STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 2012 RECAP

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO TITLE TOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA..... The Gaffney Indians got redemption Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium, as they got what eluded them last season their 17th State Football Championship. The Tribe jumped on top on their 3rd offensive play of the game and never looked back. The defense forced 4 turnovers in the 1st half which led the Indians to a 24 to 7 halftime lead. The Gaffney offense scored on TD runs of 50-yards and 19-yards by QB Shaq Davidson, a 31-yard field goal by Victor Ramirez and a 44-yard pass from Davidson to WR O'Bryant Davidson to build their commanding halftime lead. The Gaffney defense completely made the Dutch Fork passing game a non factor, as they intercepted QB Derek Olenchuk three times while putting constant pressure on him. Dutch Fork's leading pass receiver Jordan Berry, whom had 122 receptions on the season coming into the game, was a non factor in the game as well.

The 2nd half started with the Tribe having the ball and they had a fast start when RB Hyleck Foster ripped off his best run of the game a 44-yard gain to set up the offense deep in Dutch Fork territory. The drive would stall and Victor Ramirez came in to nail his second field goal of the game, a 21 yarder, to make the score 27 to 7. The Silver Foxes would not quit however, as they drove 60-yards in 8 plays to close the lead to 27 to 14 and appeared to take momentum in the game. On Gaffney's next possession their offense faced a 3rd and 13 from their 19-yard line only to have QB Shaq Davidson find WR Brandon Bevis over the middle for a 34-yard gain and a huge 1st down at the Dutch Fork 47-yard line. Not only was it a huge play to keep the Gaffney drive alive but, it was a huge momentum changing play that set up the final nail in the Dutch Fork coffin when three plays later Davidson hit WR Eddie Studyvance with a perfectly thrown 38-yard TD pass to give Gaffney a commanding 34 to 14 lead after the 3rd quarter. It also sucked the remaining life out of the Dutch Fork team. Gaffney did not have to score any more points, as they knew all they had to do now was play defense and not do anything stupid to let them back in the game. The Silver Foxes drove the ball 95-yards in 14 plays, mostly on the ground, to score another TD with 21 seconds left in the game. Then the huge crowd from Title Town, SC could start celebrating their Gaffney Indians winning their 17th State Football Championship! FINAL SCORE GAFFNEY 34  DUTCH FORK 22

My View From The Stands..... (1) I saw a huge and loud Gaffney crowd in Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday afternoon. We outnumbered the Columbia area Dutch Fork fans probably 3 to 1. (2) I thought it was really cool that Gaffney's injured player Gabe Posey was one of the co captains for the game. He broke his leg in the waning moments of the Byrnes game the week before. He was rolled out in his wheelchair. (3) It appeared that Dutch Fork was not going to let Hyleck Foster beat them, as they were keying on him all game. That led to QB Shaq Davidson having a monster game as, he passed 7 for 10 for 153 yards and 2 TD passes and he ran the ball 11 times for 105 yards and 2 TDs. (4) The Gaffney defense was ready for the Dutch Fork passing game. We had played the likes of Byrnes twice, Dorman, Boiling Springs and Northwestern during the season and it prepared them. (5) I saw DE Jaylin Miller have another big game an he came within 2 sacks of tying Jadeveon Clowney's state record of 29 sacks in a season. Miller finished with 27 sacks. (6) I SAW THE GAFFNEY INDIANS WIN THEIR STATE RECORD 17TH STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP!

TRIBE FACTS..... Gaffney Head Coach Dan Jones just completed his 3rd year as Head Coach of the Tribe. He has a 35 and 8 record, 2 consecutive Region Championships, a State Championship runner-up last season and a State Championship this season. Gaffney had not won back to back Region Championships since the 1980 and 1981 seasons.

This will be my last Tribe Blitz of 2012. I will be back in January of 2013 to look and see if Gaffney can repeat as 4A Basketball State Champions. IT SURE IS FUN BEING A GAFFNEY INDIANS FAN!

Until Next Time.