Saturday Morning QB | Conway wins in another Victory Bell classic

In time, we may look back at the last decade as the heyday of the Victory Bell rivalry.

Conway’s dominance during the first two-thirds of its meetings with Myrtle Beach were snoozers for those who didn’t have a Tiger or Seahawk in the hunt. Heck, the game wasn’t even scheduled in 2000 and 2001 after the Tigers won five straight by at least 20 points.

It was the only thing that broke up a string of 10 consecutive Tigers victories.

Myrtle Beach had won seven of eight leading up to Friday, and again, folks were questioning how much this game really meant.

“It didn’t go back and forth for years,” Tigers coach Chuck Jordan said. “I think it’s healthier when it does, and it means more when it does.”

With a 25-22 win on Friday, Conway can say it’s done its part to at least (for the moment) add the give-and-take back to the Victory Bell series. It’s better for football in the area when these teams exchange blows, if for no other reason that it adds a bit of spice to what is to come in region play.

Even counting the Class AAAA point system, this game means next to nothing when it come to playoff hopes. But it is more exciting when the outcome doesn’t feel like it had been determined before the games begin.

It’s safe to say that we may be in the midst of the best stretch of the series, and here’s why.

The last 10 contests between Conway and Myrtle Beach have been decided by an average of just 8.9 points per game. Six of those have been determined by single digits, and four of those have been settled by a field goal or less.

And in terms of wins, the recent stretch also holds significance. This is, after all, just the second five-year span in the history of the series in which a team won three times and the other won twice. The other happened in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

In short, soak up the competition between these two teams, because it doesn’t usually happen like this.

AROUND THE AREA

▪ Carolina Forest’s hopes of pulling an upset on the road at Lexington evaporated when the Wildcats scored 27 points in a seven-minute span during the second quarter to grab control. Panthers junior Dyverse Simmons, the area’s leading rusher, tallied 121 yards on the ground, giving him five 100-yard games in six contests so far this season.

▪ St. James defeated S.C. 707 rival Socastee for just the third time in 14 meetings. The prior two wins came in 2006 and 2007, when the teams split a pair of games against each other. In the most recent game, the Sharks won 18-8 on the strength of a stingy defensive effort against a team that had thrown for roughly 550 yards in the last two games.

▪ Georgetown made it four straight victories after a season-opening loss to Conway with a 21-19 win at Loris. It was the first time the Bulldogs and coach Bradley Adams had won against his alma mater in four seasons.

▪ Aynor took a 44-8 thumping at the hands of Lake View, one of the top-10 ranked teams in Class A. It dropped the Blue Jackets to 3-2, with those losses coming in the past three weeks.

▪ Carvers Bay dropped to 1-4 in non-region play with a 21-10 loss to C.E. Murray. The Bears will open region play at Creek Bridge on Friday.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

POWER RANKINGS (all classes)

1. Conway

2. Georgetown

3. Carolina Forest

4. Myrtle Beach

5. North Myrtle Beach

WEEK 5 GAME BALLS

Tyrone Bennett, WR, Conway: Bennett’s production on Friday against Myrtle Beach turned into an extension of the running game. He had 12 receptions for 92 yards. Five of his catches – mostly swing passes – went for first downs.

Jah’Maine Martin, RB, Conway: Martin ran for 174 yards and three first-half touchdowns, giving Conway a huge early boost against Myrtle Beach.

Elijah Rice, WR, Myrtle Beach: The Seahawks may have found that handy underneath receiver, as Rice went for 72 receiving yards on six receptions. It’s no surprise that his emergence helped Myrtle Beach’s struggling passing game.

Cavonte Gamble, WR/DB, Georgetown: In addition to an 88-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, the two-way starter snagged a big interception inside the red zone in the opening period.

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM with the headline "Saturday Morning QB | Conway wins in another Victory Bell classic."