By Lonnie Turner
Senior quarterback Austin Moody got the nod to start for the Dillon Wildcats Thursday night against Aynor and there was no disappointment among the coaches and the fans that weathered the inclement weather to see the game. The 6’1”, 170-pounder, who Coach Jackie Hayes has already stated this year, just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time in his football career, completed seven of nine pass attempts for 158 yards and three touchdowns in his first start to lead the Cats to a one-half 42-0 victory. The game was called after the first half because of severe weather that was reported nearby.
Playing back-up to four-year starting quarterback Avery McCall, Moody took to the field like a seasoned starter, throwing a 60-yard touchdown on his very first play, hitting wide receiver Morgan Covington in stride down the Dillon sideline. Three plays into the second offensive set for the Cats, he again found Covington open and rifled a pass that he once more caught on the run for a 37-yard touchdown giving the Cats a quick 12-0 lead with only three and a half minutes gone in the game, which was played under a light rain. Moody completed a pass to Daeshawn Davis, who had gotten open across the middle in the end zone, for the two-point conversion to make the score, 14-0. Drew Covington’s first attempt for the PAT following the first score had after sailed off to the right of the goal posts.
Aynor is not known for it’s punting game, so on a fourth down run inside the Blue Jacket 35 yard line failed to pick up a first down, Dillon was back on the scoreboard in five plays , which was set up by Moody’s 16-yard pass to Davis. Zareon Hayes scored from 2-yards out for a touchdown and Covington’s kick was perfect for a 21-0 lead with 4:51 remaining in the first quarter.
The Wildcats scored on all six of it’s offensive series, four in the first quarter and twice  in the second. The final score of the first quarter came again when the Aynor coach called for a pass on fourth down at The Blue Devil 25-yard line that fell incomplete. With McCall now leading the team at quarterback, he rushed on first down to the 20 and threw a 15-yard completion to Hayes for another first down. On the third play of the short drive, Davis, who normally runs out of the “Wildcat Formation,” ran the ball into the end zone.  Covington ’s second straight PAT made the score 28-0 with 2:32 still on the clock in the quarter.
On Aynor’s third consecutive four and out series, the Blue Devils did elect to punt the ball from their own 21. The kick sailed out of bounds after traveling 17 yards giving Dillon a first down at the Aynor 38-yard line.
McCall orchestrated the fifth straight Wildcat scoring drive with three, first down passes with the final one, a 10-yard scoring toss to KaNore McKinnon, who later was on the receiving end of an 11-yard strike from Moody with just 38 seconds from the end of the half.
Aynor picked up two, first downs on their final offensive drive and had managed only one in their first when the Wildcats were flagged for an off side penalty. The blue Jackets managed only 36 yards in total offense with all coming on the ground. The only two passes thrown by Caleb Jenerette fell incomplete.
For the Wildcats, in addition to Moody’s stats, McCall completed four of five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown and leading the rushing was Zareon Hayes with 14 yards on 2 carries. The Cats only executed eight running plays, which netted 34 yards.
Defensively, linebacker Trey Melton, who missed the Marlboro County game because of a knee injury suffered in the Darlington game, was responsible for nine solo tackles and one assist . Corner back Quamel Laurenceau, who also bummed up his knee playing Darlington, joined Safety Michael Salmon, with seven tackles.
The Wildcats will be on the road for the next two weeks facing the Mullins Auctioneers this coming Friday and going to Marion the following week to take on the Swamp Foxes.  The final home stand of the regular season has the Loris Lions coming to town on October 23rd and Waccamaw will be in Dillon on the 30th.