Aynor grounds out more than 400 yards rushing to make its case for the Class 3A playoffs
If the situation surrounding Friday’s game against Loris added any pressure to Aynor, it didn’t show.
The Blue Jackets (4-1, 4-1 Region 6-3A) used their powerful running game and timely special teams to stifle Loris (2-1, 2-1 Region 6-3A to hand the Lions their first defeat of the season 45-26.
Piling up more than 400 yards rushing on the night, Aynor gave first-year Loris coach Greg Mance a swift introduction to the cross-county rivalry.
“That’s a really good team we just played,” Mance said. “They won the region last year and you can tell that they’re hungry and play physical. We’re building to get to that point, we’re working and got a good test tonight. My guys didn’t quit and held [Aynor] to seven points in the second half.”
Aynor played a “sloppy” game according to coach Jason Allen, but used some of its situational packages to perfection. Especially potent against Loris was the Michelin package, where 240-pound Ahmad Gerald goes into the backfield as the primary ball carrier. He found the end zone four times in the contest for a total of 4 yards on those scoring plays.
“That’s a load back there in the backfield,” Allen said. “I don’t know how he moves the way he does at 240 but he goes back there and makes plays. He’s hard to bring down, that’s for sure, and gave us a strong attack down on the goal line tonight.”
Loris held a lead in the first quarter, scoring a defensive touchdown on a 72-yard fumble recovery by Cameron Faircloth to take a 14-8 lead. From the second quarter on, Aynor would outscore the Lions 38-12.
“We didn’t play our best game, especially with the turnovers,” Allen said. “We were able to make up for that with a couple of special teams wins, but we know we have to execute at a higher level at this point of the season if we want to win big games. We want to be playing our best ball in November, so we’ve got some things to clean up.”
The two special teams wins came in the second quarter when Aynor popped a surprise onside kick after taking a 16-14 lead, which led to another Blue Jackets score. A short punt and short field led to another score, then the ensuing kickoff wasn’t fielded cleanly by Loris, leading to Aynor taking over at the Lions’ 15-yard line.
The Blue Jackets put up 30 points in the second quarter, leading to a 38-20 halftime lead and a relatively drama-free second half.
In his postgame remarks to his team, Mance lauded his team’s effort and reminded them that their fate is still in their own hands. The Lions will host Dillon next week and are in the playoffs with a win and out of the playoffs with a loss against the Class 3A No. 1 team.
Aynor is now through its region slate and awaits its playoff fate next week. A Dillon win cements the Blue Jackets as the No. 2 team in the region. A Loris win complicates things, as each of the three teams would have one region loss.
SCORING SUMMARY
Loris – 14 6 0 6 – 26
Aynor – 8 30 0 7 – 45
First Quarter
AYN – Ahmad Gerald 1-yard run (Gerald run for 2-point conversion) 8:13
LOR – Brice Faircloth 12-yard pass to Ridge Kidder (KICK GOOD) 5:03
LOR – Cameron Faircloth 72-yard fumble return (KICK GOOD) 1:45
Second Quarter
AYN – Gerald 1-yard run (Garrison Gasque run for 2-point) 8:21
AYN – Gerald 1-yard run (2-point failed) 5:51
AYN – Gasque 4-yard run (Gasque run for 2-point) 1:52
AYN – Noah Jones 5-yard rush (Jones run for 2-point) 00:44
LOR – Brice Faircloth 6-yard rush (2-point try failed) 00:00
Fourth Quarter
AYN – Gerald 1-yard rush (Noel McQueen kick good) 9:38
LOR – Jackson Graham 36-yard rush (2-point failed) 1:33
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing
LOR – Brice Faircloth 8-18 115 TD
AYN – Noah Jones 1-2 7
Rushing
LOR – Brice Faircloth 12-66 TD
AYN – Ahmad Gerald 17-128 4TDs
Receiving
LOR – Chris Gilchrist 5-86
AYN – Anthony Eaddy 1-7
Interceptions
LOR – Randell Bellamy 1
AYN – Lander Harrelson 1
This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 11:09 PM.