BY  JAY BENNETT

The losing streak is finally over and no one is more relieved than Cheraw Head Coach Johnny White.  “It sure does feel good to finally get a win,” Coach White stated after the 36-14 Homecoming win over Lee Central last Friday night.  “These kids have really been working hard in practice and they deserved this.  Let’s hope that we can build on this win and get going in region play.  We had told them that this was a new season and now, we are 1-0 in region play with four more games to play.  We still have a long way to go, but we’ll take this win and try to keep getting better,” Coach White added.

The Massey Ratings have Cheraw’s ten-game schedule rated as the #2 toughest slate in all of South Carolina, and that includes all four classifications.  Playing a tough non-region schedule has always been Coach White’s way of getting his team ready for

the five region games and hopefully that trend will continue.

Tierell Smith had his career game last Friday night, as the senior halfback ran for 181 yards in 20 carries and he also had two touchdowns.  Durrell Hawkins added 116 yards in 19 rushes, as the Braves got back to their roots and piled up 348 yards on the ground.  Coach Billy Amick’s defense held the high-powered Lee Central offense to only two touchdowns, as the Braves’ defensive unit amassed 16 tackles for loss in the victory.

The Braves’ improved to 1-5 with the win, 1-0 in the region, while the loss snapped Lee Central’s three-game winning streak and gave them a 3-3 overall record,

but 0-1 in region play.

Anyone that did not attend the Homecoming contest would think the season-high 348 rushing yards came mostly out of the wishbone, but that is not the case, as the Braves

used at least five different offensive formations.  The offense ran the I-formation for most of the second half, but they also used the spread, split-backs, empty backfield, the wishbone, and even the wildcat in the first half.  All of these different formations have to give the remaining region teams a lot to prepare for and they appeared to have caught Lee Central off-guard in last Friday night’s tilt.

The Stallions received the opening kickoff and they immediately moved the ball down the field behind the running of Lonnie Johnson and Marquis Wilson.  The Braves had watched Shaqil Lovely, the Stallions junior quarterback, on film, pass for over 660 yards the past two games, so they opened the contest in a nickel package.  The running game moved the ball down to the Cheraw 15-yard stripe, but two sacks on Lovely and two incomplete passes ended the march and the home team took over on downs at the

22-yard line.

The Braves’ first play was out of the wildcat formation and Demetrius Miller took the direct snap and ran for 14 yards.  Storm Jacobs then hit Gerald Ewing for 21 yards on the second play and suddenly the home team had the ball at the Lee Central 45-yard stripe.  The Stallions then rose up and stopped the next three plays and forced a Brad Bradley punt.  The senior got off a high boot, towards the far sideline, and it rolled dead at the nine-yard line.

A procedure penalty on the visitors backed the pigskin up to the four-yard line and a host of Braves tackled Lovely in the endzone, on the next snap, for a safety. Charles Kinser, Xavier Taylor, and Durrell Hawkins were all in on the tackle to give Cheraw an early 2-0 advantage with 6:37 left in the first quarter of play.

Hawkins took Tyrell Hick’s free kick at the 34-yard line and he brought the ball back to the midfield stripe.  A short pass in the flats to Gerald Ewing picked up 11 yards and moved the chains, but three consecutive incomplete passes brought out Bradley again to punt.  Lee Central jumped offsides on the punt, so Coach White called a timeout and decided to go for a first down.  His plan worked to perfection, as Durrell Hawkins got loose on a quick pitch left and the junior rumbled 18 yards for a first down, at the 16-yard line.

Two more runs by Hawkins and another short pass to Ewing moved the ball down to the five-yard stripe and Tierell Smith finished off the 50-yard scoring march with a carry off the left side.  James Davis added the P.A.T. and the home team had a 9-0 lead with 4:07 still left in the first period of play.

After an exchange of punts, the Stallions got the football at their own 13-yard line

and they went on another long march.  Lovely completed all three of his passes on the march, as he connected with Tyrell Hicks and Walter Hill to convert a first down after the visitors had a second down and 31.  Lee Central got down as close as the 15-yard line, once again, but Lovely fumbled the pigskin and Charles Kinser fell on the ball for the Braves.

The turnover seemed to ignite the offense once again and it only took the home team five plays to cover the 82 yards for another score.  Durrell Hawkins had the big play in the march, as he broke off right tackle and rumbled 57 yards, before being pushed out of bounds, at the two-yard line by Deion Dewitt.  Xavier Taylor then finished off the

long scoring drive with a two-yard plunge off left tackle.  James Davis added the P.A.T. once again the home team had a 16-0 lead with 5:12 left in the first half.

The Stallions then went back to the air on their next possession and they marched right down the field to narrow the Cheraw advantage.  Lovely completed three of his four passes on the scoring march and he connected with Tyrell Hicks on a 30-yard bomb for the touchdown.  Hicks got free, down the left seam, and Lovely hit him in stride for the score.  The same combination hooked up on the two-point conversion and the Cheraw lead was down to 16-8 with 3:47 left in the first half of play.

The home team responded to that score though, as they came right back and marched 77 yards in only five plays to increase their lead.  Tierell Smith had a 20-yard carry on the drive, but it was a 37-yard pass play from Storm Jacobs to Demetrius Miller that put the points on the scoreboard.  The Braves lined up in a trips formation to the left and Miller got behind everyone for the touchdown.  Davis’ P.A.T. was good once again and the Braves carried a 23-8 lead into the long Homecoming intermission.

The offensive fireworks in the first half accounted for over 400 total yards, as Cheraw had 246 yards on 29 offensive plays, while the Stallions had 177 total yards

on 36 plays.

The Braves got the football first in the second half and they went right back to the ground game.  Smith and Hawkins took turns carrying the football and the home team suddenly had the ball at the Stallions’ 45-yard stripe.  A roughing the passer penalty on Lee Central moved the pigskin down to the 30-yard stripe, but James Coe stepped in front of a Storm Jacobs pass at the 20-yard stripe and returned the ball all the way out to the 40-yard line.

The visitors used the turnover to get right back into the contest, as Lovely hooked up with Quincy Slater on a 30-yard pass play and then finished off the 60-yard scoring march with a five-yard strike to Tyrell Hicks.  Hicks ran a simple out route and he caught the ball in front of Demetrius Miller for the touchdown.  The Cheraw defense stopped Eric Toney in the backfield, on the two-play play, to keep their lead at 23-14 with 5:25 left in the third quarter.

A three and out by the home team gave the Stallions another chance to narrow the gap, but Quincy Slater fumbled the football away, after a 38-yard pass reception, and Tyre Byrd recovered for the Braves, at the midfield stripe.

Three more running plays only netted seven yards, so on came Brad Bradley for another punt.  Bradley got off a booming 40-yard boot and Tyrell Hicks hauled in at the 10-yard stripe.  Garrett White was the first Cheraw player down the field and he jarred the ball loose from Hicks. Josh Harrington managed to recover the loose pigskin for the home team, at the Lee Central nine-yard line, to give the Braves’ excellent field position.

The home team sensed it was time for the kill and that’s exactly what happened, as Durrell Hawkins scored his first touchdown of the night, on a two-yard plunge off the left side.  James Davis then added his fourth consecutive P.A.T. and the Braves now had a 30-14 lead with 11:21 left in the contest.

That score by the home team forced the Stallions to go extensively to the air, but Kedarian Drake stepped in front of Hicks on the next possession and he came up with his first career interception.  Drake returned the interception out to the 45-yard stripe and it was time for the Tierell Smith show.

The senior halfback then carried the ball on three consecutive plays, with his third carry being a 41-yard burst, off right tackle, for his second touchdown of the contest.  Smith broke through the line and outran the Lee Central secondary to paydirt.  The P.A.T. attempt was low and no good, but the Braves had broken this one open and they now had a 36-14 lead with 8:51 left in the contest.

The Cheraw defensive unit then knocked Lovely out of the game on the Stallions’ ensuing possession, so T-Darius Gregg came on the quarterback the visitors.  Gregg had to run for his life on the only two snaps that he took and after a sack by Durrell Hawkins, Hicks had to come back on the field to punt the ball away.  Hicks got off a 42-yard boot this time and the ball finally rolled dead at the Cheraw 10-yard stripe.

The Braves got the ball back with exactly 6:00 left on the clock and everyone in the stands knew what they wanted to do.  Their job was to keep the football away from Lee Central and salt the game away.  The offense did a pretty good job of accomplishing that feat, as they held the pigskin for 13 plays and moved it 72 yards, before turning it over on downs with only 1:09 left on the scoreboard clock. That drive took 4:51 off the clock and all but iced the game for the home team.

The Stallions had little time to do anything and the game ended with Gregg being tackled for a one-yard loss by a host of Cheraw defenders.

The home team had dominated the fourth quarter of play, as they kept the ball for 18 plays and picked up 135 yards on the ground, while Lee Central only ran 10 plays for 49 total yards.

Shaqil Lovely had to hurry his throws most of the night, but the junior still competed 12 of his 24 aerials for 210 yards and two scores, both going to Tyrell Hicks.

Lovely also ran the football 18 times in the game, but he only gained 26 yards on those scrambles.

“I was very pleased with the way the backs ran tonight,” Coach White stated.

“Our offensive line really opened some big holes out there and the backs hit them with authority.  We wanted to be able to move the ball on the ground and keep their offense off the field and that’s exactly what we did.  Everyone on that side of the ball started to play with some confidence and hopefully, that will carry over to next week.  We really did a great job in the I-formation tonight and that was not with a lot of practice last week,” Coach White added.

“The defense made a lot of big plays tonight in key situations,” Coach White commented.  “We still missed a lot of tackles out there and had some soft coverage, but you’ve got to give them credit for that.  Their quarterback and receivers were very good

and we did not want to get burned deep.  I think we did a great job of holding them to only 14 points, as they have scored a lot of points on everyone they have played,” Coach White added.

“Next up is Indian Land and they will come into Friday night’s game with a perfect 6-0 record,” Coach White said.  “This will be the first time that we have ever played them, but I know that they have some great skilled players.  They beat Andrew Jackson, 21-16, on the road last Friday night, so we certainly have our work cut out for us.  Our kids just have to stay focused and keep working hard in practice.  We have a chance to be 2-0 in the region, with a win up there, and I’m sure we will get their best shot,” Coach White added.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

(OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK)

#20                        Senior halfback, Tierell Smith, rushed for 181 yards on 20

carries and scored two touchdowns in Cheraw’s 36-14 win

over Lee Central last Friday night.

(DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK)

#33                        Junior linebacker, Durrell Hawkins, led the strong defensive

effort with ten total tackles.  He had 4 primary stops, 3 assists,

2 sacks, and one tackle for loss in Cheraw’s 36-14 Homecoming win.