Indians win Region 3 4A Championship. The Tribe got two TD runs from QB Joey Copeland of 9-yards and 14-yards and the defense held the Vikings' offense to minus yardage to lead 14 to 0 after the 1st quarter.

The Spartanburg offense threatened to score for the only time in the game when QB Adrian Kollock got out of a sure sack and scrambled for 42-yards to the Gaffney three yard line. The Tribe's defense pushed them back and on 3rd and goal from the eight yard line they forced a fumble to halt the Viking threat. The Gaffney offense marched right down the field and scored on a 37-yard pass from Copeland to Quinshad Davis to make the score 21 to 0. With their failure to score and the Indians quickly going up by three scores the Vikings could see that if was not going to be their night. Late in the quarter the Tribe's defense set up the offense with a short field when they pressured Kollock into throwing an interception to Cobby McDowell. Copeland then hit Hyleck Foster with a 48-yard TD pass to end the 1st half scoring. The score at halftime was 28 to 0 in favor of Gaffney. The Gaffney defense held Spartanburg to 50-yards in the 1st half.

The third quarter started with the Tribe's offense sputtering a little, but their defense was even more dominant than in the 1st half. The Indians got their offense moving on their third possession of the half and scored on a 3-yard run by Copeland. The Tribe led 35 to 0 after three quarters.

The Tribe would score their final TD of the game, midway of the 4th quarter, on a 7-yard pass from Copeland to Ryan Frock to make the score 42 to 0. The Vikings never threatened to score the remainder of the game and the Final Score Was 42 to 0. The Gaffney defense held the Vikings to minus-4 yards in the 2nd half and only 46 total yards for the game. The Indians finish the regular season 11 and 0 overall and 5 and 0 in the region and they are 2011 Region 3 4A Champions.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 15, Spartanburg 5
Yards Rushing Gaffney 91, Spartanburg 47
Yards Passing Gaffney 307, Spartanburg -1
Total Yards Gaffney 398, Spartanburg 46
Turnovers Gaffney 1, Spartanburg 2

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland was 22 of 31 for 307 yards and 3 TD passes, 31 yards rushing and 3 TDs
WR Quinshad Davis had 10 catches for 167 yards and 1 TD
WR Hyleck Foster had 5 catches for 79 yards and 1 TD
WR Ryan Frock had 2 catches for 19 yards and 1 TD
WR Bryce Spurlin had 1 catch for 27 yards
RB C.J. Miller had 62 yards rushing and 2 catches for 8 yards
DB Cobby McDowell had 1 INT

My View From The Stands..... (1) The Spartanburg side of the stadium was only half full. That had to be very embarrassing for them to not fill the home side for such a big game. (2) The Gaffney side was jam packed with people sitting on the hill and standing. (3) The Gaffney defense had one of the most dominating performances that I have seen in a long long time. (4) Joey Copeland and Quinshad Davis continue to be unstoppable. (5) I was glad to see Hyleck Foster have a very good game subbing for the injured Shaq Davidson. That should take some of the pressure off Quinshad Davis.

The Indians will play at home, at The Reservation, as long as they keep winning up until the State Championship game at Clemson's Death Valley. They are the Number 1 Seed in the Division 1 4A playoffs.

TRIBE FACTS..... The Indians have not lost a home playoff game since 1984.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 11 (2011) GAFFNEY @ SPARTANBURG

The Tribe had big games from WR Quinshad Davis, RB C.J. Miller, QB Joey Copeland and a dominating defense, as they won Round 3 of THE PAYBACK TOUR over Northwestern 49 to 20. The score was actually closer than the game really was. The Indians are 10 and 0 overall and 4 and 0 in Region 3 4A. It sets up the game for the Region 3 Championship against longtime arch rival Spartanburg Vikings. The game is Friday night at Gibbs Stadium on the campus of Wofford College.

Gaffney @ Spartanburg

The Vikings come into this game with an overall record of 8 and 2 and 3 and 1 in Region 3 4A. They are led on offense by QB Adrian Kollock, who is probably 50 percent of their offense. Their offense goes as he goes. Their offense is mostly run first and pass second. They have scored 312 points this season for an average of 31.2 per game. They also have a couple of good RBs and WRs. They usually don't beat themselves.

The Vikings defense has been very good this season. They run a 3-5-3 with a lot of stunts from the outside. They are led on defense by North-South selection DL Jaquille Oden. They have given up 136 points for an average of 13.6 per game. They also have former Indian Justin Thompson on defense.

The Gaffney offense didn't seem to miss a beat last week, even with two offensive linemen and second leading receiver out of the ball game. They didn't let the adversity of the messy weather stop them either. They showed a very good running game led by C.J. Miller with 132 yards rushing and 3 TDs. For the season they have scored 524 points for an average of 52.4 per game. QB Joey Copeland and WR Quinshad Davis continue to be unstoppable.

The Gaffney defense kicked up their play another couple of notches, as they completely dominated the high powered Northwestern offense. They held them to only 153 total yards for the game. For the season they have given up 101 points for an average of 10.1 per game. Their big challenge this week will be to contain Vikings' QB Adrian Kollock.

Keys To The Game For Spartanburg..... (1) They must run the football successfully to keep the Gaffney offense off the field. (2) Get off to a fast start to put the pressure on the Indians. (3) They must put pressure on QB Joey Copeland. (4) Force some turnovers.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Get off to their usual fast start. Put the pressure on them to try to come back. (2) Contain QB Adrian Kollock. They contain him and they probably win the game easily. (3) They need the defense to force some turnovers to give the offense a short field. (4) Be balanced on offense to keep their defense off balance.

Game Prediction..... This game for the Region 3 4A Championship is the biggest Gaffney vs Spartanburg game in at least a decade. It also breathes life back into the most storied rivalry in South Carolina High School football. The Tribe won big last season and I look for them to win big again..... Gaffney 38 Spartanburg 14

TRIBE FACTS..... QB Joey Copeland needs 155 yards passing against Spartanburg to reach 3,000 for the season.

You can check out my Gaffney @ Spartanburg Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

NORTHWESTERN @ GAFFNEY RECAP (2011)

Not The Rain, Cold, Wind Or The Trojans Could Slow Down The Tribe, as the Indians overcame a terrible weather night and dominated Northwestern 49 to 20. The Indians moved up and down the field in the 1st quarter, but only scored one TD. They scored on a 5-yard run from C.J. Miller. They had two other drives halted on downs deep in Northwestern territory. The Tribe led 7 to 0 after the 1st quarter.

The 2nd quarter has been a huge scoring quarter for the Indians this season and last night was no different, as they put 21 points on the board. The first points of the quarter was a 3-yard interception return by Snoop Byers. The Tribe had turned the ball over on downs at the 3-yard line the previous play. Byers' INT seamed to open up the flood gates (no pun intended), as the Indians scored two more TDs, one on another 5-yard run by Miller and a 4-yard run by Joey Copeland. The Tribe led 28 to 0 late in the quarter. The Trojans finally got on the board, just before halftime, as QB Matthew Turney hit Dupree Hart with a 48-yard TD pass. The score at halftime was 28 to 6 in favor of the Tribe.

The 3rd quarter was more of the same, dominating Gaffney defense and two more TDs by the offense. They scored on a 22-yard TD pass from Copeland to Quinshad Davis and then C.J. Miller scored his third TD of the game on a 2-yard run. The score after the 3rd quarter was 42 to 6.

The Tribe scored their final points of the night, in the opening minutes of the 4th quarter, on a 5-yard TD run from Hyleck Foster. The Indians led 49 to 6 and started putting in reserves for the balance of the game. Northwestern did score a couple of late TDs, with their starters against Gaffney's reserves, to make the score closer than the game actually was. As you will see in the Game Stats Summary, it was a dominating Gaffney victory. The FINAL SCORE IN THE PAYBACK TOUR ROUND 3 WAS GAFFNEY 49 AND NORTHWESTERN 20.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 24, Northwestern 11
Yards Rushing Gaffney 209, Northwestern 17
Yards Passing Gaffney 239, Northwestern 136
Total Yards Gaffney 448, Northwestern 153
Turnovers Gaffney 3, Northwestern 3

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland was 16 for 28 for 239 yards and 1 TD Pass and 2 INTs, 34 yards rushing and 1 TD
RB C.J. Miller had 20 carries for 132 yards rushing and 3 TDs
RB/WR Hyleck Foster had 4 carries for 23 yards and 1 TD
WR Quinshad Davis had 10 catches for 192 yards and 1 TD
WR Ryan Frock had 3 catches for 32 yards
WR Brandon Bevis had 2 catches for 16 yards
DB Snoop Byers had 1 INT for a TD

My View From The Stands..... (1) Surprisingly the crowd on the home side was pretty good considering the awful weather. (2) The Indians relied heavy on the running game rushing for 209 yards and 5 rushing TDs. That was a good move with the weather as bad as it was. (3) The offense moved the ball very well despite the adversity of having two offensive linemen and 2nd leading receiver out of the game and with the weather being horrible. (4)They had way to many penalties, 12 for 89 yards. (5) The defense was very dominant against the high powered Northwestern offense.

The Indians now get ready to play Spartanburg for the Region 3 4A Championship on Friday night at Gibbs Stadium on the campus of Wofford College. The Indians will be trying to win their first Region Title since 2006. The Indians also won their 16th State Championship in 2006 going a perfect 15 and 0.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 10 (2011) NORTHWESTERN @ GAFFNEY

The Tribe got 6 TD passes from Joey Copeland and pounded Lancaster 49 to 7, last Friday night at The Reservation. The Tribe victory was sweet, but it came with a cost. Sophomore WR Shaq Davidson suffered a torn ACL in his knee and is lost for the season. It is a huge loss for the football team and the basketball team. The Tribe also had another injury, as OL Kerry Williams went down with an ankle sprain. His status is day to day. He is expected to be out at least this week.

It is time for ROUND 3 OF THE PAYBACK TOUR. The Indians have already beaten two of the teams that beat them last season in Dorman and Greenwood. It's time for Northwestern to be paid back this week. Gaffney goes into this game with a 9 and 0 record overall and 3 and 0 in Region 3 4A play. The Northwestern Trojans come into the game 6 and 3 overall and 2 and 1 in Region 3 4A.

Northwestern @ Gaffney

The Trojans come into this game probably as healthy as they have been all season. They still run their pass happy offense that throws the football about 80% of the time. They lost their National High School Player Of The Year QB Justin Worley, he is starting in Knoxville Saturday against the Gamecocks, but they have another outstanding QB in Soph. Mason Rudolph. He has 22 TD passes and only 8 INTs. Their top receiver is SR. B.J. Boyd with 75 catches and 11 TDs. The Trojans have scored 291 points for an average of 32.3 per game. As a team they are averaging 245.0 yards per game passing and 99.2 yards per game rushing. That is a total of 344.2 yards of total offense per game.

The Northwestern defense comes into this game with an aggressive style and a physical presence. They have 15 sacks and 10 INTs on the season. They have given up 178 points for an average of 19.8 per game. They will have their hands full trying to slow down the Indians' offensive machine.

The Tribe's offense comes into the game on a roll, but is having to deal with some adversity for the first time this season. Both of their starting offensive tackles are out for this game, left tackle Clay McKown suspended from the team for the remainder of the season, right tackle Kerry Williams out with an ankle injury. They will have to shuffle their WRs around to try and fill the void of Shaq Davidson being gone for the season. I look for Hyleck Foster to play a lot of WR and get some extended playing time from O.B. Davidson and Bryce Spurlin at WR. For the season the Tribe's offense has scored 475 points for an average of 52.8 per game.

The Tribe's defense will get their biggest test since the Byrnes game, by having to try and slow down the pass happy Trojans offense. The defense will have to tackle well to keep the yards after the catch at a minimum. For the season they have given up only 81 points for an average of 9.0 per game. The defense needs to kick it up another notch to help pick up the slack from the offense's injuries.

Keys To The Game For Northwestern..... (1) Get on the board early. Get ahead and put more adversity on the Indians offense. (2) Pressure the Gaffney QB. Try to take advantage of Gaffney starting two unproven players on the offensive line. (3) Force some turnovers. They forced 5 turnovers against the Indians last season which was the difference in the ball game.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Get off to a fast start to prove to themselves that they can continue to score points even with the injuries on offense. (2) Do not turn the football over. Five turnovers last season cost them the game with Northwestern. (3) They must tackle well to prevent yards after the catch. The Trojans shot passing game depends on yards after the catch.

Game Prediction..... We have Round 3 Of The Payback Tour and the Tribe wants this game bad. The first two games of The Payback Tour went to the Indians. So does round 3..... Gaffney 42 Northwestern 14

TRIBE FACTS..... The Tribe has lost their last three games against Northwestern. All three games were for the Region 3 4A Title.

You can catch my Northwestern @ Gaffney Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

LANCASTER @ GAFFNEY RECAP (2011)

Copeland Carves Up The Bruins With The Precision Of A Surgeon, as the Tribe takes control of Region 3 4A. The Tribe's QB threw 6 TD passes, 5 in the 1st half, as the Indians pound the Lancaster Bruins 49 to 7. The Tribe scored three TDs in the 1st quarter, two on TD passes of 29-yards and 10-yards to Quinshad Davis and a 3-yard run from C. J. Miller. Gaffney led 21 to 0 after the 1st quarter.

The surgeon went back to work in the 2nd quarter, as he threw three more TD passes. He hooked up with Quinshad Davis on an exciting 90-yard scoring pass and another from 30-yards. He also closed the 1st half scoring with a 26-yard TD pass to Hyleck Foster. The Bruins did get on the scoreboard with a 1-yard TD run from QB Kaderrious Jackson. The score at halftime was 42 to 7 in favor of the Tribe.

The 2nd half started with the surgeon throwing his 6th TD pass of the game. He hit Ryan Frock from 8-yards out to close the Gaffney scoring, on this homecoming evening. The Tribe started putting in back-up players for the balance of the game. The defense kept the Bruins off the scoreboard the rest of the way and the Indians sent the homecoming crowd home happy, as they won another game in a route 49 to 7. The Indians are now 9 and 0 overall and 3 and 0 in Region 3 4A.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 29, Lancaster 8
Yards Rushing Gaffney 172, Lancaster 121
Passing Yards Gaffney 382, Lancaster 48
Total Yards Gaffney 554, Lancaster 169
Turnovers Gaffney 2, Lancaster 3

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland 20 of 27 for 334 yards and 6 TD passes and 0 INTs, 22 yards rushing
QB Luke Lancaster 5 of 7 for 48 yards and 2 INTs, 7 yards rushing
WR Quinshad Davis had 8 catches for 207 yards and 4 TDs
WR Brandon Bevis had 3 catches for 31 yards
WR Bryce Spurlin had 4 catches for 23 yards
RB Hyleck Foster had 34 yards rushing and 4 catches for 51 yards and 1 TD
RB C.J. Miller had 62 yards rushing and 1 TD

My View From The Stands..... (1) I saw the Tribe come out and put the distractions of homecoming and having a teammate suspended behind them. They came out focused and scored on their first four possessions of the game. (2) I saw them hit a lull with their offense midway of the third quarter after the offense suffered two injuries. Starting WR Shaq Davidson and OL Kerry Williams went down with knee injuries. (3) I saw them pick it back up and score two TDs on their last two possessions of the 1st half and first possession of the 2nd half. (4) I saw QB Joey Copeland and WR Quinshad Davis put on an offensive show. Copeland threw 6 TD passes and Davis had 4 TD catches.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 9 (2011) LANCASTER @ GAFFNEY

The Indians rolled in a big way last week, as they destroyed Rock Hill 72 to 13. The Indians led 30 to 0, after the 1st quarter and never looked back. Gaffney QB Joey Copeland accounted for 5 TDs in the game. He had three rushing and two passing. The defense scored a safety and the special teams blocked a punt. It was a total team effort. The Tribe now stands 8 and 0 overall and 2 and 0 in Region 3 4A. They are back home, at The Reservation for Homecoming, Friday night against Lancaster.

Lancaster @ Gaffney

The game Friday night between Lancaster and Gaffney has turned into a much bigger game than anyone expected. Both teams are sitting on top of the Region 3 4A standings with 2 and 0 records. The Tribe has beaten Clover and Rock Hill by a combined score of 127 to 16 for their 2 and 0 region record. The Tribe is riding high, as the Number 1 team in the state and as high as Number 3 and 4 in the nation. Lancaster has pulled two upsets over Rock Hill and Northwestern, by a combined 3 points, for their 2 and 0 region record. The Bruins come in with a lot of confidence and would like nothing more than to beat the state's best team. The Bruins are 5 and 3 overall and 2 and 0 in Region 3 4A.

The Lancaster offense is led by QB Shaq Williams, who is a very good athlete that can beat you with his arm or his legs. They also have a couple of big receivers who can make plays. The Bruins have scored 221 points this season for an average of 27.6 per game.

The Lancaster defense has some good players that will run multiple fronts and are very versatile. They are very aggressive and get after you to try to force teams offenses into mistakes. They have given up 130 points this season for an average of 16.3 per game.

The Gaffney offense continues to be efficient and productive. They were as awesome as I have ever seen last week against Rock Hill. They scored 72 points in two and a half quarters. Tribe QB Joey Copeland continues to carve up opposing defenses with the precision of a surgeon. For the season the Tribe has scored 426 points for an average of 53.3 per game. The Indians had 44 points on the scoreboard before Allstate WR Quinshad Davis caught his first pass last week. They are not one dimensional on offense.

The Gaffney defense continues their stellar play as well. They have given up only 74 points in eight games for an average of 9.3 per game. They will need to contain the Bruins QB Shaq Williams.

Keys To The Game For Lancaster..... (1) The Bruins need to sustain drives to keep their offense on the field and Gaffney's off the field. (2) Get off to a good start. With all of the homecoming distractions and off field issues for Gaffney, a quick start may keep them in the game and put the pressure on the Indians. (3) Force turnovers on defense and protect the ball on offense.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Focus on the game and not the homecoming festivities. (2) Get off to their usual fast start and take them out of the game. (3) Put the pedal to the middle and not let up. The Bruins have been good at coming from behind this season.

Game Prediction..... The Indians could be overlooking the Bruins this week, with Northwestern and Spartanburg looming the next two weeks. They also have to put the distractions of homecoming behind them as well. I believe they will be able to get it done..... Gaffney 49 Lancaster 13

TRIBE FACTS..... Gaffney leads the overall series with Lancaster 20-4-1.

You can check out my Lancaster @ Gaffney Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

GAFFNEY @ ROCK HILL RECAP (2011)

House of Horrors Was HORROR For The Home Team, as the Gaffney Indians rolled into District 3 Stadium and destroyed the home standing Rock Hill Bearcats 72 to 13. The Tribe's scoring began when DT Rod Ogelsby sacked Rock Hill QB Hinton in the end zone for a safety. The safety started an onslaught of Gaffney scoring, as they got four rushing TDs, two by Joey Copeland and one each from C.J. Miller and Hyleck Foster, in the 1st quarter. The Tribe led 30 to 0 after the 1st quarter.

The scoring onslaught continued in the 2nd quarter, as the Tribe got another rushing TD from Copeland and two TD passes of 9-yards to Quinshad Davis and 17-yards to Shaq Davidson. They also got a 4-yard TD run from C.J. Miller. The Bearcats scored their first TD on a 15-yard TD pass from Hinton to Jamel Jones. So the teams went into the locker room at halftime with Gaffney holding a commanding lead of 58 to 6.

The 3rd quarter started with the Bearcats showing that they were not going to quit playing, as they marched down the field and got a 14-yard TD pass from Hinton to Jones. The Gaffney offensive starters did play one series in the 3rd quarter and they answered the Rock Hill score with a quick drive of their own which was finished off by a beautiful 17-yard run by C.J. Miller. The Tribe's second unit would finish the scoring in the 3rd quarter with a 3-yard run by Joey Gaines. So with three quarters in the book the Gaffney Indians led Rock Hill 72 to 13.

There were no scoring in the 4th quarter, as Gaffney Head Coach Dan Jones emptied his bench and everyone that dressed for the game played. The Gaffney reserves played pretty well, as they kept the Bearcats from getting anymore points. The Final Score ended Gaffney 72 and Rock Hill 13.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 28, Rock Hill 15
Rushing Yards Gaffney 263, Rock Hill 136
Passing Yards Gaffney 393, Rock Hill 165
Total Yards Gaffney 656, Rock Hill 301
Turnovers Gaffney 3, Rock Hill 4

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland 17 of 24 for 371 yards and 2 TD passes and 0 INTs and 103 yards rushing and 3 TDs
RB C.J. Miller 66 yards rushing and 3 TDs and 1 catch for 59 yards
RB Hyleck Foster 62 yards rushing and 1 TD
RB Joey Gaines 17 yards rushing and 1 TD and 1 catch for 18 yards
WR Quinshad Davis 4 catches for 71 yards and 1 TD
WR Shaq Davidson 5 catches for 119 yards and 1 TD and 10 yards rushing
WR Ryan Frock 4 catches for 40 yards
WR Brandon Bevis 3 catches for 40 yards
K Victor Ramirez was 10 for 10 on PATs

My View From The Stands..... (1) I saw another awesome performance from the Tribe. They were great in all phases of the game. They had a couple of interceptions and a safety on defense and a blocked punt on special teams. The offense was unbelievable. (2) They were leading 44 to 0 before Quinshad Davis caught his first pass. (3) Joey Copeland looks like the High School version of Cam Newton. He has been unstoppable. (4) I saw a lot of talent on the field for the Indians. They will have a lot of talent coming back next year.

The Indians are now undefeated at 8 and 0 overall and 2 and 0 in Region 3 4A. They are ranked as high as Number 3 and 5 in the nation.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 8 (2011) GAFFNEY @ ROCK HILL

The Tribe started a little sluggish last week against Clover, but put their pedal down in the 2nd half and cruised to a 55 to 3 win over the Blue Eagles. Joey Copeland threww 6 TD passes and Quinshad Davis had 3 TD catches to lead the offense. The Tribe improved to 7 and 0 overall and 1 and 0 in Region 3 4A. They are on the road again this week at Rock Hill.

Gaffney @ Rock Hill

The Gaffney vs Rock Hill series has always been a very hard fought and physical football game. Since 2005 it has had the added drama of Rock Hill being coached by former Gaffney Head Coach Joe Montgomery. He won the first meeting against Gaffney, but has lost the last three. He is currently 1 and 3 against the Gaffney Indians. Rock Hill comes into this match-up with a 4 and 3 overall record 0 and 1 in Region 3 4A play.

The Bearcats are led on offense by their QB Kenterius Hinton who is an average passer and a very good runner. They also have a couple of 6'4" receivers the best of which is Jamel Jones. They also have a couple of very quick running backs. The Rock Hill offense has scored 163 points for an average of 23.3 per game. Turnovers have been a problem for them this season.

They have a typical Rock Hill defense, as it is very physical and aggressive. Their defense has given up a total of 146 points for an average of 20.9. They will be looking to put pressure on Gaffney's QBs to try and throw off their offensive timing and execution.

The Tribe's offense has been very productive this season, as they have scored 354 points for an average of 50.6 per game. QB Joey Copeland has led the way with 24 TD passes and only 4 interceptions. Quinshad Davis has been a man among boys this season, as he has 46 catches and 13 TDs. The Tribe would like to get off to a faster start this week, as they were sluggish out of the gate against Clover.

The Tribe's defense continues to be very dominant, as they have not given up a TD in the last three games. You can go all the way back to the 1st quarter of the Greenwood game, week three, to the last time a TD was scored off of the starting defense. For the season they have given up only 61 points for an average of 8.7 per game. The Gaffney corners will be tested by the tall Rock Hill receivers. As we know, they go up against the best receiver in the state in 6'4" Quinshad Davis in practice everyday.

Keys To The Game For Rock Hill..... (1) They have to force some turnovers. (2) They need to get a score or two from their special teams. (3) They need to sustain drives to keep Gaffney;s offense off of the field. (4) They can't turn the ball over.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) They need to come out focused to play. They came out last week not as focused as they needed to be. (2) Just execute their offense like they have all season. (3) Do not turn the ball over. (4) Make the Rock Hill offense one dimensional.

Game Prediction..... District 3 Stadium in Rock Hill has been a HOUSE OF HORRORS for Gaffney over the years. Gaffney needs to keep their momentum going and Rock Hill can't afford another Region 3 loss. The horror will be with the Bearcats this time..... Gaffney 49 Rock Hill 10

TRIBE FACTS..... Gaffney leads the all time series with Rock Hill 49-24-6.

TRIBE FACTS..... Since the Big 16 was started in 1981, Gaffney has played 35 games at District 3 Stadium against Rock Hill and Northwestern. Gaffney's record is 8 and 27 in the 35 games.

TRIBE FACTS..... Former Gaffney Head Coach and current Rock Hill Head Coach Joe Montgomery had a coaching record of 109 and 57 during his 12 seasons in Gaffney. He coached here from 1991-2002 and won two State Championships in 1992 and 1997.

I will have my Gaffney @ Rock Hill Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

GAFFNEY @ CLOVER RECAP (2011)

Copeland Throws For 6 TD's, as Tribe Rolls over Clover 55 to 3. It took the Gaffney offense a little while to get rolling, but roll they did. The Tribe led only 7 to 0 after the 1st quarter, on a 19-yard TD pass from Joey Copeland to Quinshad Davis. The defense started off strong and played well all night.

The Tribe scored on two more Copeland TD passes of 18-yards and 13-yards, in the 2nd quarter, to lead 20 to 0 at the half. Copeland was halfway to his 6 TD passes by halftime. The Gaffney running game and defense also played well.

The 3rd quarter was more of the same, as Copeland threw 3 more TD passes and the defense was still dominant, with a good running game mixed in. That is what you call a good recipe for a dominating victory. The Tribe led 41 to 0 after the 3rd quarter.

In the 4th quarter, Clover finally dented the score board with a 35-yard field goal. The Tribe's reserves would add two more scores, on a 10-yard TD pass from Luke Lancaster to Ryan Frock and a 5-yard run by Joey Gaines. The final score was a dominating 55 to 3 win by the Tribe.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 17, Clover 9
Yards Rushing Gaffney 240, Clover 140
Yards Passing Gaffney 237, Clover 0
Total Yards Gaffney 477, Clover 140
Turnovers Gaffney 1, Clover 3

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland was 16 of 31 for 211 yards and 6 TD passes, 52 yards rushing.
QB Luke Lancaster was 3 of 4 for 26 yards and 1 TD pass.
WR Quinshad Davis had 6 catches for 104 yards and 3 TDs.
WR Shaq Davidson had 3 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD.
WR Ryan Frock had 3 catches for 37 yards and 1 TD.
RB C.J. Miller had 87 yards rushing and 1 catch for 4 yards.
RB Hyleck Foster had 75 yards rushing.

My View From The Stands..... (1) I saw a Gaffney team come out and take care of business against a depleted football team. (2) This was not the typical game with Clover. The three previous games were very close football games. (3) They still need to cut down on penalties. They had 8 penalties in this game.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 7 (2011) GAFFNEY @ CLOVER

The Tribe is coming off of their off week, a week Head Coach Dan Jones said was very productive. They worked on tweaking their offense, defense and kicking game. It is back to business this week, as the Region 3 4A part of the schedule begins on Friday night at Clover. Let's look at this week's game with the Blue Eagles.

Gaffney @ Clover

This is only the forth meeting between Gaffney and Clover, with the first three games all being close. The Tribe has won the past two games, after Clover won the first meeting in 2008. The games have been separated by an average margin of six points per game.

The Clover Blue Eagles brought in a new Head Coach this season named John Devine. He had a lot of success at South Point of Belmont, North Carolina. The Blue Eagles lost the majority of their starters from last years team and they are rebuilding. They have been a Wing-T offense for a number of years, but this years team will be running the veer option attack. This is an offense that is difficult to prepare for because you don't see it often these days. The Blue Eagles are 2 and 4 on the season. They are a very one-dimensional offense, as they average 192 yards per game rushing and only 6 passing yards per game. They have scored 126 points on the season for an average of 21.0 per game. They have been shutout twice. Ryan Moore is their best offensive threat, as he is their leading rusher averaging 101 yards per game
.

The Clover defense was also hit hard by graduation. They have given up 204 points for an average of 34.0 per game. Clover has always had a reputation for being extremely physical and this year is no exception.

The Gaffney offense has been rolling this season, as they have scored 299 points for a per game average of 49.9. They have been working on their timing and route running and they are ready to kick it up another notch, as the Region 3 4A part of their schedule kicks off Friday night.

The Gaffney defense has been very good this season, as they have given up only 58 points for a per game average of 9.7. During the off week they worked on alignments and assignments. Teams were effective running the ball, right at them, at times during the first half of hew season. They will have to play assignment and disciplined football to stop Clover's option attack.

Keys To The Game For Clover..... (1) They have to win the time of possession battle by a large margin. (2) They have to force several turnovers. (3) They have to hope the Gaffney bus breaks down on the way to the game.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Be focused and not take the Blue Eagles lightly. (2) Play disciplined football on defense. (3) Just do what they have been doing all season, scoring early and often to take Clover out of the game early.

Game Prediction..... This should not be the typical game between the Tribe and the Eagles. I look for Gaffney to roll, as they are excited to play another game. I am probably being conservative in my score prediction..... Gaffney 49 Clover 6

You can see my Gaffney @ Clover Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

LOOKING BACK AT THE SEASON'S FIRST HALF

It is hard to believe, but we are at the halfway point of Gaffney's 2011 football season. Leading into the Open Date this week, I would like to look back on their first six games and look ahead to what me might see for the rest of the season. To say the Gaffney Indians have been on a roll this season would be an understatement. They have been AWESOME! Let's look at the first half of the season.

Week 0 Boiling Springs @ Gaffney..... The season started off with a big bang, as the Tribe pounded the Bulldogs 47 to 0. The offense showed how talented they are and how many weapons they have. They started their season scoring on their first possession and they have been scoring points in bunches all season. The defense was as good as advertised, as the Bulldogs didn't come close to scoring.

Week 1 Gaffney @ Dorman..... The next game was a road game at Dorman to play a Cavaliers team they had lost four games in a row to. The Tribe got off to a fast start, scoring on their first possession, with a 76-yard pass play Joey Copeland to Quinshad Davis. It was back and forth through the 1st quarter and we had a 14 to 14 score after one. The Tribe scored late in the 2nd quarter to go up 21 to 14 at the half and then put the game away in the 3rd quarter with two more TDs. They won the game 35 to 14.

Week 2 Greenwood @ Gaffney..... The next test for the Tribe was the powerful Greenwood Eagles. The Tribe again got off to a fast start by scoring on their opening possession of the game. They didn't stop scoring, as they were as efficient on offense as I have ever seen them. They were unstoppable and led the Eagles 35 to 7 at the half. Thunder Storms hit the area during the 3rd quarter with Gaffney ahead 42 to 7 and the game was delayed about 50 minutes. When play resumed the Eagles scored two TDs against the Gaffney reserves and the Tribe added a safety and a field goal for a final score of 47 to 21.

Week 3 Union County @ Gaffney..... This game had the makings of a trap game for Gaffney. They had just beaten the two 4A State Runner-ups from last season and they had a Union County team coming in that was down this season. After a slow 1st quarter in which the Tribe led only 7 to 3, they put it together in the 2nd quarter with 42 points to lead 49 to 3 at halftime. They would add two more scores in the 2nd half and Union scored one late against the reserves to make the final score 62 to 10.

Week 4 Gaffney @ Byrnes..... The next game was the much anticipated game with Defending State Champion Byrnes. Some of the luster was off the game when Myrtle Beach snapped the Rebels 70 game home winning streak the week before. Gaffney and their fans wanted this game BAD! The Tribe had not won at Nixon Field since 1999 and had been steamrolled by the Rebels 60 to 7 the last time they were here. The defense was great in this game for Gaffney. They stopped a forth and goal by the Rebels in the 1st quarter and on two other occasions, in the game, they had their backs to the wall after turnovers by their offense inside the 10-yard line. The Gaffney offense did get on track in the 2nd quarter and led 14 to 10 at the half. Byrnes 10 points came off of turnovers. They got a field goal in the 1st quarter after getting the ball inside the 10-yard line on a fumble and scored a TD late in the 2nd quarter when they recovered a bad snap by Gaffney in the end zone. The Tribe put the game away in the 2nd half with 3 more TDs. They got a 99-yard kickoff return to start the 3rd quarter from Shaq Davidson and two more scores in the 4th quarter to seal the deal. The Tribe won the game over the Rebels 35 to 13.

Week 5 Gaffney @ Greenville..... This was another game that made you wonder would the Tribe be focused to play. The question was answered early and often, as they raced out to a 28 to 0 1st quarter lead and kept on racing. It was 56 to 0 at the half and most of the starters were out of the game before the 1st half was over. In the 2nd half, the reserves would add 17 more points and keep the Red Raiders off the scoreboard. Final score Gaffney 73 Greenville 0.

FIRST HALF OF SEASON STATS

Gaffney Offense..... 299 points scored for average of 49.8 points per game.
Gaffney Defense..... 58 points given up for an average of 9.7 points per game.
The Tribe defeated their first six opponents by an average of 40.1 points.
Gaffney has 10 turnovers and has forced 15 turnovers for a +5 in the Turnover/Takeaway Ratio.

QB Joey Copeland is 95 of 134 passing for 1,625 yards for a completion percentage of 71%. He has 18 TD passes and only 4 interceptions. He also has 237 yards rushing and 11 TDs.
RB C.J. Miller has 362 yards rushing for a per carry average of 4.7. He has 5 TDs.
RB Hyleck Foster has 298 yards rushing for a per carry average of 8.8. He has 1 TD.
WR Quinshad Davis has 40 catches for 804 yards and 10 TDs and is averaging 20.1 yards per catch.
WR Shaq Davidson has 19 catches for 495 yards and 6 TDs and is averaging 26.1 yards per catch.
WR Brandon Bevis has 18 catches for 227 yards and 2 TDs and is averaging 12.6 yards per catch.
WR Ryan Frock has 16 catches for 212 yards and 2 TDs and is averaging 13.2 yards per catch.
DB Cobby McDowell has 4 interceptions and 1 TD.
DB Marquis Brannon has 3 interceptions.

My View From The Stands..... (1) The Tribe has been even more impressive than I thought they would, so far this season. (2) Since I have been watching Gaffney football I have never seen a Gaffney football team as dominant as this team has been. (3) The 2006 Indians, that went 15-0 and won the schools 16th State Championship, was probably the best team I have seen in Gaffney, until now. They weren't the most talented team, but they were probably the best I had seen. (4) This season's Gaffney Indians is probably the most talented team that I have seen. They look like not only the best Gaffney team, but the best High School team that I have ever seen to this point in the season.

What I Want To See In The Second Half Of The Season..... (1) I want to see continued improvement from week to week. I expect it to happen, as it is a Gaffney Tradition. (2) I want to see even better protection of the football. They have 10 turnovers for the season for an average of 1.7 per game. Much better than last season. (3) I want to see better special teams play. They especially need to improve in their punting game and their punt return game. (4) I fully expect to see this team get better (which is scary) and win the State Championship in Death Valley in December. When they do that they will prove that they are the BEST TEAM IN GAFFNEY INDIANS' HISTORY!

TRIBE FACTS..... The 73 points the Tribe scored last Friday night at Greenville is the most they have ever scored on the road.

There will be no Gaffney football this week due to an Open Date.
Until Next Time.

GAFFNEY @ GREENVILLE RECAP (2011)

Tribe Destroys Greenville by a score of 73 to 0. It was all Gaffney, as they scored on every offensive possession and also had a defensive TD. The Indians scored 28 1st quarter points to lead 28 to 0 after one quarter of play. Joey Copeland had TD passes of 47-yards to Shaq Davidson, 59-yards to Quinshad Davis and he also had a 8-yard TD run. The Tribe also got a pick 6 of 34-yards from Cobby McDowell.

The 2nd quarter was just as dominant, as they scored on two more TD passes from Copeland of 29-yards to Davidson and 33-yards to Brandon Bevis. They also scored on a 1-yard TD run by C.J. Miller. Late in the 2nd quarter, back-up QB Luke Lancaster would throw a 49-yard TD pass to Davis. The score at halftime was Gaffney 56 and Greenville 0.

The Tribe played mostly back-ups in the 3rd quarter, but still managed to score a TD on a 14-yard run by Miller to make the score 63 to 0 after the 3rd quarter.

There was all back-up players in the game by the middle of the 3rd quarter and all of the 4th quarter. They would still add 10 more points. They scored on a 21-yard field goal by Victor Ramirez and a 10-yard TD run by Joey Gaines. The back-up defensive players kept the Red Raiders off of the scoreboard and the Final score was Gaffney 73 and Greenville 0.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 31, Greenville 14
Yards Rushing Gaffney 258, Greenville 127
Yards Passing Gaffney 399, Greenville 175
Total Yards Gaffney 657, Greenville 302
Turnovers Gaffney 0, Greenville 2

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland 12 of 14 for 284 yards and 4 TD passes, 67 yards rushing and 1 TD
QB Luke Lancaster 5 of 11 for 115 yards and 1 TD pass
WR Quinshad Davis 5 catches for 127 yards and 2 TDs
WR Shaq Davidson 5 catches for 118 yards and 2 TDs
RB C.J. Miller 9 carries for 58 yards and 2 TDs, 1 catch for 12 yards
RB Hyleck Foster 7 carries for 73 yards.
RB Joey Gaines 6 carries for 49 yards and 1 TD, 1 catch for 28 yards
WR Ryan Frock 3 catches for 55 yards
WR Brandon Bevis 1 catch for 33 yards and 1 TD
CB Cobby McDowell 1 interception returned 34 yards for TD

My View From The Stands..... (1) There were very few Greenville fans in attendance for the game. (2) The Tribe executed on offense almost flawlessly. They had 9 penalties for 75-yards that they need to improve on. (3) Gaffney never punted in the game. They lined up to punt once, but ran a fake to get a first down. (4) There was no let down, by the Indians, playing a team that was win less after their big win over Byrnes the week before.

The Indians are in their open week next Friday. I will have a blog on Looking Back At The Season's First Half on Thursday.

Until Next Time.