North Myrtle Beach took care of the numbers that matter most against Wilson on Friday
Guess numbers don’t always tell the entire story.
Wilson outgained North Myrtle Beach by nearly 300 yards, with quarterback Jacob Quillen throwing for 547 yards — and Wake Forest bound receiver Zion Keith on the receiving end of 282 of them.
Yet, the Chiefs led in the only category that mattered.
North Myrtle Beach scored a pair of defensive touchdowns and capitalized on two more, keying it to a 45-35 win over Wilson.
“Always better than coming out on the wrong side (of the game), I can tell you that,” said North Myrtle Beach football coach Matt Reel. “Guys did a really good job early of jumping on them and getting some points on the board. Defense causing turnovers, causing 3-and outs, it really helped us toward the latter portion of the ballgame.”
Down by 29 points in the fourth, Wilson mounted a furious comeback to cut its deficit to 10. However, the Chiefs were able to drain enough clock on their final offensive possession to ward off any hope of the Tigers stealing the game.
With the victory, North Myrtle Beach needs only a win in either of its final two games (at Marlboro County, vs. St. James) to secure the Region 7-4A title.
Turning point
Early in the third quarter, North Myrtle Beach linebacker Dominic Vereen was in the right place at the right time, scooping up a Quillen fumble for a touchdown. It proved to be a necessary score for the Chiefs, enabling them to hold on for the win.
Key performers
Kered Class, North Myrtle Beach: Though playing through injury, the Chiefs running back rushed for 155 yards and a 65-yard touchdown on his first carry of the game. He surpassed the 1,000-yard mark this season with his rushing output.
Tyler Gore, North Myrtle Beach: Tasked with chasing fellow Shrine Bowler nominee Zion Keith around the field on defense, he made the most of his opportunities on the other side of the ball. Gore caught five passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns, along with three carries for 33 yards and a crucial first down late to help preserve the game for the Chiefs.
Zion Keith, Wilson: The Wake Forest commit caught 16 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown, often matching wits with North Myrtle Beach’s Gore.
Jacob Quillen, Wilson: Threw for 547 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to two more on the ground in a losing effort.
By the numbers
4
Turnovers by Wilson in the game, each converted into points by North Myrtle Beach
10
Number of seconds it took for North Myrtle Beach to hit pay dirt following a fumble by Wilson’s Keith on the second play of the game.
1,042
Total yards between the teams on Friday night
They said it
“We couldn’t run the football the way we wanted to. We were moving it, but we couldn’t consistently keep the football, that’s why you had three or four quick scores. … But man, we’re 8-0 and I couldn’t be prouder of my kids right now. “ — North Myrtle Beach football coach Matt Reel
“We had a lot of things that didn’t go our way in the first half. But the kids have continued to work, and continue to impress me by hitting any challenge head on.” — Wilson football coach Derek Howard
“No hold can take away a nose tackle scoring … I’ll take a hold for my boys.” — North Myrtle Beach defensive lineman Marcelous Livingston on fellow defensive lineman Mikel Stevenson’s scoop and score in the first quarter of Friday’s game
Up next
NMB: at Marlboro County
Wilson: at St. James
NMB | 21 | 14 | 10 | 0 | — | 45 |
Wilson | 3 | 13 | 0 | 19 | — | 35 |
First quarter
NMB — Mikel Stevenson 8 fumble return (Zane Smith kick)
WIL — Ryan Nelson 25 kick
NMB — Kered Class 65 run (Smith kick)
NMB — Cason McClendon 20 pass to Tyler Gore (Smith kick)
Second quarter
NMB — McClendon 18 pass to Stockdale (Smith kick)
WHS — Jacob Quillen 67 pass to Zion Keith (Nelson kick)
NMB — McClendon 15 pass to Gore (Smith kick)
WHS — Quillen 37 pass to Yavin Smith (kick failed)
Third quarter
NMB — Smith 35 kick
NMB — Dominic Vereen 4 fumble return (Smith kick)
Fourth quarter
WHS — Caleb Brown 1 run (Nelson kick)
WHS — Quillen 7 run (conversion failed)
WHS — Quillen 17 run (conversion failed)
Individual leaders
Rushing: NMB — Kered Class 18-155, T.J. Gore 13-58. WHS — Yavin Smith 2-75, Kam’Ron Bradford 11-35.
Passing: NMB — Cason McClendon 10-18-2, 112 yards. WHS — Jacob Quillen 34-47-0, 547 yards.
Receiving: NMB — Tyler Gore 5-64, Tyron Stockdale 4-46. WHS — Zion Keith 16-282, Y. Smith 5-115.
Joe L. Hughes II: 843-444-1702, @thejournalist44
This story was originally published October 13, 2017 at 11:52 PM with the headline "North Myrtle Beach took care of the numbers that matter most against Wilson on Friday."