Gore, Thomas put on defensive clinic on college gridiron

Duplicating the collective effort by area products on the college gridiron last week proved to be an impossible task.

The notion, however, does not diminish the work put in by the former local standouts, doing whatever possible in an effort to help their teams win.

In a losing effort, former North Myrtle Beach standout Colby Gore led East Carolina with nine solo tackles in a 45-24 loss to Tulsa. It is the second straight week in which the freshman led the Pirates’ defense in tackles.

On the opposite end of his college career is linebacker Octavius Thomas, who was honored for four years of excellence on the gridiron at Shepherd College this past weekend. Indeed it would become a day to remember, with the Myrtle Beach alum making three solo tackles and assisting on three more and adding an interception that preserved the Rams’ 27-17 win over Fairmont State and a Mountain East Conference championship.

It also proved to be a solid weekend for local products making an impact in the trenches for their respective teams.

Newberry offensive lineman and former Conway standout Sam Hall proved pivotal in helping the Wolves churn out 32 first downs and 515 total yards in a 49-7 win over Limestone. In Charleston, Waccamaw alum Tyler Davis continues to contribute for The Citadel, helping the Bulldogs rack up 542 total yards in a 37-34 win over Samford.

A look at how other area standouts performed this past weekend on the college gridiron:

Dillon Alford, North Greenville (Sr., OL): The Georgetown alum was part of a balanced Crusaders attack on Saturday, one that racked up 430 total yards in a 34-24 win over Carson-Newman.

Kyle Belack, Ohio (RS Fr., WR): The former Myrtle Beach standout caught a pass for 14 yards in the Bobcats’ 34-10 win over Buffalo.

Michael Billings, Coastal Carolina (So., DB): The Georgetown alum had five solo tackles and assisted on another – two of the tackles coming for a loss – in the Chanticleers’ 38-17 win over Monmouth.

Anthony Blair, North Greenville (Jr., DL): All over the field for the Crusaders, the Georgetown alum had one tackle and six assists, along with being credited with half a sack in his team’s 34-24 win over Carson-Newman.

Cordell Brown, S.C. State (Jr., DL): The former Myrtle Beach standout had one solo tackle while assisting on another in the Bulldogs’ 30-20 loss to North Carolina A&T.

Tyler Davis, The Citadel (So., OL): Doing his part to help the Bulldogs clinch an FCS playoff berth, the Waccamaw alum was key in their offensive unit racking up 542 yards in a 37-34 win over Samford.

Desmond Dozier, Johnson C. Smith (Fr., WR): The former Loris standout caught one pass for 8 yards, and had two kickoff returns for 38 yards in the Golden Bulls’ 30-8 win over Livingstone.

Bryan Edwards, South Carolina (Fr., WR): The former Conway standout caught four balls for 47 yards in the Gamecocks’ 31-21 win over Missouri.

Colby Gore, East Carolina (Fr., DB): The North Myrtle Beach alum led the Pirates in tackles on Saturday, bringing down nine Tulsa ball carriers on his own along with three assists in his team’s 45-24 loss.

Sam Hall, Newberry (Jr., OL): The former Conway standout was key in helping the Wolves churn out 32 first downs and 515 total yards in a 49-7 victory over Limestone.

Jordan Hemingway, Catawba (So., DL): The Loris alum had a solo tackle and assisted on another in the Indians’ 38-28 loss to Tusculum.

Tyler Keane, Coastal Carolina (Jr., QB): The former Myrtle Beach standout completed each of his three passes for 32 yards and had one carry for four yards before leaving with an injury in the Chanticleers’ 38-17 win over Monmouth.

Maxwell Kjosa, Coastal Carolina (RS Fr., TE): The Socastee alum saw time for the Chanticleers in their 38-17 win over Monmouth.

Jah-Maine Martin, Coastal Carolina (Fr., RB): The Conway alum had nine carries for 32 yards in the Chanticleers’ 38-17 win over Monmouth.

Mykal Moody, S.C. State (Jr., WR): The Conway alum saw time for the Bulldogs in their 30-20 loss to North Carolina A&T.

Naquez Pringle, Kentucky (Jr., DT): The Carvers Bay alum had a solo tackle and assisted on another in the Wildcats’ 27-24 defeat at the hand of Georgia.

Hunter Renfrow, Clemson (So., WR): The former Socastee standout caught two passes for 17 yards in the Tigers’ 54-0 rout of Syracuse.

Octavius Thomas, Shepherd (Sr., LB): On Senior Day, the Myrtle Beach alum provided a standout performance, earning three solo tackles and assisting on three more, in addition to making an interception to help the Rams preserve a 27-17 win over Fairmont State. With the win, Shepherd clinches the Mountain East Conference title.

Jordan Ward, Charleston Southern (So., LB): The Georgetown alum saw time in the Buccaneers’ 17-10 loss to Gardner-Webb.

Cole Watson, Newberry (Sr., ATH): A jack-of-all-trades, the Conway alum caught five passes for 53 yards along with averaging 40 yards per punt for the Wolves in their 49-7 win over Limestone.

Delano Walters, Coastal Carolina (So., WR): The Socastee alum saw time for the Chanticleers in their 38-17 win over Monmouth.

Boo Williams, Newberry (RS Fr., LB): The Loris alum saw time for the Wolves in a 49-7 win over Limestone.

D’Andre Wilson, Marshall (RS Jr., DB): The Myrtle Beach alum saw time for the Thundering Herd in their 38-14 loss to Old Dominion.

Hunter Windham, Wofford (Jr., RB): The Aynor alum had two carries for 21 yards in the Terriers’ 34-27 win over Furman.

Ryan Yurachek, Marshall (Jr., TE): The former Carolina Forest standout caught two passes for 26 yards on Saturday, one for a touchdown in the Thundering Herd’s 38-14 loss to Old Dominion.

This story was originally published November 7, 2016 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Gore, Thomas put on defensive clinic on college gridiron."