Loris celebrates homecoming by beating Waccamaw. Now a pivotal game looms.
A 42-14 homecoming win over Waccamaw was just what the doctor ordered for the Loris football team on Friday night.
The Lions (3-6, 1-3 Region 6-AAA) came into the contest on a four-game losing streak, with three of those losses coming in all-important region play. Coach Jamie Snider knew his team would need to put up a strong effort on both sides of the ball to defeat a scrappy Waccamaw (0-9, 0-4 Region 6-AAA) team.
“Our offense got in on the act tonight and scored some points to help our defense out,” he said of his team’s effort. “Tonight was a good night and a good homecoming win for our guys. We have played pretty well on defense this year. Our defense only gave up one touchdown last week against Georgetown and one here tonight. They’ve done a great job.”
While his defense shut down Waccamaw, holding the Warriors to scoreless on their first 10 drives, the Loris offense made sure the game would never be in doubt. Leading the way was senior running back Tyrek Williams, who finished the game with 120 yards and three touchdowns.
“That’s a big win because I love Loris; my pride is in Loris and always will be,” he said following his big game. “We’re just trying to get to the playoffs to continue the legacy around here. Loris always makes the playoffs and we’re going to keep grinding to get there.”
From the outset, Loris looked to run Waccamaw out of the game. The first drive featured three running plays, ending in a 12 yard Williams score. They would come right back with a heavy dose of Williams and Waderek Hemingway in the first half and would score on defense to go into halftime up 29-0.
Another defensive touchdown, this time a 26 yard scoop-and-score by Javonte Turrentine, would put the game well out of reach and bring in many reserves for Loris. Over the next quarter, Waccamaw would mount its best offensive drives, resulting in one score on offense and one on defense. Williams would end the scoring for either side with his third score, rumbling into the end zone behind the “hammer” package, which features two defensive linemen to help block for the stout running back.
Looking to next week, Loris will face a win-and-you’re-in contest against Aynor, where the Lions must win the game to be in the discussion for the fourth spot in the region.
Turning point
Loris put its trust in the defense, winning the opening toss and deferring to the second half. The Lion defense would stand strong against Waccamaw, forcing a punt, which led to a quick score to take a 7-0 lead. The Loris defense would again get the ball back for its offense, which scored another rushing touchdown with no time left on the clock in the first quarter, building a lead it would never relinquish.
Key performers
Tyrek Williams, Loris: Scoring three times and rushing for 120 yards made homecoming sweet for the senior running back.
Loris offensive line: The Lions had a strong offensive attack thanks to the work of their five men up front, who paved the way for more than 200 rushing yards on the night.
Levon Stevenson, Loris: While his passing numbers weren’t showstopping, Stevenson did enough with his arm to keep Waccamaw honest, while compiling over 60 rushing yards of his own.
By the numbers
217
Loris rushed for 217 yards on 31 carries to dominate the line of scrimmage against Waccamaw.
3
Waccamaw tried three different quarterbacks to try and find some rhythm on offense against Loris. The three combined for 120 yards on 32 attempts.
2
The Loris defense scored two touchdowns to match the point total of the Waccamaw team on Friday.
They said it
“We’re going to have to duplicate this effort and do a little bit more. Aynor is an experienced team and is big and strong as well. We’ll have our hands full next Friday night and we have to have a good week of practice. We have to beat Aynor to even be in the discussion for a playoff spot and that’s a tough task.” – Loris coach Jamie Snider
“That last touchdown was like the bow on the present for me, it was sweet to get into the end zone at the end of the game to put it away.” – Tyrek Williams
Up next
Waccamaw: at Georgetown
Loris: vs. Aynor
Waccamw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | — | 14 |
Loris | 15 | 14 | 7 | 6 | — | 42 |
First quarter
Lor – Tyrek Williams 12 yard run (Travis Walters run for 2-point conversion) 9:46
Lor – Williams 7 yard run (Austin Skipper kick good) 0:00
Second quarter
Lor – Zach Jordan fumble recovery in end zone (Skipper kick) 11:34
Lor – Waderek Hemingway 2 yard run (Skipper kick) 7:00
Third quarter
Lor – Javonte Turrentine 26 yard fumble return (Skipper kick) 9:06
Fourth quarter
Wac – Walker Parker 30 yard pass to Tyree Funnye (Joseph Gullo kick good) 7:52
Wac – James Alston 58 yard fumble return (Gullo kick) 6:06
Lor – Williams 1 yard run (kick failed) 2:16
Individual leaders
Rushing: Wac – Man Dew 7-21. Lor – Tyrek Williams 15-120 3TDs.
Passing: Wac – Walker Parker 7-14-66-1-1. Lor – Levon Stevenson 3-8-67-0-0.
Receiving: Wac – Tyree Funnye 3-41 TD. Lor – Jahrique Isaiah 2-70.
This story was originally published October 21, 2017 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Loris celebrates homecoming by beating Waccamaw. Now a pivotal game looms.."