Myrtle Beach jumps on Byrnes early, earns impressive victory

This wasn’t the best win in Myrtle Beach history.

Probably not even close.

But in dispatching Byrnes 35-19 on Saturday to open the season, the Seahawks effectively put the rest of Class 4A on notice. This defense, one that forced six Rebels turnovers and stymied a high-powered offense almost throughout, propelled a considerable underdog into a top-flight performance few saw coming.

Even Myrtle Beach players themselves couldn’t have expected this type of result, right?

“I think we did, just because of how many returners we had and how many talented players we have on this team,” defensive lineman Sean McGonical said. “I thought we would do well, but I didn’t know we would do this good.”

The majority of the Seahawks’ damage came in the first 13 minutes of play. A botched Byrnes snap on a punt ended up in the hands of Jaquan Chestnut, who fell on it in the end zone. On the Rebels’ ensuing possession – the first play, actually – another fumble led to Keyonte Sessions’ four-yard score out of the team’s Rhino package.

Sessions added another similar touchdown moments later from three yards out. And then defensive back Chris Weston returned an interception 55 yards to put the Seahawks up 28-0 less than 30 seconds into the second quarter.

Everything looked like Myrtle Beach was going to repay the favor Byrnes delved out in 2009, when the Rebels handed the Seahawks their worst loss over the course of the last decade.

But that’s when the two defenses kept things relatively calm enough for Myrtle Beach to hold on for the win.

The Seahawks had just two first downs after the opening quarter, one of which came on Lawson Cribb’s 84-yard touchdown pass to Daron Finkley. It provided some breathing room, although it turned out to be unnecessary.

“Our defense was phenomenal,” Myrtle Beach coach Mickey Wilson said. “They did an outstanding job. I think early on in the game, our special teams were really good too. We’ve got a long way to go. I was very frustrated with us offensively, but we knew that going in. We were replacing a lot of people.”

Namely, quarterback Drayton Arnold and Brandon Sinclair’s departures to Old Dominion come to mind. In their place, Cribb threw for 155 yards and that late touchdown, and first-time offensive starter Jermani Green was held to zero yards on 14 carries after a rough second half.

“We got some breaks early on. We definitely got some breaks,” Wilson said. “I felt like, offensively, we left some points on the board. I think we dropped a touchdown. We threw a touchdown and went out of bounds. But again, the defense was amazing.”

That’s all that really mattered. Playing arguably its best game in recent memory against an opponent of this caliber – the perennial power Byrnes was on a short list of state title contenders in Class 5A – the Seahawks impressed at an opportune time when the rare Saturday game led to a large crowd and plenty of statewide attention.

“We can’t get complacent,” McGonical said. “We can appreciate this now. But when Monday comes around, we have to get ready for the next team. I think we should be able to dominate some teams, and then do this to some good teams like Byrnes.”

This story was originally published August 20, 2016 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach jumps on Byrnes early, earns impressive victory."