Lake Marion stifles Loris, moves on in Class AA playoffs

Despite what the Loris football team’s final record may indicate, coach Jamie Snider won’t look back on the 2015 season and call it a losing one.

Instead, Snider sees his Lions as winners even with their postseason hopes dashed Friday night.

Loris certainly put up a fight, trailing Lake Marion by just a score at halftime. But the Gators pulled away in the second half en route to a 31-13 win, advancing to the Class AA, Division I Lower State finals.

Lake Marion quarterback D’ontre Gilliard tossed two touchdown passes in the first half, and Davondre Robinson — the No. 2 recruit in South Carolina for the Class of 2017, according to ESPN.com and 247Sports.com — had a big 63-yard rushing touchdown for the Gators in the second quarter, which Snider saw as a major turning point in the contest.

“We had some opportunities; we just couldn’t take advantage,” said Snider, whose team finished with a record of 5-7. “(Robinson) is a heck of a player and he made some big plays. In the second half, offensively we got some turnovers and it just wasn’t our night. That’s the way it goes. But I’m real proud of the effort and real proud of the kids; they’re still winners in my mind.”

Loris chipped back from a 19-7 deficit early on as senior quarterback Ta’Jay Williams connected with senior Dez Dozier for a 15-yard touchdown pass to bring the Lions within one score at the break.

However, Williams and Loris was shut out in the second half.

Williams also had a tough time late with two costly turnovers in the fourth quarter, which helped seal the Lions’ fate. In the final minute, Williams threw an interception to defensive tackle Jabari Ellis — the No. 11 recruit in South Carolina for the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports.com — and took it to the house to put the game away for Lake Marion.

“He’s been bugging me all year, like, ‘Coach, please put me in the backfield, I want to score,’” Lake Marion coach Chris Carter said of Ellis. “Man, he sure took advantage of that one.”

Williams finished 8 of 18 passing for 67 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 69 yards and a score on seven carries. Dozier caught seven passes for 50 yards and a score, also hauling in an interception on defense in the first quarter.

Though not the way Snider would have liked to see his seniors end their high school careers, he credited them with coming up big time and time again for the program. He also saw the loss as a measuring stick for how his younger kids will perform next season.

“They’ve helped us win a bunch of games over their career and they’re going to be surely missed. I appreciate their efforts and all they’ve done,” Snider said. “But when you’re used to winning a bunch of games and you don’t have that kind of season, it’s disappointing for them. At the same time for the younger guys, the lesson we’re going to take from the seniors is how much harder we have to work for next year.”

Carter gave a nod to Loris for its tough play.

“They have some really good athletes and some good schemes. I think they had a really good game plan against us,” he said. “(Williams and Dozier) are really good, but I just thought that was a well-coached team. They’ve played some really tough teams this year and I don’t ever judge a team by its record, I judge them by the teams they’ve played.”

Lake Marion, which was coming off an upset of Bishop England last week in the first round, will have a big test on its hands next week. Three-time defending state champion Dillon will host the Gators in the Lower State finals, with a trip to the Class AA, Division I state championship on the line.

“We’re just looking to make it to the championship,” said Davis, who scored a 62-yard rushing touchdown. “We got Dillon next week; we’re looking to finish them off and get to the championship. As you can tell, anything can happen in the playoffs.”

It will be the first-ever trip to the Lower State finals for Lake Marion, which has been in existence since 2005. The Gators could potentially end Dillon’s 36-game winning streak, which dates back to the 2013 season.

“Dillon has a lot of history and coach (Jackie) Hayes had built a heck of a program over there,” Carter said. “Them winning the state title three years in a row makes it a really tough matchup for us. It’ll definitely be a challenge. This (win) certainly helps, though.”

Meanwhile, Snider is already looking forward.

“We’re going to go regroup,” he said. “We’re going to hit the weight room and [focus on] getting better for next season.”

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 12:19 AM with the headline "Lake Marion stifles Loris, moves on in Class AA playoffs."