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.

WEEK 5 (2011) GAFFNEY @ GREENVILLE

The Tribe won a very big football game last Friday night at Byrnes. They put the Rebels away 35 to 13. It was Gaffney's first win at Nixon Field since 1999. So far this season the Tribe has beaten the 4A Division 1 State Champs, from last season, Byrnes the Division 1 State Runner-up Dorman and the 4A Division 2 Runner-up Greenwood. Two of the three on the road. The 4A Division 2 State Champs Northwestern come to The Reservation October 28th. They are a lot of football between now and then. The Tribe plays at Greenville this week in their final non-region game. After this week they get an open date on the schedule. Let's look at the game with Greenville.

Gaffney @ Greenville

Over the last five seasons, no game on Gaffney's schedule has been more exciting than the match-up with Greenville. All have been decided by 7 points or less. Two years ago they trailed Greenville 29 to 7, early in the 3rd quarter, before scoring 32 2nd half points to win the game. Last season, at The Reservation, the Tribe had to rally from an early 14 to 0 deficit to win another nail bitter. The point I am making is Greenville always plays their best against Gaffney.
This season Gaffney comes into this game 5 and 0 ranked NO.1 in South Carolina and as high as NO. 3 in the National polls. Greenville comes into this game 0 and 4 and a struggling football team. On paper this should be an ugly outcome for the Red Raiders. The game is not played on paper, just ask the Gaffney boys basketball team about losing in the playoffs to a bad Byrnes team that they had blown out twice during the regular season. If you aren't focused anything can happen.

The Greenville offense returns their QB, but lost their receiving corps. They have struggled to find consistent play makers. They have had turnover problems as well. Through their first four games they have scored 56 points for an average of 14.0 per game.

The Red Raiders defense has even been worse. They have had to replace 9 of their 11 starters from last season. They have given up 162 points for an average of 40.5 per game. What can a team do to turn a win less season around? Beat the NO. 1 team in the state. I expect the Red Raiders to play their best game of the season.

The Gaffney offense did not bring their "A" game last week at Byrnes, but they still scored 35 points. They did have three turnovers that kept the Rebels in the game until the 4th quarter. A big part of Gaffney's success on offense this season has been sustaining drives. For the season they have converted 54% of their 3rd down conversions. They have scored 226 points for an average of 45.2 points per game. Quinshad Davis has 35 catches and 8 TDs and is averaging 135 yards a game receiving. Joey Copeland has completed almost 70% of his passes for 14 passing TDs and only 4 interceptions. He has also scored 10 TDs.

The Gaffney defense played very well last week against Byrnes. They continue to make plays and they are forcing key turnovers. One thing they have really done well this season is keeping teams from converting 3rd downs. They have allowed only a 24% conversion rate. They have given up only 58 points for an average of 11.6 points per game.

Keys To The Game For Greenville..... (1) The Red Raiders have to control the clock with their offense. They have to sustain drives and score points. (2) They have to force some turnovers. (3) They have to get off to a good start. The longer they can stay in the game the more confidence they will get and the more pressure will build on Gaffney.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Mental preparation for this game is imperative for Gaffney. Again ask the basketball team about not being mentally prepared to play an inferior opponent. (2) Jump on them early and often to get them out of the game. The longer they hang around the more confident they will have that they can beat Gaffney. (3) Correct the turnovers that they had last week that kept Byrnes in the game.

Game Prediction..... I feel like this Gaffney team will win this game going away. I feel like they will be ready and build off the momentum from beating Byrnes last week. It could get ugly..... Gaffney 56 Greenville 13

TRIBE FACTS..... In 18 meetings between Gaffney and Greenville since 1960, the Tribe holds a 12 and 5 and 1 record.

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

Until Next Time.

GAFFNEY @ BYRNES RECAP (2011)

Indians Scalp Rebels At Nixon Field by a score of 35 to 13. The Tribe got off to a slow start offensively, as they fumbled on their first possession of the game. The fumble came after the Rebels took their first possession all the way to the Gaffney one yard line. The Gaffney defense came up with a big stop on 4th and goal from the one. The Indians appeared to have a 1st down on a pass from Copeland to Davis at the eleven yard line. Quinshad Davis took a big hit and fumbled the ball and Byrnes recovered. The Tribe's defense came up big again, as they held the Rebels to an 18-yard field goal. The first quarter ended with the Rebels leading 3 to 0.

The Gaffney offense started to click in the 2nd quarter, as they put together two scoring drives that had Copeland hitting Davis with TD passes of 36-yards and 17-yards. The Rebels would put together another drive late in the half, but the drive was thwarted when Gaffney's Marquis Brannon intercepted a Byrnes pass in the end zone. Instead of downing the ball in the end zone he tried to make a big play and was tackled inside the 5-yard line. There was less than a minute left in the half and it looked like the Indians would go to halftime with a 14 to 3 lead. Disaster would strike two plays later, as Copeland got a high snap and the ball was fumbled in the end zone and recovered by the Rebels for a TD. So the 1st half ended with Gaffney ahead 14 to 10 and Byrnes had the momentum.

The Tribe would get the momentum back in a big way, as Shaq Davidson took the 2nd half kickoff back 99-yards for a TD. Gaffney had increased their lead to 21 to 10. The Rebels would try to answer, as they drove the ball into the red zone, but had to settle for a 37-yard field goal. The score after the 3rd quarter was 21 to 13 in favor of Gaffney.

The Tribe would put the game away with two TDs in the 4th quarter. The first score of the quarter came at the 11:26 mark, on a 1-yard run by Copeland. That made the score 28 to 13 and started sending a large number of the Byrnes fans to the exits. The Gaffney offense tried to let the Rebels back into the game, as they threw an interception that was returned back to the 6-yard line. The Tribe's defense did what they had been doing all night, they came up with a stop. They forced a fumble on 4th and goal. The Indians would score their final TD of the night on a 7-yard run by Hyleck Foster with 1:01 left in the game. Victory was sweet for the Tribe! Gaffney won the game 35 to 13!

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 17, Byrnes 14
Yards Rushing Gaffney 85, Byrnes 118
Yards Passing Gaffney 171, Byrnes 103
Total Yards Gaffney 256, Byrnes 221
Turnovers Gaffney 3, Byrnes 2

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland 18 of 29 for 171 yards and 2 TD passes, 1 interception, 1 rushing TD
WR Quinshad Davis 10 catches for 134 yards and 2 TDs
RB Hyleck Foster 4 rushes for 39 yards and 1 TD, 2 catches for 12 yards
WR Shaq Davidson 1 catch and a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD

My View From The Stands..... (1) The Gaffney offense did not play their "A" Game, three turnovers, but they still won the game. (2) The defense played a great football game. They were able to stop Byrnes on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line on the game's first drive. The Rebels had the ball three times inside the Gaffney 5-yard line and only got three points. They forced 2 turnovers in the red zone. They kept the high powered Byrnes offense out of the end zone. (3) The Indians had adversity for the first time and they handled it very well. Three turnovers in a hostile environment and they were behind for the first time this season. (4) The starters had to play the 4th quarter for the first time this season and they outscored Byrnes 14 to 0.

I am sorry for not having the game recap on Saturday. I had internet problems. Hopefully that won't happen again.

TRIBE FACTS..... Gaffney's victory on Friday night was their first win at Byrnes' Nixon Field since 1999.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 4 (2011) GAFFNEY @ BYRNES

The Gaffney Indians got off to a slow start last week against Union County, but turned it on in the 2nd quarter and went on to win in a blowout 62 to 10. The competition gets a lot stronger this week, as they travel down to Nixon Field in Duncan, South Carolina to take on rival Byrnes. Let's look at this game.

Gaffney @ Byrnes

The Tribe beat the Rebels last season 26 to 16, to snap a 3 game losing streak to them. Byrnes had their 70 game home winning streak snapped two weeks ago against Myrtle Beach. The Rebels have a 2 and 1 record this season with wins over Ballard (KY) and Bayside (FL). The Byrnes' offense is led by RB Shakeem Wharton and a trio of playmaking WRs in Colton Korn, Akia Booker and Tavin Richardson. The Rebels starter at QB is Soph. Shuler Bentley. The Byrnes offense is averaging 48.3 points per game.

The Byrnes defense has been very good this season as well. They are led on defense by DL Rashad Dillard and DB Davon Terry. They mix their defense up and bring a lot of pressure to try and force mistakes by their opponents offense. They are giving up an average of 10.0 points per game.

The Tribe's offense continues to roll, led by the pinpoint passing of QB Joey Copeland. He has a 72% completion percentage. Quinshad Davis leads their talented receiving corps with 25 catches and 6 TDs. The Tribe has averaged 47.8 points and over 500 yards per game.

The Tribe's defense has been very dominant, as they have given up an average of 11.3 points per game. They have given up only 45 points in 4 games as a team, but the starters have only given up 24, for an average of 6.0 per game. They will have a major test on Friday night against Byrnes.

Keys To The Game For Byrnes..... (1) They need to jump on the Indians early to get their crowd in the game. The Rebels have a history of killing an opponents morale by getting them down early. (2) Force Gaffney's offense into mistakes. (3) Play a turnover free football game.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Slow down the early and 2nd half Byrnes runs. The last couple of times the Tribe has played here they have been beaten in the 1st quarter with fast starts by the Rebels. (2) The Tribe's offense needs to get off to their usual fast start. They have scored on their first possession of every game this season. (3) Handle adversity in a good way. The Tribe has everything pretty much go their way this season. They have not been behind at all.

Game Prediction..... This is the biggest game in the state by far and one of the biggest games in the Southeast. To storied programs with 26 State Championships between them. Gaffney the NO.1 team in the state of SC and NO.5 team in the nation by Rivals.com against the defending 4A Division 1 State Champs Byrnes Rebels. NUFF SAID..... Gaffney 28 Byrnes 21

TRIBE FACTS..... Byrnes has won eight of the past twelve meetings in this series, but Gaffney leads the overall series 12 to 10.

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

Until Next Time.

UNION COUNTY @ GAFFNEY RECAP (2011)

Indians Make 1961 Indians Proud with a resounding 62 to 10 victory Friday night, at The Reservation. The Tribe was listless and made mistakes in the 1st quarter, as they only led 7 to 3 after one quarter of play. They got on a roll in the 2nd quarter, as they scored six TDs on their way to a 49 to 3 lead at halftime. The Tribe was led by QB Joey Copeland with 3 TD passes and 2 TD runs in the first half. They also got a score on a blocked put and back-up QB Luke Lancaster threw his first varsity TD pass to Quinshad Davis.

The 2nd half started with Eddie Studyvance intercepting a Union County pass and returning it to the 3-yard line. C.J. Miller would score a couple of plays later to increase the Gaffney lead to 55 to 3. That would be the end of the night for the Gaffney starters. The Yellow Jackets would score on a 43-yard pass play, late in the 3rd quarter, to make the score 55 to 10 after three quarters. The Gaffney scoring would end with about 8:07 left in the game, when Luke Lancaster hit Brandon Bevis with a 9-yard TD pass. It was Lancaster's second TD pass of the game and it made the score 62 to 10. So with the majority of the 1961 State Champion Indians in attendance, the 2011 Indians made them proud, with a 62 to 10 final score.

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 21 Union County 18
Rushing Yards Gaffney 153 Union County 112
Passing Yards Gaffney 327 Union County 261
Total Yards Gaffney 480 Union County 373
Turnovers Gaffney 1 Union County 2

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland 10 of 13 for 271 yards and 3 TD passes, 31 yards rushing and 2 TDs
QB Luke Lancaster 6 of 9 for 56 yards and 2 TD passes
WR Quinshad Davis 6 catches for 183 yards and 2 TDs
WR Brandon Bevis 4 catches for 47 yards and 1 TD
WR Shaq Davidson 3 catches for 63 yards and 1 TD
RB Joey Gaines 10 carries for 46 yards rushing

My View From The Stands..... (1) I saw a Gaffney team come out with their minds not totally in the game. They were making mistakes and were shaky in the 1st quarter. (2) I saw them get on a roll in the 2nd quarter scoring 6 TDs. (3) I saw them have 11 penalties for 75-yards, which is to many. (4) I saw a glimpse into next year, with the play of back-up QB Luke Lancaster. He looked pretty good.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 3 (2011) UNION COUNTY @ GAFFNEY

The Tribe won Round 2 of their PAYBACK TOUR, as they pounded the Greenwood Eagles 47 to 21 at The Reservation last Friday night. They are now 2 and 0 against teams that beat them last season. The PAYBACK TOUR will continue on October 28, 2011, when they host Northwestern. Let's look at this week's game with old rival Union County.

Union County @ Gaffney

The Indians defeated the Yellow Jackets last season 48 to 14. The Jackets rebounded from an 0 and 3 start to win their Region Championship. Union County has a 1 and 1 record this season, as they lost 40 to 7 to Spartanburg in their season opener and they bounced back with a win over Broome last week. The Indians are 3 and 0 with three very impressive wins over Boiling Springs, Dorman and Greenwood.

The Yellow Jackets are starting seven new offensive starters this season. Their offense features the spread attack led by their potent passing duo of JR. QB Keiston Smith and JR. WR Victor Ruth. Their offense is averaging 16.0 points per game through the first two games.

The Union County defense is starting nine new starters this season and they have struggled in their first two games. They are giving up an average of 30.5 points per game. They are a very solid team in the kicking game.

The Gaffney offense was clicking on all cylinders last week against Greenwood. The Tribe's QB Joey Copeland continues to play very well and he is getting the football to his many playmakers. Receivers Quinshad Davis, Shaq Davidson and Ryan Frock all had over 100 yards receiving with each scoring TDs. Copeland accounted for six TDs, four passing and two rushing. They could be in for another big night against Union County. Gaffney has averaged 43.0 points per game in their three games.

The Gaffney defense continues to get off to slow starts stopping the run. They had trouble with Dorman before they made adjustments and they did the same against Greenwood. They did force three turnovers last week. The defense has given up an average of 11.7 points per game through their first three games.

Keys To The Game For Union County..... (1) They must force some turnovers. They can't win if they don't. (2) They must win the time of possession battle. They have to keep the Gaffney offense on the sidelines. (3) They can't turn the ball over. It's hard enough to stop the Indians without giving them extra possessions.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) The Indians can't look past the Yellow Jackets to Byrnes next week. This is the ultimate trap game for the Indians, after two big wins and with Byrnes looming next week. (2) Just keep doing what they have been doing. (3) Don't let the Jackets hang around. The longer an underdog hangs around the more the pressure on the favorite.

Game Prediction..... This is the ultimate trap game for Gaffney. If the Indians are emotionally ready to play they should roll in this one. Their "B" game is good enough to beat most teams. I see the Tribe rolling..... Gaffney 45 Union County 7

TRIBE FACTS..... The 99-yard TD pass from Joey Copeland to Shaq Davidson, last week against Greenwood, is a school record and ties the state record for longest TD pass.

You can check out my Union County @ Gaffney Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

GREENWOOD @ GAFFNEY RECAP (2011)

TRIBE THUNDERS PAST EAGLES!!..... The Greenwood Eagles nor the thunder and lightning could slow down the Gaffney Indians, on Friday night at The Reservation. The Tribe turned what was thought to be a close match-up into a laugher by halftime. Gaffney led 14 to 7 after the 1st quarter, as they scored on their first two possessions on two Joey Copeland TD runs. The Tribe then put the game away in the 2nd quarter, as they forced three Greenwood turnovers. Gaffney turned the three turnovers, two of them in the Greenwood red zone, into three TDs. Two of the scores were passes to Quinshad Davis of 8 and 13-yards and the third was a school record 99-yard strike to Shaq Davidson. The Indians had totaled 499-yards in the first half and enjoyed a 35 to 7 lead.

The second half started with Gaffney stopping the Eagles on their first possession and they promptly moved down the field for another score, as Copeland hit Ryan Frock from 17-yards. The game was then delayed for almost an hour, due to lightning and heavy rain, with Gaffney in the lead 42 to 7. The gamed resumed and Greenwood's starters scored two TDs against the Gaffney reserves to make it 42 to 21 midway in the 4th quarter. The Indians would add a 31-yard field goal by Victor Ramirez and a safety on a blocked punt to end the game's scoring. THE FINAL SCORE WAS GAFFNEY 47 GREENWOOD 21!

Game Stats Summary

First Downs Gaffney 30 Greenwood 20
Yards Rushing Gaffney 272 Greenwood 224
Yards Passing Gaffney 466 Greenwood 131
Total Yards Gaffney 738 Greenwood 355
Turnovers Gaffney 2 Greenwood 4

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland 21 of 26 for 391 yards 4 TD Passes and 1 INTs, 43 yards rushing and 2 TDs.
RB C.J. Miller 12 carries for 71 yards rushing.
WR Shaq Davidson 9 catches for 196 yards and 1 TD, 1 of 1 for 35 yards passing.
WR Quinshad Davis 7 catches for 11o yards and 2 TDs.

My View From The Stands..... (1) I saw the best and most efficient offensive performance by the Tribe that I remember. (2) I saw the longest TD pass play in Gaffney football history when Copeland hit Shaq Davidson for 99-yards in the 2nd quarter. (3) I think the Gaffney defense needs to get better against the run.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 2 (2011) GREENWOOD @ GAFFNEY

Head Coach Dan Jones and his Indians won round one of their PAYBACK TOUR last week, as they soundly defeated the Dorman Cavaliers 35 to 14. Round Two is Friday night at The Reservation, as they host the Greenwood Eagles. The Eagles defeated the Tribe 10 to 7, in Greenwood last season. Let's look at this week's match-up.

Greenwood @ Gaffney

The Greenwood Eagles defeated Gaffney last season, even though the Indians out gained them by a large margin. Gaffney had three costly fumbles that set up all 10 Greenwood points. The Tribe also had some redzone issues, as they had numerous scoring opportunities. The Eagles went 13 and 2 last season losing to Dorman 35 to 28 in the regular season and to Northwestern 42 to 10 in the 4A Division 2 State Championship Game. The Eagles started their 2011 season by defeating Boiling Springs 35 to 0 in Week 1.

The Greenwood offense likes to run from a double wing formation, with a lot of misdirection and play action, to score their points. They are breaking in a new starting QB this season but, they do have three starters back in their backfield. They are not as experienced in the offensive line, as they graduated some of last years starters. They like to run the ball right at the defense.

The Greenwood defense runs a 4-3 with good linebackers and a fast secondary. They are a very aggressive and physical defense as well. They did lose their all-state LB Quinn Backus from last years team. Their three starters in their offensive backfield, also plays a lot in their secondary. On a hot night, fatigue could be a factor for the Eagles.

The Gaffney offense, last season, had 341 yards against the very good Greenwood defense. Gaffney's all-state WR Quinshad Davis was almost unstoppable in last years game, as he had 10 catches for 121 yards. Davis again is off to a great start but, he has a lot of offensive weapons around him that are big time producers. First year starting QB Joey Copeland is doing a masterful job getting the ball to his playmakers. Copeland is also making plays with his feet, as he has scored 5 TDs in the first two games.

The Gaffney defense has done a very good job, in the first two games, as they are only giving up an average of 176 yards a game and only 7 points per game. They also have four interceptions in the first two games. They had some problems early against Dorman's talented RB Raymond Smith but, they made adjustments and were their dominant self afterwards. They will be tested against the power running game of the Eagles.

Keys To The Game For Greenwood.....(1) Hit some big pass plays to open up their running game. (2) Force the Gaffney offense in to some mistakes. Turnovers were the difference in last years game. (3) Win the time of possession battle. They won this battle last year by a big margin.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Take care of the ball on offense. They had three huge turnovers in last years game. (2) Be productive in the redzone. The Tribe struggled in this area against the Eagles last year. (3) Get the defense off of the field. The Eagles ate up time of possession in last years game.

Game Prediction..... This should be a very physical football game. Players better buckle their chin straps. I believe Gaffney's speed and depth will come into play, in a major way, in the second half. The Indians will win round two of their PAYBACK TOUR..... Gaffney 28 Greenwood 14

TRIBE FACTS..... The Indians lead the overall series against Greenwood 11-6-1. Last years win by Greenwood broke a 7-game Gaffney winning streak in the series.

You can check out my Greenwood @ Gaffney Recap on Saturday. We will look at another Gaffney victory.

Until Next Time.