Photo by Joe L. Hughes II
Gaffney quarterback DeEdward Burris tries to find room among a host of Greenville defenders during Friday's contest at The Reservation. The Indians were able to escape with a 33-31 victory.
Character often is revealed during times of adversity.
Down 24-7 against undefeated Greenville with a little less than two minutes remaining in the first half, rather than allowing panic to spread among players, Gaffney head coach Dan Jones encouraged his team with the belief they could pull the game out.
“I told them we just got to stick in there, that we could turn the game around,” Jones said. “The things you are doing are not new to you; just keep playing and good things will happen.”
Good things did happen for the Indians, scoring 26 unanswered points and turning back a late charge by the Red Raiders to pick up a hard fought win, 33-31.
With all eyes focused on talented junior receiver Quinshad Davis, Gaffney’s Khris Brown seemed to have been a lost commodity in the team’s offensive arsenal, relatively quiet early on this season.
The senior turned things up a notch against Greenville, hauling in six receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns. His first trip the end zone, a 15-yard reception from Indians quarterback DeEdward Burris in which he broke several tackles in reaching pay dirt, gave the team quite a boost headed into the locker room at halftime after being thoroughly dominated for much of the first half.
“When we got momentum on our side going into halftime, I knew we had a chance to win this thing,” Brown said. “We kind of felt their defensive backs were tired, and if we kept chopping away it was there for us.”
Brown’s second touchdown grab ended scoring on the night for Gaffney, a 63 yard catch and run giving the Indians a nine point lead at the 11 minute mark in the game’s final stanza.
Early on it didn’t seem the Indians would have a chance to sniff victory in the contest, the Red Raiders moving up and down the field with ease.
Greenville (4-1) opened the game with a seven play, 69 yard drive in which quarterback Glenn Batson effectively engineered the team’s aerial attack to the end zone, a 14-yard reception from Roderick Williams. Following a Gaffney punt, the two would connect again, this time from 32 yards to put the visiting Red Raiders up 14-0.
The Indians would quickly answer back, going 80 yards in four plays, the drive ending with Burris finding the 6-foot-2 target Davis in the end zone from six yards out to pull the team within a touchdown at 14-7.
After a Greenville possession stalled, Gaffney seemed to be going in for the tying score, putting together an 11 play drive which moved the team inside the 1-yard line. On the 12th play , however, Burris was stripped trying to extend the ball over the goal line, the fumble recovered by the Red Raiders.
Gaffney’s defense did its job in forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave Greenville a second life which it converted into a field goal, giving the visitors a 17-7 lead with 4:16 left in the second quarter.
The Indians would earn a first down on their next drive, but could not muster much after that, ending with Burris being stuffed on consecutive plays. Disaster would strike soon after, Williams returning a Gaffney punt 57 yards for a touchdown, giving the undefeated Greenville squad a 17 point advantage.
Burris’ touchdown pass to Brown would come 58 seconds later, the beginning of an epic comeback by the Indians.
Gaffney’s offense struck quickly midway through the third quarter, going 31 yards in three plays, the drive ending with Burris finding Davis in the corner of the end zone, pulling the team within five points of the lead.
Following a Greenville punt, the Indians went the methodical route with their next drive, using 13 plays to cover 81 yards, the Indians’ senior signal caller pushing his way past the goal line to give the team its first lead of the game. Gaffney would convert the two-point conversion, giving it a 27-24 advantage.
On the ensuing Red Raiders’ drive, the Indians’ defense finally forced Baston into a mistake, coming up with an interception at their own 37-yard line. The next play seemed to be a backbreaker for the visitors from Greenville, Burris using a pump fake to freeze opposing defenders and allowing Brown to roam free, the senior strolling into the end zone for the score and a nine point lead for the Indians.
Burris completed 22 of 37 passes for 339 yards in the contest, throwing for four scores. He also had an interception which kept the door open for the Red Raiders after Baston’s third touchdown pass of the game pulled them to within two points.
However, the same person who lit the fire for Gaffney would be the same one to put it out, as Brown leapt high to haul in a last gasp pass by Baston, securing the win for the Indians
“Most teams would have quit in this situation, down 24-7,” Jones said to his team after the game. “But you didn’t fold your tent and you didn’t quit; and you were rewarded for that. Good job, men.”
Gaffney goes into its bye week at 4-2, not taking the field again until Oct. 8 when it hosts Clover in both team’s region opener, also a night in which the school is celebrating homecoming. Coach Jones said the off week could not come at a better time for his squad, allowing the team to heal after six weeks of action.
“Snoop Byers re-aggravated a thigh bruise he had early on this season and Robert Grandy, who is key to our pass rush was held out due to a head injury of some sort, so this week will be key in us getting healthy in anticipation of the region schedule,” Jones said.
Character often is revealed during times of adversity.
Down 24-7 against undefeated Greenville with a little less than two minutes remaining in the first half, rather than allowing panic to spread among players, Gaffney head coach Dan Jones encouraged his team with the belief they could pull the game out.
“I told them we just got to stick in there, that we could turn the game around,” Jones said. “The things you are doing are not new to you; just keep playing and good things will happen.”
Good things did happen for the Indians, scoring 26 unanswered points and turning back a late charge by the Red Raiders to pick up a hard fought win, 33-31.
With all eyes focused on talented junior receiver Quinshad Davis, Gaffney’s Khris Brown seemed to have been a lost commodity in the team’s offensive arsenal, relatively quiet early on this season.
The senior turned things up a notch against Greenville, hauling in six receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns. His first trip the end zone, a 15-yard reception from Indians quarterback DeEdward Burris in which he broke several tackles in reaching pay dirt, gave the team quite a boost headed into the locker room at halftime after being thoroughly dominated for much of the first half.
“When we got momentum on our side going into halftime, I knew we had a chance to win this thing,” Brown said. “We kind of felt their defensive backs were tired, and if we kept chopping away it was there for us.”
Brown’s second touchdown grab ended scoring on the night for Gaffney, a 63 yard catch and run giving the Indians a nine point lead at the 11 minute mark in the game’s final stanza.
Early on it didn’t seem the Indians would have a chance to sniff victory in the contest, the Red Raiders moving up and down the field with ease.
Greenville (4-1) opened the game with a seven play, 69 yard drive in which quarterback Glenn Batson effectively engineered the team’s aerial attack to the end zone, a 14-yard reception from Roderick Williams. Following a Gaffney punt, the two would connect again, this time from 32 yards to put the visiting Red Raiders up 14-0.
The Indians would quickly answer back, going 80 yards in four plays, the drive ending with Burris finding the 6-foot-2 target Davis in the end zone from six yards out to pull the team within a touchdown at 14-7.
After a Greenville possession stalled, Gaffney seemed to be going in for the tying score, putting together an 11 play drive which moved the team inside the 1-yard line. On the 12th play , however, Burris was stripped trying to extend the ball over the goal line, the fumble recovered by the Red Raiders.
Gaffney’s defense did its job in forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave Greenville a second life which it converted into a field goal, giving the visitors a 17-7 lead with 4:16 left in the second quarter.
The Indians would earn a first down on their next drive, but could not muster much after that, ending with Burris being stuffed on consecutive plays. Disaster would strike soon after, Williams returning a Gaffney punt 57 yards for a touchdown, giving the undefeated Greenville squad a 17 point advantage.
Burris’ touchdown pass to Brown would come 58 seconds later, the beginning of an epic comeback by the Indians.
Gaffney’s offense struck quickly midway through the third quarter, going 31 yards in three plays, the drive ending with Burris finding Davis in the corner of the end zone, pulling the team within five points of the lead.
Following a Greenville punt, the Indians went the methodical route with their next drive, using 13 plays to cover 81 yards, the Indians’ senior signal caller pushing his way past the goal line to give the team its first lead of the game. Gaffney would convert the two-point conversion, giving it a 27-24 advantage.
On the ensuing Red Raiders’ drive, the Indians’ defense finally forced Baston into a mistake, coming up with an interception at their own 37-yard line. The next play seemed to be a backbreaker for the visitors from Greenville, Burris using a pump fake to freeze opposing defenders and allowing Brown to roam free, the senior strolling into the end zone for the score and a nine point lead for the Indians.
Burris completed 22 of 37 passes for 339 yards in the contest, throwing for four scores. He also had an interception which kept the door open for the Red Raiders after Baston’s third touchdown pass of the game pulled them to within two points.
However, the same person who lit the fire for Gaffney would be the same one to put it out, as Brown leapt high to haul in a last gasp pass by Baston, securing the win for the Indians
“Most teams would have quit in this situation, down 24-7,” Jones said to his team after the game. “But you didn’t fold your tent and you didn’t quit; and you were rewarded for that. Good job, men.”
Gaffney goes into its bye week at 4-2, not taking the field again until Oct. 8 when it hosts Clover in both team’s region opener, also a night in which the school is celebrating homecoming. Coach Jones said the off week could not come at a better time for his squad, allowing the team to heal after six weeks of action.
“Snoop Byers re-aggravated a thigh bruise he had early on this season and Robert Grandy, who is key to our pass rush was held out due to a head injury of some sort, so this week will be key in us getting healthy in anticipation of the region schedule,” Jones said.
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