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.