By Craig Brown
The Warriors were minus three starters including their starting quarterback and center as they faced the Generals of Thomas Sumter Academy Friday night in Dillon. Avery Sherman had the job behind center in this game and passed for three touchdowns in the 30-27 loss. The Warriors had a 20-10 lead going into the fourth quarter but costly mistakes in the fourth quarter resulted in the Generals coming up with 20 points. The Warriors scored with 14 seconds left in the game to close within three but failed to recover the onside kick.
The Generals got on the board first with quarterback Jamari Harris hitting receiver Mathew Hawkins with a 34-yard touchdown pass. Gatlin Kimbro added the point after kick to give the Generals a 7-0 lead with 8:19 left in the first quarter.
With 1:58 left in the first quarter Avery Sherman hit Jackson Outlar with a 10-yard touchdown pass with Outlar adding the point after kick to even the score at 7-7. The first quarter would end with this score.
Midway in the second quarter Kimbro attempted a 27-yard field goal that went wide right.
The Warriors took over and on first down Hayden Hickman raced 80 yards for a touchdown. Jackson added the point after to give the Warriors a 14-7 lead with 5:40 left in the second quarter. The first half would end with this score.
The third quarter was a defensive battle with no scoring until Kimbro hit a 35-yard field goal with 1:38 left in the third quarter to close the Warrior lead to 14-10.
With one second left in the third quarter Sherman hit Hickman with a 44-yard touchdown pass. The point after kick was off leaving the Warriors with a 20-10 lead with the quarter ending with this score.
Harris finished the Generals opening drive of the fourth quarter with a three-yard touchdown run. Kimbro’s point after kick closed the Warrior lead to 20-17 with 10:37 left in the fourth quarter.
A Warrior up lineman mishandled the Generals onside kick that squirted out from under him and was recovered by the Generals. One minute and 18 seconds later Harris crossed the goal line from six yards out to give the Generals a 23-20 lead. The Generals went for the two-point conversion and came up short.
With 8:38 left in the fourth quarter the Generals intercepted a Warrior pass and returned it to the Warrior 35. Ayden Allen finished the short drive with a 21-yard touchdown run. Kimbro’s kick put the Generals up 30-20 with 7:48 left in the fourth quarter.
With 14 seconds left in the game Sherman hit Logan Jones with a seven-yard touchdown pass. Outlar added the point after kick to close the Generals lead to 30-27.
The Warriors failed to recover the onside kick and the Generals took a knee to end the game with the 30-27 win.
On offense for the Warriors, Avery Sherman was 10 of 19 passing for 214 yards and three touchdowns with one interception and had four yards on four carries, Hayden Hickman had 136 yards on eight carries with a touchdown and caught three passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, Josiah Oxendine caught three passes for 69 yards, Logan Jones caught two passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, Andrew Brown caught a pass for 26 yards, and Jacob Gerald caught a ten-yard touchdown pass.
On defense, Jacob Gerald had 11 tackles; Hayden Hickman and Dominic Blue had six tackles each; Kaleb Pulley had five tackles with a quarterback sack and a batted down pass; Logan Jones, Jackson Outlar, Christopher Wilcox, and Colin Davis had four tackles each; Jacob English had three tackles, and Avery Sherman and Josiah Oxendine had two tackles each.