By Craig Brown
In a great defensive battle, the Dillon Christian School Warriors scored the go-ahead touchdown with 27 seconds left in the game to give them a 14-8 victory over the Robert E. Lee Academy Cavaliers in Bishopville Friday night.
The win puts the Warriors at 4-1 on the season. Warrior quarterback Jim Carr was 9 of 16 passing for 203 yards and a touchdown but the talented Cavalier defensive secondary intercepted three passes to halt Warrior drives inside their end of the field. The Warrior running game was held to 164 yards which is about 70% of their normal game average. The Warrior defense was strong as usual keeping the Cavaliers off the board until late in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors continue to shoot themselves in the foot with excessive penalties, picking up 10 for 120 yards against the Cavaliers.
The Warriors got on the board first when Jim Carr hit wide receiver Michael Minges with a 44-yard touchdown pass. Carr kicked the point after to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead with 8:41 left in the first quarter. The Warriors would take this lead into the half time break.
The third quarter resulted in a hard hitting battle with no scoring. Late in the fourth quarter a Warrior player ran into a punt that gave the Cavaliers the ball on the Warrior 38 yard line. The Warriors put up a good battle but the Cavalier quarterback Weston Green crossed the goal line from one yard out. The Cavaliers faked the kick and Robert Stokes converted the two-point conversion to give the Cavaliers an 8-7 lead with 4:34 left in the game.
The Warriors battled down the field on the passing of Carr and the running of Thomas Evans with Evans finishing the drive on a 2-yard touchdown run. Carr added the point after to give the Warriors a 14-8 lead with 27 seconds left. The Cavaliers got good field position on the kickoff return but Red Williams sealed the win when he intercepted a Cavalier pass at the Warrior 45 yard line.
On offense for the Warriors, in addition to his passing, Carr added four yards rushing and added two points on point after kicks. TeShaun Lane had 96 yards on 18 carries; Ellison Rourke caught two passes for 69 yards; Thomas Evans had 62 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown; Michael Minges caught two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown; Red Williams caught three passes for 44 yards; and Luke Price caught two passes for 43 yards.
On defense for the Warriors, Thomas Evans made eight tackles with six assists; Luke Price made eight tackles with five assists; Ellison Rourke made seven tackles, three assists; Jake Boykin and Mathew Price made seven tackles with two assists each with Price adding a quarterback sack; Michael Minges and Red Williams made five tackles and an interception each; Samuel Brown added a tackle with two assists; Connor Hamilton had a tackle and an assist; and Samuel Coleman added a tackle.
Tyquan Crosland made three tackles, two assists, and David Williams made two tackles with an assist. The Cavaliers got away with several holding penalties that were not called as their linemen struggled against Crosland and Williams.
The Warriors will be at home Friday as they face their number one rival Pee Dee Academy. The Warriors will be observing homecoming and game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
