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.

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.