Seahawks’ Wilson: Turnovers to loom large in matchup with Hartsville

Myrtle Beach has been scoring at will.

The Seahawks put up at least 35 points in seven straight games, averaging more than 44 per contest in that span. During this stretch, the likes of Drayton Arnold, Brandon Sinclair and Elijah Rice have each put their stamp on the 2015 season.

But if there’s one thing that gives coach Mickey Wilson pause heading into the highly anticipated Lower State semifinal game against Hartsville at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium on Friday, it’s turnovers.

Simply, without continuing a defensive trend that has been seemingly as important as all that offensive production, keeping up with another of the best point-producing teams in the state may be too much to ask.

“We talk about turnovers and stripping the ball,” Wilson said. “It’s something our kids understand how big of a momentum swing that can be during a game.”

Against Hartsville, a team averaging 44 points per game this year — not just in the last seven contests — takeaways could be the difference.

Through 12 games, the Seahawks forced 20 turnovers. That includes two against Hilton Head last Friday in a 63-27 win highlighted by quick scoring chances brought about by defense and strong special teams play.

All those interceptions, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries are also coming from multiple defensive players. Heading into Friday, 14 different Seahawks have forced a fumble, recovered one or snagged an interception.

“The first thing we do every day is stick period,” Myrtle Beach junior Chase Brill said. “We focus on forcing turnovers. We do it so much. We do it every day. It’s the first thing we do. It’s driven into our head.”

Against Hartsville, though, preparation has been slightly different. For starters, mimicking the Wing-T takes more time when the personnel isn’t used to running it.

But Myrtle Beach also recognizes that relying solely on turnovers against a team so adept at a running game from so many different players — the Red Foxes are on the cusp of having three 1,000-yard rushers this season — ignores the first responsibility.

“Before turning the ball over, we’d like to secure good tackles,” said Brill, who had no problem calling Hartsville the best team in the state. “But if we can [force a turnover], we’ll try to do that.

“They’re good at everything they do. Before we think about ripping the ball out of their hands,we have to concentrate on [tackling].”

The turnover battle is a two-way street.

Cutting down on turnovers has spurred the Seahawks’ own big-time scoring efforts in the last two months. Myrtle Beach has given the ball away 17 times this year. That includes 10 interceptions from Arnold, two fumbles by three different players rushing and another in the receiving game.

However, more than half of those came before region play. Since the second half of the regular season began, Arnold has thrown just four picks, with no more than one in any given game. During that same span, he’s piled up 24 touchdown passes.

Hartsville, the No. 1 team in Class AAA, own’s a plus-eight turnover margin, according to figures compiled by the Florence Morning News. The Red Foxes’ defense tends to create opportunities that the offense’s Wing-T running scheme then exploits.

It’s more than enough to add an extra level of concern in the biggest game of the season.

This story was originally published November 26, 2015 at 10:01 PM with the headline "Seahawks’ Wilson: Turnovers to loom large in matchup with Hartsville."