State championship notebook: South Pointe defense impresses Myrtle Beach
COLUMBIA
Though Myrtle Beach runs a spread offense, they have run effectively out of it all season, gaining nearly 2,000 yards on the ground entering the state championship game, including 1,358 by Daiquone Ford.
But the Seahawks' attempts to run on South Pointe's stout defense were all but futile. The Seahawks finished with 7 yards rushing on 23 carries, and had negative rushing yards until there were 7 minutes left in the game.
A 4-yard Ford touchdown run 3 minutes into the fourth quarter on a pitch wide to the right side of the field was about all the Seahawks could muster on the positive side.
"It was the best defensive line we've ever played, I'll give them that," Ford said. "They came hard, they came to play. [Through most of the game] they stopped us completely. But that one play was finally open and I hit it and scored."
Clowney a force
The night started rather inauspiciously for Myrtle Beach as senior quarterback Everett Golson was sacked for a 12-yard loss on the first play from scrimmage by imposing South Pointe senior Jadeveon Clowney.
The Seahawks would eventually take a safety on that opening drive after being pushed back by the Stallions' defense and its standout defensive end.
It became quickly apparent that Clowney, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound top Division I prospect, was going to be a handful all night for the Seahawks.
"He's a beast," Myrtle Beach coach Mickey Wilson said. "That kid, he's going to be an NFL [draft] pick at some point. He's a walking millionaire. He's a great football player."
Despite facing double teams all night, Clowney logged three sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. But the Seahawks adjusted as best they could as the game went along.
"We tried to double him all night anyway, but our guys just stepped up and played better in the second half on the offensive line," Wilson said.
In full force
Seahawks 6-foot-4, 265-pound senior guard Jason Rexroad returned to action Saturday to bolster the offensive line after missing Myrtle Beach's state semifinal victory over Bluffton with an ankle injury.
"He's going to Middle Tennessee State and he's had an outstanding year, so to get him back helped us out tremendously," Wilson said.
His return gave Myrtle Beach a full complement of players for the state championship, which is an accomplishment in itself.
"That doesn't happen often. Football is such a tough sport," Wilson said. "You go 15 games, especially to go 15 games three years in a row, it's a lot of wear and tear on your kids, so to be pretty close to being 100 percent healthy is a pretty good deal."
The Seahawks couldn't finish the game full strength, however.
Offensive lineman Jennings Huffling suffered what is feared to be a broken ankle midway through the second quarter and was carried off the field by coaches and the Seahawks training staff.
Family ties
A reuniting of families gave the Seahawks their backup running back this season and apparent featured running back of the future.
Vincent Hoover transferred to Myrtle Beach this year to reconnect the Hoover and Wilson families.
Wilson's father, Mickey Wilson Sr., and Hoover's grandfather played football together in high school in Corbin, Ky.
Wilson said Hoover's parents came to Myrtle Beach on vacation last spring while considering a move and watched the Seahawks' spring game. They liked what they saw.
"It came to the situation where they wanted him to play at Myrtle Beach, so it worked out pretty good," Wilson said. "He had a great year. It took him a while to learn the system. Once he got involved in the offense and figured out what he was doing his role increased."
Hoover gained 512 yards on 94 carries in relief of Ford, who also played defense and special teams.
He didn't record a rush Saturday, but is expected to make a big impact as a possible starter next season.
"It looks that way now," Wilson said. "Of course you can never tell, you have to go through the offseason, but right now he's probably penciled in as the starter for next year."
This story was originally published December 5, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "State championship notebook: South Pointe defense impresses Myrtle Beach."