By Lonnie Turner
Dillon’s #12 Avery McCall avoids a Lion defender as he scampers into the end zone for a touchdown. (Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD.)
Junior quarterback Avery McCall and the Dillon Nasty Cat Defense made shambles out of the #2 Class 2-A team in the state on Friday night, scoring a 49-7 win over the Loris Lions to claim the Region 8 championship.
In a game that had been billed as the Game of the Week in the Pee Dee, it was merely another of the ho-hum contests that turned into a Dillon romp. The Lions continue to lose to the Cats, but will maybe meet again the 2-A playoffs.
The Wildcats pounded out 466 total yards, 315 through the air and another 151 on the ground. Avery McCall led the attack with 27 pass completions out of 35 attempts for 315 yards and four touchdowns, plus he had the best running game of his career, rushing 13 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Johnny Allen and Jamison Chapman managed only 35 yards on 12 carries, but McCall made up the difference, hitting eight different receivers with Eri’Reon Hayes making 10 grabs for 128 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Chapman caught a touchdown pass in the first quarter to give the Cats a quick 14-0 lead. Place kicker Drew Covington was perfect on the night with seven straight extra-point kicks, running his total to 55 out of 60 for the season.
McCall put the first six points on the board with a 5-yard run to cap a six-play, 49-yard drive. Two possessions later, he hit Chapman from six yards out and on the next Loris possession, a fumble recovery on the first play at the Lions 49-yard line resulted in a 43-yard touchdown pass to Hayes to take a 21-0 lead going into the second quarter.
Loris punter Marquel Bellamy, on fourth and 11 on the first possession of the new quarter, faked a punt and ran down the Dillon sideline for 41 yards and the team’s initial first down. In five more plays, quarterback Ta’Jay Williams kept the ball and ran in from the three to finally get on the scoreboard. That would be the last first down until the two minute mark of the third quarter for the Lions. The Wildcats held Loris to five three and out series and forced a fumble, plus Michael Salmon picked up his first interception of his career.
McCall also hit Randal Davis for a 24-yard touchdown.
The Wildcats will travel to Waccamaw next week for the final game of the regular season. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD. Click the images below to view at full size!
