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.