HIGH STEPPING TAVIOUS McGAHEE GETS THROUGH He had two touchdowns against McCormick.

The lights were shining with a bright, powerful glow. The fans were packed into the stands, ready to see what would unfold on the field. The players entered the field to thunderous applause, and the second game of the 2009 Lincoln County Red Devils’ season was underway at Buddy Bufford Stadium on Friday, September 4. The McCormick, South Carolina, Chiefs crossed the Savannah River to play in this second game in the 2009 season. Despite struggles in the first three quarters, the Red Devils made a strong final score of 28-6, the highest margin of victory so far this season.

For the second time this year, the Devils lost the coin toss but received the ball to start the game.  The kickoff was fielded at the 15-yard line, and was carried to the 25-yard line, where the game truly began.  Garrett Mohr lined up as quarterback and handed the ball off to A.G. Middlebrooks, who carried it for an impressive six-yard gain. The second play brought forth a flag from the referees, and both teams were penalized for a skirmish. The next play brought the Devils a first down on the 40-yard line.  This set the tone for the drive all the way to the McCormick 30-yard line, where the drive met some heavy resistance from the Chiefs’ defensive players. On a fourth down, an incomplete pass put the Chiefs in control of the ball on their own 29-yard line. The Chiefs could not gain any momentum and they punted the ball away to the Red Devils with just under six minutes left in the first quarter.

BOND TURNER HANG ON TO THE BALL AFTER A CATCH The Devils completed nine passes for 68 yards last Friday.

Both teams fought hard, with strong defenses but difficulty starting an offensive drive, until the second quarter. The Devils used an I-formation to drive the ball downfield deep into the McCormick Chiefs’ territory. A facemask by the Chiefs made the Devils’ job a lot easier. Middlebrooks took the ball inside the seven-yard line. Two plays later, Middlebrooks took the ball into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown. Walker Smith kicked the PAT in, making the score 7-0. The chiefs would not go into halftime scoreless, and drove the ball down the field in short bursts until a 1-yard sneak put the ball in the end zone. A failed PAT left the score at 7-6, a nail-bitingly small margin, as the Lincoln County Red Devils went into the locker room for half time.

The Devils entered the field to begin the second half with a new fervor. The defense held, but the offense couldn’t get the momentum necessary to put more points on the score board to widen the gap from the small 7-6 lead. The good news on this front is that the Chiefs couldn’t rally any power either, and the score stayed close until the fourth quarter, when the Red Devils brought forth the forces of tradition, strength, and conditioning in a show of strength unseen this season until this game.

STEVEN MORRIS (33) STOPS A CHIEF BALL CARRIER WITH HELP FROM MARQUIS PARKS The Devil Defense help McCormick to just 90 yards of offense last Friday night.

Early in the quarter, the Red Devils took control of the ball from the Chiefs in a very good position on the Chiefs’ 15-yard line. A short, but forcible, drive put the ball a mere three yards from the goal line. Middlebrooks took the ball in for the second touchdown, and a successful PAT made the score 14-0, where it stayed for a very short time. The Chiefs lost control of the ball after a fumble recovered by Keldrick Cunningham. The Devils put the ball in the end zone again with a 29-yard pass from Franklin Sherman to Tavious McGahee. Another successful PAT made the score a comfortable but expandable 21-6, favoring the Red Devils.  This lead was still not enough for the Red Devils, or for the fans’ insatiable appetite for victory. With six minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the game, McGahee broke free again on a 17-yard run for another touchdown. Smith’s PAT put the score at a strong 28-6, where it remained despite McCormick’s best effort to shrink the point disparity in the last six minutes. It was a hard-won victory, but the Red Devils showed strength and perseverance in this second season game.

Next week’s game will be played at Buddy Bufford Stadium, featuring the mighty Lincoln County Red Devils battling the Hephzibah Rebels starting at 7:30 p.m. on September 11. Come out and support our home team as we exercise our freedom to peacefully assemble in the true American sport – Lincoln County High School football.

The Booster Club will meet Monday night, September 14, at 7 p.m. at the weight room. A free hot dog supper is included. All Lincoln County Red Devil fans welcome.

Devils vs. McCormick

(statistics compiled by Johnny Walton)

	LC	McC
First Downs	12	4
Yards Rushing	216	90
Yards Passing	68	-2
Passes	9-22-0	1-5-0
Total Yards	384	88
Yards penalized	105	65
Fumbles/lost	1/1	7/3
Punts/avg.	3/42.0	9/21.3
Return yards	22	95

 

Score by quarters

Red Devils	0	7	0	21	- 28
McCormick	0	6	0	0	- 6