Carolina Forest defense puts clamps on Myrtle Beach, completes impressive win

It wasn’t simply that Carolina Forest beat Myrtle Beach.

The Panthers did so two years ago with a team that failed to win another time throughout the year. But on Friday at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, Marc Morris’ team may have finally shown what its fans have been waiting for.

Despite trailing by two touchdowns four minutes into the game and with multiple starters suspended, Carolina Forest bowed up in gut-check time for a 24-20 victory. And the reasoning was clear.

“We’ve felt great about our defense,” Morris said. “We felt great about our defense. Last year, we played a lot of young guys on that side of the ball. Every week, you’re seeing them mature and mature as players. They’re playing fast.

“There’s not enough I can say about our defense. For them to hold them scoreless for a whole half, that’s unbelievable.”

Indeed, the Panthers’ defense has allowed fewer points in games since Morris took over prior to the 2014 season. But against the Seahawks, it just looked like Carolina Forest was dominant for the final 24 minutes.

Myrtle Beach accounted for just 33 yards of offense after halftime.

Brandon Sinclair, who had those two rushing touchdowns just minutes into the game and had 79 yards in the first half, finished with just 98 on the ground. Quarterback Drayton Arnold was 10-of-16, but those completions went for just 89 yards.

He was also intercepted twice – one off a fluke tipped ball – and in the closing moments when he took a shot at the end zone trying to put Myrtle Beach on top. Carolina Forest ran out the clock using star Dyverse Simmons and backup Drake Stone, prompting a second straight celebration on the Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium fieldturf after beating the Seahawks.

“We’re doing big things,” said Richmond Collier, who had the late interception to make sure Myrtle Beach didn’t score in the second half. “Everybody’s doing their job on the field. That’s how we’re pulling it through.”

It obviously wasn’t a rewarding home game for Myrtle Beach coach Mickey Wilson, whose team fell to 2-2.

“We got close to the red zone on that last drive and had a chance to punch it in and win it,” he said. “We just couldn’t get it done. We’re not executing right now.”

Conversely, Carolina Forest, following its clunker to North Myrtle Beach a week ago, put its improvement up front at a crucial time. With HTC broadcasting the game live, two radio stations putting it out over the airwaves and more than a handful of other media on-site, the Panthers did exactly what Morris has been preaching – defense and running the ball.

Simmons unofficially finished with 210 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Stone added 47 on the ground and quarterback Matt Beale ran for 45 while throwing for 131.

That last figure was important, because receivers Victory Woods and Jason Craft were suspended by the coaching staff. Like it did with Simmons’ brief one-quarter suspension two weeks ago, the team overcame its self-inflicted damage.

He maintained, however, that players are learning from their mistakes so they can capitalize on a deep talent pool.

“When we saw that we were supposed to win this game – when everybody started to believe we were supposed to win this game – we all came together as a whole,” Simmons said. “We put all the [pieces] together and we figured out how to win. Carolina Forest has always revolved around great star players. But they all didn’t come together. I feel like this team has figured this out.”

Two years ago on this field, Carolina Forest pulled off the shocker of the season with a 41-35 victory over Myrtle Beach. It was the Panthers’ lone win of the season, while Myrtle Beach went on to win the Class AAA state title. Then a year ago, the Seahawks won the game on the field a year ago before the school discovered it had used an ineligible player and forfeited the game.

That being the case, Carolina Forest can now say it has won three in a row in the series for just the second time in the school’s history.

But unlike the first time – from 1998-2000 – this has come against a team that entered Friday as the No. 4 team in Class AAA and with at least two future college players. In short, it was a extremely positive showing from a team that was coming off a loss that could now be considered unexpected.

“Last week, I felt like we beat ourselves. I felt like the only people who can stop us is us,” Simmons said. “Like I said [in the preseason], Carolina Forest will be one of the best teams in the AAAA conference.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 11:03 PM with the headline "Carolina Forest defense puts clamps on Myrtle Beach, completes impressive win."