Saturday morning quarterback (Aug. 20, 2016)
By no means was it North Myrtle Beach’s best showing.
But on Friday night, the performance proved more than enough.
Despite only rushing for 108 yards and not playing with the efficiency their coach had hoped, the Chiefs used a workmanlike effort to stymie a tough Timberland squad to earn a 28-13 win in The Sun News’ Game of the Week.
Head coach Blair Hardin had stressed to his team the importance of starting fast and getting a win on opening night. While the offense gained its footing as Friday’s game progressed, it was the defense that brought its lunch pail, forcing the Wolves to put the ball on the ground five times — turning it over on three occasions.
Against a team whose modus operandi is to grind opponents into submission, North Myrtle Beach did not wilt despite Timberland holding an overwhelming advantage in terms of time of possession.
Timberland head coach Art Craig heard all of the whispers about heightened expectations in Little River, and after Friday’s game believes such is well deserved.
“I know a lot of people felt that they had something to prove,” he said. “But after watching them on film, they’re already proven. ... They’re a good football team and (Hardin) has done a great job with those guys. They’re going to win a lot of games this year.”
I kind of joked with my defensive coordinator. I said, ‘I think we scored too soon.’ I was thinking, ‘We need to run more time off the clock.’
Green Sea Floyds football coach Tony Sullivan following an early touchdown during Friday’s win over East Columbus (N.C.)
AROUND THE AREA
▪ Conway quarterback Peyton Derrick did his best to get all his receivers in on the action, completing passes to six players and five touchdowns to four different guys, leading the Tigers to a 41-19 victory over Georgetown in their season opener.
The Appalachian State commit was 17 of 26 for 217 yards on the night. His favorite target was fellow senior Darren Stanley, who had a monster game with six receptions for 133 yards and two scores.
▪ A 21-point second quarter staked Loris to a lead, its defense making it stand up in a 30-14 victory over Horry County foe St. James. Despite not getting the start, running back Tyreek Williams made his presence felt, hitting pay dirt twice in that decisive second stanza. He finished with 79 yards on 17 attempts.
▪ Its “Hammer” offensive scheme in go mode, Aynor racked up nearly 300 yards on the ground and dominated time of possession en route to claiming a 22-14 victory over former region foe Marion.
Quarterback Caleb Jenerette led the way, rushing 18 times for 67 yards and a touchdown. Brayden Nobles and Jonathan Gause also did their part, the former piling up 62 yards on 14 carries, while the latter and rushed eight times for 48 yards and a score.
▪ Allowing its defense to set the tone early, Green Sea Floyds’ offense would seal East Columbus’ (N.C.) fate with 317 yards on the ground, allowing the Trojans to come away with a dominant season opening victory, 38-14.
▪ Despite showing strides on the offensive side of the ball, Waccamaw was unable to slow a vaunted Andrews attack, falling 47-13. In the game, the Yellow Jackets were able to force an interception and a fumble, in addition to blocking a Warriors punt.
▪ Though able to hang around early, Marlboro County eventually proved too much for Carvers Bay on Friday, downing the Bears 29-12.
GAME BALLS
▪ Kered Class, North Myrtle Beach: The running back began the 2016 season in grand fashion, returning the opening kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown. He also ran the ball 12 times for 80 yards in the Chiefs’ win over Timberland.
▪ North Myrtle Beach defense: The Chiefs forced Timberland to fumble five times Friday night, recovering three of them in a 28-13 win.
▪ Akil Gause, Green Sea Floyds: The Trojans running back ran for 106 yards on eight carries and a touchdown in a win Friday night over East Columbus (N.C.). He also had an interception on the first play of the game, setting up Green Sea Floyds’ first score.
▪ Darren Stanley, Conway: Georgetown had all sorts of trouble keeping Stanley under wraps Friday night, hauling in six balls for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-19 win.
▪ Tyreek Williams, Loris: The running back ran for 79 yards on 17 attempts and two touchdowns in the Lions’ 30-14 win over rival St. James on Friday.
POWER RANKINGS (all classes)
1. Conway
2. North Myrtle Beach
3. Carolina Forest
4. Myrtle Beach
5. Green Sea Floyds
WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
Wando at Conway (The Sun News’ Game of the Week)
Andrew Jackson at Aynor
Carolina Forest at Fairmont (N.C.)
Georgetown at Carvers Bay
Loris at North Myrtle Beach
New Hanover (N.C.) at Myrtle Beach
North Brunswick (N.C.) at Socastee
St. James at Waccamaw
This story was originally published August 20, 2016 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Saturday morning quarterback (Aug. 20, 2016)."