Photos from the Lake View v. Cross game by Craig Brown:
By Craig Brown
The Lake View High School Wild Gators defeated the Trojans of Cross High School 14-6 in overtime Friday night in Lake View in what many consider to be one of the most exciting football games ever played in Lake View.
It was a matchup between what many fans consider to be the two best teams in class A division II in the state.
It was a game of hard hits and short to no gain runs on offense.
The win puts the Wild Gators record at 10-2 and sends them to Greelyville Friday for a lower state title match with C. E. Murray. Cross ends their season with a respectable 9-3 record.
C. E. Murray is 11-1 with the one loss a 28-7 drumming from Cross.
The game began and ended in a dog fight. The Wild Gators put together a late first quarter drive that ended with Tyshawn McDaniel crossing the goal line from four yards out with 1:25 left in the first quarter.
The two-point conversion attempt failed holding the Wild Gators to a 6-0 lead. The first quarter would end with this score.
The battle continued throughout the second quarter. Every time one team’s offense would get close to the red zone the others defense would step up and hold to close the first half of play with Lake View holding onto the 6-0 lead.
The hard hitting action continued in the third quarter with neither team giving way to the other.
The Wild Gators were set to punt with 5:01 left in the third quarter when the Cross defense took advantage of a high snap to the punter blocking the kick and recovering the ball on the Wild Gator three yard line.
Two plays later, Trojan quarterback Jamar Mathews ran it in from two yards out to tie the score at 6-6.
The Wild Gators returned the favor with Stone Spivey getting his hands up to block the extra point to hold the score at 6-6. That was probably the most important blocked kick in Lake View football history.
The Trojans put another scare into the Lake View fans with 10:08 left in the fourth quarter when Mathews hit his wide receiver with a 37-yard touchdown pass on fourth down.
The play was called back because Mathews had crossed the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball. Lake View took over on their 37 yard line happy to have dodged the bullet. Cross would get back to the red zone with 4:06 left in regulation play. Mathews sent a pass to the corner of the end zone to his tight end but Tyshawn McDaniel stepped in front of the intended receiver to make the interception in the end zone to end the threat and give the Gators the ball on the 20 yard line.
This was the last threat by either team in regulation play sending the game into overtime.
Lake View got the ball first starting from the ten yard line. On third down Wild Gator quarterback, Duane Nichols called his on number and ran it in from five yards out. McDaniel added two points on the conversion run to put Lake View up 14-6.
The Lake View defense never looked better as it held strong through four nail biting downs to give the Gators the 14-6 overtime win.
Cross quarterback Jamar Mathews was so depressed after the loss that he went face down on the field and was later given pats on the back by Wild Gator players and coaches for his valiant game efforts.
Wild Gator Head Coach, Daryl King stated that Cross’s bread and butter play had been the trap block and run up the middle and they were very good at it.
“Our players stepped up and took this play away from them,” stated King.
King added that both defenses made the passing game almost non-existent in this game. Coach King gave high praise to his coaches and players for this win.
On offense for the Wild Gators, Delvon Bethea had 65 yards on 10 carries, Tyshawn McDaniel had 45 yards on 13 carries, Duane Nichols had 40 yards on 7 carries and completed a pass for 5 yards and Randall Washington had 45 yards on 9 carries and caught a pass for 5 yards.
On defense, Will Arnette had a game high 10 tackles with three tackles for a loss adding three tackle assists, Brandon Acevedo and Xavier Johnson had seven tackles, three assists each, Delvon Bethea, William Hayes and Datron Jones had five tackles two assists each, Connor Anderson had four tackles, three assists, Stone Spivey had three tackles, three assists with a blocked kick, Tyshawn McDaniel had three tackles, two assists and an interception, Tyler Davis had two tackles, three assists and an interception, Hunter Stevens had two tackles, Shawn Williams added a tackle with three assists, Webb Cardwell added a tackle and Benji Barfield had three tackle assists.
Game time for Friday’s game with C. E. Murray is set for 7:30. School address is 222 C. E. Murray Blvd. Greelyville. Phone number – 843-426- 2121.
