Saturday Morning QB | Carolina Forest nets big win, proves it can win more ways than one

Marc Morris has said all along that he’s building toward October and November.

On Friday, in Carolina Forest’s 24-20 win over Myrtle Beach, his actions spoke louder than any of his words. The Panthers’ offensive coaches continued to open up the playbook, running more option with Matt Beale and Dyverse Simmons than the team has since Morris’ arrival (or ever, probably).

Often using a two-back set with Drake Stone primarily as a lead blocker, Beale and Simmons ran the outside pitches to perfection. Beale ran for just 45 yards, but Simmons finished with around 200.

Just as importantly, it prevented Myrtle Beach’s front seven and eight defenders from jamming up the interior line. Then, with the defense spread, Simmons and Stone were able to basically turn it into an inside-outside rushing attack.

Stone’s big run in the closing moments that allowed Carolina Forest to finish the game in victory formation was a direct benefit of what the team had been doing all game.

Now, some of the increased outside play-calling had to do with matchup. Carolina Forest felt like it had an opportunity to do that against Myrtle Beach. But it was the use of it time and again that showed how diverse (not just Dyverse) this offense can be when it needs to be.

It was a huge defensive effort that ultimately proved to be the biggest difference for Carolina Forest. The offensive side of the ball, though, more than did what it needed to.

AROUND THE AREA

▪ With its head coach serving a one-game suspension, top two offensive weapons shelved due to injuries and another player lost during the game, Socastee rallied around some previously unused players to beat North Myrtle Beach 30-22 for its first win of the season.

▪ Conway rebounded well after its blowout loss to Hartsville to do the same to Marlboro County, winning 46-22 on the road. It was exactly the type of momentum builder the Tigers needed prior to their high-profile Victory Bell rivalry game against Myrtle Beach this week.

▪ Georgetown got more than it bargained for against Carvers Bay. But in winning 34-27, the Bulldogs earned the unofficial Georgetown County championship after sweeping past Waccamaw, Andrews and Carvers Bay for the second consecutive season.

▪ St. James did what was expected against a Class A team, steamrolling Hannah-Pamplico 42-7 after jumping out to a six-touchdown advantage in the opening half.

▪ Waccamaw wrapped up its non-region schedule with a 40-8 victory over Green Sea Floyds. The Warriors got a well-rounded offensive effort from their three biggest offensive players and their defense forced three turnovers.

▪ After imploding on defense early, Aynor rebounded after halftime to hold West Columbus (N.C.) to just six points after the break to win 40-32. The Blue Jackets moved to 3-1 in advance of its final non-region game (against Lake View).

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

POWER RANKINGS (all classes)

1. Conway

2. Carolina Forest

3. Myrtle Beach

4. Georgetown

5. North Myrtle Beach

WEEK 4 GAME BALLS

Hunter Illing, QB, Socastee: The quarterback of the future became the quarterback of now for Socastee following an injury to Brandon Goswick. All head coach Doug Illing’s nephew did was complete 21-of-27 passes for 255 yards. As far as starting debuts go, those type of numbers – and helping your team win its first game of the year – are pretty solid.

Dyverse Simmons, RB, Carolina Forest: The junior tallied 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns and notched his 12th 100-plus-yard game in 15 starts for the Panthers. The latest one came in a huge victory over Myrtle Beach.

Antonio Long, DB, Conway: The safety and Tigers’ leading tackler picked off two passes against Marlboro County, helping Conway improve to 4-1.

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 2:03 AM with the headline "Saturday Morning QB | Carolina Forest nets big win, proves it can win more ways than one."