How Myrtle Beach made quick work of a familiar foe as another one awaits in playoffs

Marlboro County couldn’t keep the Myrtle Beach offense down for a second time this season.

The Seahawks (9-1) doubled their point total from a victory over the Bulldogs (7-4) earlier this season in a 42-14 win Friday night at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.

Myrtle Beach advances to host North Myrtle Beach next Friday in the state Class 4A quarterfinals. The Chiefs defeated Wilson 34-22 Friday night to set up a rematch of Myrtle Beach’s 17-14 win on Oct. 25 at Doug Shaw. The teams have split their meetings in the past two years.

“We’re very excited to have another home game, potentially the last home game of my senior year, so we have to take advantage of it and have some fun,” Myrtle Beach defensive lineman J.B. Favorite said. “It’s a little better, it’s great to have North Myrtle, but if we do what we’re supposed to do and take care of business it really doesn’t matter who comes.”

Junior quarterback Luke Doty completed his first 10 passes and finished the game 13 of 19 for 212 yards, throwing just three passes in the second half as the Seahawks wound down time on the ground.

Senior running back Jermani Green gained 117 yards rushing on 22 carries, with 18 carries for 109 yards coming in the second half.

Doty threw three touchdown passes and also ran for a 46-yard score to help Myrtle Beach build a 28-7 lead early in the second quarter.

“That’s one of our biggest things is establishing a good rhythm early, a fast rhythm early, and that just comes down to having a great offensive line and guys around me that can go make plays and go get the ball,” Doty said.

Marlboro County grabbed some momentum with a 17-yard touchdown run by quarterback Elijah Blair to pull within 14 points in the second quarter and intercepted two of Doty’s next six passes.

Safety Jordan Swinton stepped in front of a receiver over the middle for a pick and returned it 14 yards to the Myrtle Beach 44, and Jamiek McCoy intercepted a pass when Doty was scrambling to his right and threw back over the middle, and returned it 40 yards to the Seahawks’ 21.

But on both occasions the Myrtle Beach defense knocked the Bulldogs back. The Seahawks recorded five tackles for losses on the six combined plays that followed the turnovers and forced Marlboro County to relinquish the ball with a pair of three-and-outs. They were five of numerous sacks and tackles for loss by the defense, led by Favorite and fellow senior defensive lineman Chris Brown.

“We were kind of the main leaders tonight on the defensive line but you had my boys Will Walton and Quamil Spells right behind us with big plays too all night long,” Favorite said. “All it’s about is making the right reads and making plays and that’s what we did tonight and we came up big.

“We got a little lazy right around the end of the first quarter and they got two scores on us but we adjusted and kept on them for the rest of the game.”

Marlboro County tried to catch Myrtle Beach off-guard with an onside kick to start the game but Myrtle Beach’s Jirone Parker caught the short popped-up kick and the Seahawks began their opening possession on their own 42. They scored in three plays as Doty hit Da’Ron Finkley on a 29-yard touchdown pass.

Myrtle Beach took a 21-0 lead just 5:30 into the game on a 26-yard Wyatt Roache touchdown reception, as Roache shed a defender over the middle, and 46-yard scoring run by Doty, who raced down the left side of the field on a quarterback draw.

A Jacardo Riggins 18-yard run got Marlboro County on the board and Doty answered with a 53-yard pass over the defense to Finkley.

In the first half, Doty was 12 of 16 for 202 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Myrtle Beach forced a turnover on downs on the opening drive of the second half when a Blair pass on fourth-and-2 at the Myrtle Beach 27 was incomplete, then drove 73 yards in 12 plays to take a 35-14 lead.

The Seahawks rode Green down the field on seven carries for 53 yards and Doty capped the drive with an 8-yard run around the left side of the line after faking a handoff to Green.

“The defense did a great job,” Doty said. “They came up with a bunch of big stops early in the game and the second half that really put us over the edge.”

Xayvion Knox added a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown with 8 minutes to play, allowing the Seahawks to look ahead to next week’s matchup with fellow Region 6-4A member North Myrtle Beach.

“That’s our biggest rival in town and in the region right now, so that’s who we’re focused on,” Doty said.

This story was originally published November 16, 2018 at 10:00 PM.