Green Sea Floyds keeps playoff hopes alive with rout of Creek Bridge
The Green Floyds seniors sure made the most of their night Friday.
The Trojans had their first touchdown pass in the last five years – a 40-yard connection by quarterback Riley Lovette and Akil Gause – and several other seniors contributed greatly during a 44-14 win over Creek Bridge on senior night.
“It was a good way to celebrate senior night with Riley throwing that pass and he’s a senior and Akil Gause catching it [and] he’s a senior,” GSF coach Tony Sullivan said. “I think Muhammad Graham had a touchdown and he’s a senior. Tyler Rogers had a touchdown and he’s a senior. Hunter Hucks scored one of the touchdowns. Wyatt Upchurch I think scored a touchdown and he’s a senior. So it was good to be able to spread the ball around a little bit and get those guys some touches tonight.”
The win also kept the Trojans’ playoff hopes alive. Green Sea Floyds (4-5, 1-3) hosts East Clarendon (1-8, 1-3) next week with the fourth and final playoff spot out of Region VI-A on the line. Both teams’ lone region came against Creek Bridge, setting up what will be a play-in game.
“I told the guys honestly that the game next week – it’s a playoff game for us. The playoffs start a week early I think for us,” Sullivan said. “We’ve got to win this next one and we’re guaranteed in there so that makes it that much more important. So it’s already like a playoff atmosphere I think and I told them that so we’ll see how we prepare and how our mentality goes and see how we can come out of the gate next week.”
To get that chance, the Trojans had to take care of business this week. That they did, building a 36-0 lead at halftime en route to cruising to a resounding victory.
“I thought they came out focused and ready to win a football game,” Sullivan said. “… The defense played very well tonight. They [caused] several turnovers. They made them put the ball on the ground several times because of the pressure we was putting on them. The defense played very well and gave the offense opportunities to score on the short side of the field.”
Graham ran 17 times for 102 yards and a score, Upchurch had six rushes for 80 yards and a score and Gause ran three times for 56 yards and a touchdown. Gause also scored on the rare touchdown pass from Lovette, who finished 2-for-2 for 49 yards through the air.
“We try to pass. We work on it in practice, but sometimes it just don’t go the way you want it to,” Sullivan said with a laugh. “Everything worked well. The offensive line protected well, the routes were good and we had a good ball thrown by Riley Lovette.”
Green Sea Floyds set the tone early, controlling the time of possesion like it is known for doing.
“The opening drive we just moved methodically and just went down the field – four or five yards, 10 yards on some plays – and we had a couple big plays that got called back,” Sullivan said. “But the guys played well, played hard.”
The Trojans will hope for more of the same in the all-important regular-season finale.
“I just want us to focus on what we’ve got to do, not try to look ahead but just try to focus on the fundamentals of the game, blocking, tackling and try to make sure we hang on to the football,” Sullivan said.
This story was originally published November 5, 2016 at 12:10 AM with the headline "Green Sea Floyds keeps playoff hopes alive with rout of Creek Bridge."