A.C. Flora capped off its perfect regular season with a familiar formula: a lot of Markel Townsend and knack for making big plays.
Townsend rushed for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons defeated Ridge View 31-22 to win the Region 5-4A championship at Memorial Stadium. A.C. Flora finishes the regular season at 10-0 and will have homefield advantage throughout the lower state bracket.
“These guys never flinched,” Flora first-year coach Ken Floyd said. “Every time they would score, we would answer. That is huge. We are going to lean on these seniors in the playoffs, and tonight was a good indication hopefully of what is to come.”
The much-anticipated game lost some of its luster after the S.C. High School League executive committee upheld sanctions against Ridge View, which was 8-1 overall and 4-0 in region play ahead of Friday’s game. The ruling stripped the Blazers of their wins after an investigation determined the team used three ineligible players.
Ridge View will have to wait for Monday’s appellate panel hearing to see if their wins are reinstated and if they are allowed in the postseason.
The ruling appeared to have an effect on the Ridge View players Friday night as they got down 14-0. The Blazers, though, battled back and eventually got within 28-22 with 10:38 left on quarterback Breylon Boyd’s TD pass to Zion Agnew.
Ridge View was in a good position with A.C. Flora facing 3rd-and-25, but QB Carew Bates hit Colby Ridgell for a first down at the Blazers’ 26. Flora was able to add a 19-yard field goal on the drive to put the game away.
Boyd finished with two TD passes and Marcus Kelly had one for Ridge View.
Dutch Fork 63, Lexington 7
The Silver Foxes captured the Region 4-5A championship with a convincing win over Lexington.
It was the 14th-straight year Dutch Fork has won or shared a region title. The Silver Foxes will be a No. 1 seed from the region in the 5A Upper State playoffs.
After going for seven touchdowns last week, Dutch Fork running back Jarvis Green added six more Friday and racked up 289 all-purpose yards.
Quarterback Alliam Appler was 13-of-16 passing for 225 yards and two total touchdowns.
Dutch Fork outgained Lexington 565-165 and held Wildcats leading rusher Jonah Norris to 30 yards.
Gilbert 35, Brookland-Cayce 21
The Indians got 322 yards and five touchdowns combined from running backs Alias Graham-Woodberry and Jaden Allen-Hendrix to clinch the Region 5-3A championship.
The Indians will be the No. 1 seed from the region, while B-C is No. 2.
Graham-Woodberry led the way with 183 yards and three scores while Allen-Hendrix had 139 and two TDs.
Graham-Woodberry scored on a 6-yard run to put Gilbert up 28-14 late in the third quarter. But B-C answered with Tanner Staton’s 1-yard run with 10:40 left.
The Indians responded with Allen-Hendrix’s 35-yard TD run and got a big stop on B-C’s next possession to seal it.
River Bluff 70, Chapin 21
Running back Cooper Johns rushed for 227 yards and five touchdowns as the Gators wrapped up the No. 3 seed from Region 4-5A.
Gators quarterback Parker Murray threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns. River Bluff also blocked a punt for a score.
Chapin quarterback Brady Albro threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns.
Saluda 24, Batesburg-Leesville 7
Tyleke Mathis ran for 108 yards, a touchdown and returned a punt for a score as the Tigers wrapped up the third seed from Region 3-2A.
Jaylen Nix returned an interception for a Saluda touchdown.
Westwood 21, Richland Northeast 19
The Redhawks’ defense stopped Richland Northeast at the 1-yard line with 30 seconds left to wrap a playoff berth.
Westwood will either be the No. 3 or 4 seed from Region 5-4A depending on the outcome of Ridge View’s appeal.
The Redhawks trailed 19-13 but took the lead on Dylon O’Neal’s 20-yard TD pass to Kashon Harrison with three minutes to go.
Noah Jennings also returned an interception for a Westwood TD.
Irmo 38, Lugoff-Elgin 21
Irmo wrapped up a playoff spot with a win over the Demons.
The Yellow Jackets will either be the second seed from Region 5-4A or third if Ridge View wins its appeal.
Lugoff-Elgin would be the fourth seed if RV loses its appeal, or it has to earn one of the at-large spots.
Irmo quarterback AJ Brand threw for 144 yards, rushed for 148 and three scores. Telvin Smith led the Yellow Jackets with seven catches for 144 yards.
Blythewood 16, Spring Valley 13
Ryan Hart hit the go-ahead field goal in the third quarter and Blythewood’s defense made it stand as the Bengals completed a perfect record in Region 3-5A play.
Harrison Collins had a touchdown pass to Deon Tyler and Deandre Williams had a TD run for the Bengals.
Evan Javis had two touchdown runs for Spring Valley.
Camden 38, Marlboro County 0
Averee Hickmon went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season and scored twice as Camden completed Region 6-3A unbeaten.
The Bulldogs host Loris in a first-round game next week.
Quarterback Grayson White had two TDs and Cortez Lane had one. Camden’s defense had four sacks and William Nash picked off two passes.
Hammond 51, Heathwood 0
Quarterback Dylan Richardson threw three touchdown passes and ran for two as the Skyhawks wrapped up the No. 1 seed in SCISA 4A playoffs.
Hammond will face Augusta Christian next week.
Richardson finished with 191 passing yards and 42 rushing. Aidan Canzater had a 50-yard TD run and also caught two touchdown passes. Canzater rushed for 117 yards.
Cardinal Newman 37, Augusta Christian 28
Quarterback Duncan Skehan threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Cardinals wrapped up a spot in SCISA 4A playoffs.
AJ Reyes added two touchdown runs for Cardinal Newman, which will travel to Laurence Manning next week.
Gray Collegiate 56, Keenan 34
Blane Redmond and BJ Montgomery each rushed for three touchdowns as the War Eagles completed Region 4-2A play unbeaten.
Redmond finished with 160 yards and Montgomery had 150.
Lower Richland 28, Dreher 20
The Diamond Hornets wrapped up the third seed from Region 5-3A with a win over the Blue Devils.
Quarterback Marcus Smith threw touchdown passes to Nate Branch and Mekhi Campfield and also ran in two touchdowns.
Fairfield Central 48, Newberry 0
The Griffins wrapped up the No. 2 seed in Region 4-2A with a shutout of the Bulldogs.
Newberry is the No. 3 seed in the region.
CA Johnson 34, Whitmire 6
Dawan Rice rushed for two touchdowns and caught two TD passes in the Green Hornets’ victory.
The win gave the Hornets a second-place finish in the region and guaranteed they will host a first-round playoff game.
Quarterback Caleb Pearson threw three TD passes.
Mid-Carolina 48, Eau Claire 21
The Rebels wrapped up the regular-season with a win and will play Silver Bluff in the first round of the playoffs.
Lou Bezjak: (803) 771-8419, @LouatTheState
Caption:
Dwayne McLemore dmclemore@thestate.com
AC Flora’s Colby Ridgell gains yardage against Ridge View at Memorial Stadium in Columbia on Friday.
Dwayne McLemore dmclemore@thestate.com
AC Flora’s Markel Townsend gains yardage against Ridge View at Memorial Stadium in Columbia on Friday.
Dwayne McLemore dmclemore@thestate.com
AC Flora’s Chris Lofton gains yardage at Memorial Stadium in Columbia on Friday.
October 30, 2022 | State, The (Columbia, SC)|
Author/Byline: Lou Bezjak; Staff Writer | Page: 5B | Section: Sports