GAFFNEY @ DORMAN RECAP (2011)

Indians Rock and Roll Past Cavaliers..... as they score three first half TDs and had numerous bone rocking hits in building a 21 to 14 halftime lead. With less than three minutes gone in the game Gaffney showed their big play potential, as WR Quinshad Davis took a short slant pass from QB Joey Copeland 73-yards for a TD. The Tribe led 7 to 0. Dorman would answer, two offensive plays later, with a 50-yard TD run by RB Raymond Smith to tie the game at 7 to 7. The Tribe would answer the Dorman score with a 13-play 79-yard drive that was culminated with a 1-yard TD run by QB Joey Copeland. Gaffney was ahead 14 to 7 after the 1st quarter. Dorman would come back down the field and score on a 1-yard run, on 4th down by Raymond Smith, to tie things up at 14 to 14. It looked like we might be in for a shootout but, both defenses began to make adjustments and making stops. Gaffney would score one more time, just before the half, on a 9-yard run by RB C.J. Miller. This TD was set up by Head Coach Dan Jones going for it on 4th down and 6-yards to go, on the Dorman 40-yard line, to keep the late drive going. Gaffney went to halftime with momentum and a 21 to 14 lead.

The Indians received the 2nd half kickoff, drove down the field and scored a TD on a 10-yard run by Copeland. This was the second of three rushing TDs by Joey Copeland in the game. The Tribe was now up 28 to 14. The Indians would put the game away, later in the 3rd quarter, with a 96-yard drive that was culminated with Copeland's third rushing score of the game. The drive was set up by an interception by Gaffney's Cobby McDowell at the Tribe's 1-yard line. The big play of the drive was a 60-yard run by Soph. Hyleck Foster. The 3rd quarter ends with Gaffney in command 35 to 14. The 4th quarter was uneventful, as Dorman moved the ball a little and Gaffney ran clock when they had the ball. The game was over and the Gaffney Indians had passed their first major test of the 2011 football season. Final score, Gaffney 35 and Dorman 14.

Game Stats Summary

Gaffney First Downs 21, Dorman First Downs 12
Gaffney 221 Yards Rushing, Dorman 156 Yards Rushing
Gaffney 196 Yards Passing, Dorman 77 Yards Passing
Gaffney 417 Total Yards, Dorman 233 Total Yards
Gaffney 2 Turnovers, Dorman 2 Turnovers

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland 13 of 20 passing for 196 yards and 1TD, 2 interceptions, 62 yards rushing and 3 TDs.
RB C.J. Miller had 24 carries for 104 yards rushing and 1 TD.
RB/WR Hyleck Foster had 3 carries for 71 yards rushing and 1 reception for 18 yards.
WR Quinshad Davis had 5 receptions for 126 yards and 1 TD.
WR Brandon Bevis had 4 receptions for 27 yards.

My View From The Stands..... (1) They need to get the ball in the hands of Soph. Hyleck Foster more often. From the line of scrimmage he had 4 touches for 89 yards for an average of 22.3 yards per touch. (2) The Cavaliers surprised the Indians by lining up their All-American Tackle Patrick Destefano all over the place and in the backfield. I thought the Gaffney coaches made some good adjustments and held the Cavaliers to 72 yards in the 2nd half. (3) The Cavalier Stadium was packed with people standing.

Look for my blog preview of the Greenwood @ Gaffney game on Thursday September 1, 2011.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 1 (2011) GAFFNEY @ DORMAN

The Tribe had a very impressive opening game victory over Boiling Springs on Friday night, by a score of 47 to 0. The offense, defense and special teams played very well. The competition gets much stronger this week, as they travel to play the Dorman Cavaliers. It will be the opening game for the Cavaliers, after a strong jamboree effort against Chesnee last week. The Indians will be trying to halt a four game losing streak to the Cavaliers. Gaffney has not beaten Dorman since the 2006 State Championship season. Lets look at this huge early season match-up of South Carolina High School Football heavyweights.

Gaffney @ Dorman

The Cavaliers come into this game after winning 28 of 30 games the past two seasons. They have played for the 4A Division 1 Title the past two seasons as well. They won the Title in 2009 and lost it last season. This will be their 2011 season opener.

The Dorman offense will be led by their strong and talented offensive line. The O-line is led by Clemson commitment Patrick Destefano. SR. Tailback Raymond Smith returns after a very impressive season a year ago. The Cavaliers offense will be starting a new QB this season in JR. Trey Robinson. The Cavalier's offense lost some very talented playmakers from last years team in WR Charone Peake, WR Adam Humphries and Indians killer A.J. Booker. They have a very talented playmaker returning at WR in Casey Cohen. I expect early in the season for Dorman to rely on the running of Raymond Smith behind their strong offensive line.

The Dorman defense appears to be their typical quick and attacking defense, as has been their style under their defensive coordinator Phil Smith. The defensive front has more size than last year and the linebackers and secondary still has very good speed.

The Gaffney offense came out smoking last week and scored 47 points. They had an outstanding performance from QB Joey Copeland whom was making his first varsity start. They also showed that they have several playmakers, as seven different players caught passes. The Tribe's offense will really get a test from the quick attacking Dorman defense this week.

The Gaffney defense will really get a tough test this week against the strong and talented Dorman offensive line. It should be strength against strength, the Dorman O-line against Gaffney's strong and fast D-line.

Keys To The Game For Dorman..... (1) Establish their potent running game to keep Indians offense off the field. (2) Force some turnovers on defense. Forcing Gaffney turnovers was the main key to their win last year. (3) Limit their first game mistakes.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Do what they did last week on offense, spread the ball around to their many playmakers. (2) Take care of the football. Turnovers killed the Indians last season in this match-up. (3) Stop the Dorman running game and make their young QB beat them with the pass.

Game Prediction..... This is really a huge early season test for both teams. The extra half of point for the victor will be huge come playoff time. Dorman is at home and Gaffney has a game under their belts. Those two factors should cancel each other out. I see Gaffney as the more talented football team this year and the better football team as well..... Gaffney 24 Dorman 14

You can catch my Gaffney @ Dorman Recap on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

BOILING SPRINGS @ GAFFNEY RECAP (2011)

Tribe Blows Out Bulldogs..... as they score TDs on their first two possessions of the game and never look back. Gaffney QB Joey Copeland scored on two 1-yard runs and the defense was stifling, as the Indians made a statement in their season opener at The Reservation. The Tribe just poured it on from there, as they raced out to a 40 to 0 halftime lead. Copeland scored two TDs and passed for three TDs in the first half alone. He connected with three different receivers for scores. Running Back C.J. Miller also scored on a 27-yard run. The Tribe's defense didn't allow the Bulldogs to cross the 50-yard line the whole 1st half. This was total domination by the Indians.

The Tribe would put together a 98-yard drive with their first possession of the 3rd quarter, which was highlighted by a spectacular 75-yard screen pass from Copeland to Shaq Davidson. Davidson broke several tackles, cut back across the field and outran the Bulldogs for the most exciting score of the night. The Tribe now led 47 to 0 early in the 3rd quarter. Gaffney Head Coach Dan Jones pulled his starters after this and the game would end with Gaffney winning 47 to 0. This was a very impressive opening game victory for the Gaffney Indians. They will head to Roebuck with a 1 and 0 record, to play the Dorman Cavaliers next Friday night.

Game Stats Summary

Gaffney 30 First Downs to 8 for Boiling Springs.
Gaffney 157 yards rushing to 83 for Boiling Springs.
Gaffney 392 yards passing to 36 for Boiling Springs.
Gaffney 549 total yards to 119 for Boiling Springs.
Gaffney 1 turnover to 3 for Boiling Springs.

Individual Game Stats Leaders

QB Joey Copeland 22 of 32 for 369 yards and 4 TDs and 39 yards rushing and 2 TDs. He accounts for 6 TDs in the game.
RB C.J. Miller had 78 yards rushing and 1 TD.
WR Quinshad Davis had 7 receptions for 120 yards and 1 TD.
WR Shaq Davidson had 4 receptions for 119 yards and 2 TDs.

My View From The Stands.....(1) I saw a very talented football team play a very good opening game of the season. (2) They need to correct the personal foul penalties. (3) I saw them win a blowout game with class. Some teams would have kept their starters in till the 4th quarter (Brynes).

Look for my preview of the Gaffney @ Dorman game on Thursday.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 0 (2011) BOILING SPRINGS @ GAFFNEY

The Gaffney Indians looked very impressive in a pair of jamborees over the weekend. On Friday they defeated York 28 to 6, in the York Jamboree. On Saturday they pounded T.C. Roberson in the Border Showcase Jamboree, 35 to 6. What I have seen from the Tribe in preseason is a lot of speed on both sides of the ball. They also have a lot of size and experience. They have numerous play makers on offense, defense and special teams. The kicking game is head and shoulders ahead of where they were last season. From what I have seen, this could be a very special season for the Gaffney Indians. We have enough talent to be hanging our 17th State Championship banner in December. We could also lay a huge egg if the effort is not where it should be and major injuries hit the team and they don't get the breaks they need. IT SHOULD BE A VERY INTERESTING AND EXCITING YEAR FOR THE TRIBE THIS SEASON. The 2011 season gets underway on Friday night at The Reservation against the Boiling Springs Bulldogs. Let's look at the 2011 season opener.

Boiling Springs @ Gaffney

The Boiling Springs offense is led by JR. QB Tyrecous Garrett. He rushed for 953 yards and 11 TDs and threw for 700 yards and 7 TDs last season as a Soph. As Garrett goes, so goes the Bulldogs offense. They have three returning starters on the offensive line which is anchored by N.C. State commitment Eddie Gordon. The Dogs also have experience at WR led by Dalvonta Ballenger. Bulldogs QB Garrett will remind Gaffney fans of a young DeEdward Burris.

The Boiling Springs defense will be inexperienced at key positions at DE and LB. Their Defensive line and secondary should be the strengths of their defense. I am sure that they will play very hard against Gaffney. They always do.

The Gaffney offense will be led by SR. WR Quinshad Davis, SR. RB C.J. Miller and SR. QB Joey Copeland. Copeland has big shoes to fill, as he replaces Shrine Bowl QB DeEdward Burris. The Indians appear to be running a more up tempo offense this season. They have other potential play makers on offense in Soph. WR Shaq Davidson, Soph. WR Hyleck Foster and SR. WR Ryan Frock. As has been the case in preseason, I expect QB Copeland to be a game manager and get the ball to his many play makers. He also appears to be a very accurate passer and capable runner. The Offensive line continues to get better and better.

The Gaffney defense is loaded with speed, speed and size. The front 7 should be one of the best in the state. The coach has said he believes his secondary could be the teams strength. The defensive front is led by JR. DE Jaylin Miller, JR. DT Rod Ogelsby and SR. DT Edward Bigby. The LBs are led by SR. Savon Dukes and JR. Quan Weeks. The Secondary is led by SR. CB Marquis Brannon, JR. CB Cobby McDowell and SR. FS Snoop Byers. The defense has plenty of potential play makers.

Keys To The Game For Boiling Springs..... (1) Get off to a good start (2) Don't turn the football over (3) Their inexperienced defense needs to force some turnovers.

Keys To The Game For Gaffney..... (1) Contain the Bulldogs QB Garrett (2) Spread the ball around on offense to their play makers (3) Don't turn the ball over. Turnovers killed the Tribe last season.

Game Prediction..... I look for the Gaffney defense to be dominant and their offense to get the first game jitters out by the second half. The Bulldogs will play hard and tough, but the Indians will have to much and will pull away for the win..... Gaffney 28 Boiling Springs 7

You can look for my Boiling Springs @ Gaffney Recap blog on Saturday.

Until Next Time.

FIVE QUESTIONS I HAVE ABOUT THE INDIANS

I went over to The Reservation's practice field this morning to watch this year's Gaffney Indians work out. What I saw was a team full of athletes with size and speed. They really have some studs on the defensive side of the ball. Their front seven has the potential to be a very dominant group. The coach has said he thinks his secondary could be the teams strength coming into the season. If that is the case, the defense has a chance to be special.

The offense appears to have some potentially good play makers. The offense will be led by big time WR Quinshad Davis. I was impressed with some of the other receivers as well. Quinshad will be the focus of opposing defenses this season and that should give plenty of opportunities for some of the other receivers to make plays. The QB's have looked pretty good, as SR. Joey Copeland and SOPH. Luke Lancaster have shown the ability to lead the offense. They will be different QB's than DeEdward Burris was the last couple of seasons. I do have five major questions that I want to see answered, as the season gets ready to begin in a couple of weeks. They are as followed...........

(1) Why gold helmets instead of their traditional black? I do believe the gold helmets will look good but, I will have to get use to them.

(2) How will the kicking game be this season? The kicking game was an embarrassment most of last season. A 4A school, the caliber of Gaffney, should be able to have a kicking game that they can depend on to help them win ball games.

(3) Has the coaching staff found a way to solve the red zone woes from last season? The inability to consistently get the ball in the end zone from the red zone was a major problem for the Tribe last season.

(4) Does Dan Jones and his staff have what it takes to coach this team to reach its potential? I thought they did a pretty good job last season, as the team over came turnovers and adversity to win nine games. We will have a better knowledge after this season is over, if these are the coaches we need to win another State Championship.

(5) Can the Indians develop a more consistent rushing attack this season? The last two or three seasons the Indians got the majority of their rushing yardage from QB DeEdward Burris. They will need to improve their running game from their RBs this season, with Burris graduated.

It should be another exciting season of Gaffney Indians football again this fall. We have our usual brutal schedule, which begins on Friday August 19th, at The Reservation against Boiling Springs. The Border Showcase Jamboree will also be at The Reservation this year, on Saturday August 13th. The participants will be Spartanburg vs Polk County in the first match-up, Byrnes vs Asheville in the 2nd game and Gaffney vs T.C. Roberson in the final game of the night. Get your Gaffney Indian news and facts from Tribe Blitz again this year.

Until Next Time.

I AM GETTING FOOTBALL FEVER!

Well it has been about 4 and 1/2 months since my last post on Tribe Blitz. My last post was on February 21st titled SHOCKER! SHOCKER! SHOCKER! I was in such shock after the Gaffney Indians lost in the 1st round of the basketball playoffs, to a lowly Byrnes team, that I had to take some time off to regroup mentally and emotionally. I did follow the Gaffney baseball team in the spring, but only attended one game. The Indians baseball team was a lot like the football team from last fall, they committed a lot of errors and beat themselves. They had a pretty good season and made the playoffs, but it could have been better if not for the physical and mental errors that finally cut their season short with an 0 and 2 record in the playoffs. So after the disappointing end to the baseball season, I took some more time off and the days and weeks kept going by. So here we are in the hot days of July and I am ready to get back into Gaffney Indians sports again, as I feel like I am recharged both mentally and emotionally. IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK!

Every year about this time I start getting a bad case of FOOTBALL FEVER. This year is no different, as I can feel my football fever rising with every passing day. I can't wait for practice to begin in a little less than three weeks. To start getting myself ready for the new Indians season, I have watched a couple of DVDs from past State Championship Seasons. Today I watched the 2006 Championship Game when Gaffney capped off an undefeated 15 and 0 season with a 45 to 0 drubbing of Irmo to win their 16th State Championship. If that don't get your football fever to go up there is something wrong. I have also been going over my notes that I made when I attended the Indians spring game back in May. You can't really tell a whole lot from spring games, but I did see several young players that look like they have play making ability. Especially on the offensive side of the ball with rising sophomore QB Luke Lancaster, sophomores Shaq Davidson and Hylek Foster at WR. Shaq Davidson also looked pretty good at QB as well. Hylek Foster also looked good at RB. Gaffney's Allstate WR Quinshad Davis did not play in the game because of foot surgery. Rising senior QB Joey Copeland looks like he is ready for his turn as the next great Gaffney QB. I believe it is his job to lose. Copeland looked good when he had the chance to play last season. The Gaffney defense is loaded with talent led by senior LB Savon Dukes, junior DE Jaylin Miller and senior DB Snoop Byers. Dukes is rated NO.1 LB in South Carolina by some recruiting services and Miller the NO.1 junior DE by some services. Quinshad Davis is rated the NO. 1 WR in South Carolina by some services. So now you can understand why my football fever is rising at an alarming rate. I can also feel the football fever of all Gaffney Indians fans going up as well. The Indians open the regular season in Week 0 of the season on August 19th hosting Boiling Springs.

In my next Tribe Blitz I will look at 5 questions that I want answered about this coming Gaffney season.

Until Next Time.

SHOCKER, SHOCKER,SHOCKER!!!

Here it is on Monday and I am still in shock with what I witnessed at The Burial Ground last Wednesday night. How did a 7 and 16 Byrnes team come into Gaffney's house and upset the defending State Champions? How did a BAD Byrnes team beat the best team in the state? How did Gaffney lose, in the first round of the playoffs, to a team they had already beaten twice during the regular season by an average of 27.5 points? If you will look back at my preview of this game you will see what I said. The only way Byrnes could stay in this game would be if the Gaffney Indians did not have their heads in the game mentally. You could see GAFFNEY WAS NOT MENTALLY READY TO PLAY THIS GAME! They were missing layups, free throws, not blocking out on rebounds and they were not playing with their usual defensive intensity. THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD JUST SHOW UP AND WIN! It was like the two teams switched uniforms after pregame warm ups. You have to give Byrnes some credit, they played the game of their lives. They were getting to the loose balls, the ball was bouncing their way all night long. As Gaffney's poor play kept them in the game, they did what they had to do to win the basketball game. As bad as the Tribe played they still had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds. Their Allstate Point Guard Dershawn Dawkins missed his second free throw with 6.7 seconds left, that would have given Gaffney a 3 point lead. Another thing I said in the Playoff preview, was free throw shooting could cost the Indians in a close game. IT DID IN DEED!! After the miss they let Byrnes get the rebound and dribble all the way through their defense, even though they had three fouls to give before they would put the Rebels into the one and one. The Rebels missed the off balanced shot, but they got the rebound and scored on a put back at the buzzer to force overtime. It was all Rebels in overtime, as the Indians were still in shock that this Byrnes team had taken them to overtime. The Rebels got the lead on a three pointer and they hit their free throws to get THE UPSET OF ALL UPSETS. The 7 and 16 Byrnes Rebels had shocked the High School basketball world, as they had upset the Defending State Champions and this season's favorite for the State Championship the Gaffney Indians by a score of 61 to 54 in overtime. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

My View From The Stands..... I came to this game expecting another Gaffney blowout. I came to this game expecting to see the Indians focused and ready to make another run to the State Championship. What I saw was my concerns coming true, they were not mentally ready to win the State Championship. The Tribe has not been mentally ready to win a State Championship since winning the Upwards Christmas Classic in dramatic fashion back in December. THEY GOT THE BIG HEAD! They peaked mentally after their dramatic Championship Game victory over Irmo. They were 12 and 0 and on top of the High School basketball world. Then they started listening to all of the praise that was being said about them. "They were unbeatable", "They were going undefeated" and " You might as well go ahead and give them the State Title now". After the Upwards Championship they went 10 and 3 the rest of the season. They looked like themselves at times, but they were not nearly as mentally sharp as they were the first twelve games. They played frustrated at times, when they usually face adversity with confidence. They end the season at 22 and 3 overall and 8 and 2 and Region 3 4A Champions. The future is bright for next season and beyond, as they are loaded with returning talent and young talent coming up from the JV team and the Middle Schools. It takes more than talent to win championships, as this years Gaffney Indians proved. As the returning players and fans think about what could have been, during the off season, maybe they will both be more mentally ready for a State Championship run next season.

TRIBE FACTS..... The Lady Indians fell to Greenwood 51 to 47 in overtime in the 2nd round of the girls 4A playoffs. The Lady Indians had a very good season as they finished as Co-Champions of Region 3 4A.

Bring on Baseball and Softball!

Until Next Time.