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.