By Craig Brown
The Lake View High School Wild Gators soundly defeated the Bobcats of Baptist Hill High School Friday night in Lake View in round one of the division 1A playoffs. The win keeps the Gators perfect at 11-0.
Lake View is one of the smallest schools in the state, but many division 2A and 3A teams would not want to meet them on the field. The Bobcats have one of the best quarterbacks in the state, Corey Fields. Fields was outstanding and produced 324 yards through the air with four touchdowns all too different receivers. It is unusual for any team to produce combined running and passing yards of 300 yards against the steadfast Wild Gator defense.
It was a great one man show, but to beat the Wild Gators you must be a complete team of super players.
The Wild Gators function like a graduating class at Parris Island, a team that functions as one man. Wild Gator Head Coach, Daryl King, assisted by Jonathan Robinson, Andy Ford, Cloy Ford, Johnny Dew, Jeffery Ceasar and Larry Inman have put together one of the finest teams to ever play at Lake View this year.
On offense they see the end zone as their second home and on defense they protect their home like a junk yard dog.
Coming off a bye week the Wild Gators were more than ready to play some football. Quarterback Duane Nichols has been sidelined for four weeks due to an injury and has been ably replaced by Delvon Bethea as the signal caller.
Nichols advised me that he was to meet with some doctors in Dillon today about how soon he could return to play. Until his return, Bethea will get the job done for the Wild Gators. Midway in the first quarter, Bethea got the Gators on the scoreboard on a one-yard touchdown run.
Dorian Edwards added the point after kick to put the Wild Gators up 7-0 with 6:10 left in the first quarter. Tyshawn McDaniel returned a punt 53 yards to put the Gators in good position at the Bobcat 31 yard line.
Gator running back Randall Washington took the ball the distance on the first play following the punt but the great run was called back due to a holding penalty.
Washington did complete the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run the conversion failed holding the Wild Gator lead to 13-0 with 1:37 left in the first quarter. The first quarter would end with this score.
On the Gators first possession of the second quarter, running back De’Ante Bridgett finished the drive on a 24 yard touchdown run, Washington ran in the two point conversion to increase the Wild Gator lead to 21-0 with 10:41 left in the second quarter. The Bobcats did not have the Wild Gator talent but they did not quit playing.
With 8:50 left in the second quarter Fields hit his running back Pharoah Floyd with a 33 yard touchdown pass.
The conversion failed holding the score with Lake View ahead 21-6. The Bobcats were off sides on the kickoff and forced to kick again five yards deeper.
The second kick went out of bounds and coach King wanted them to kick again. Bridgett received the kick for the Gators and returned it 80 yards for the touchdown. Edwards point after kick put the Wild Gators up 28-6 with 8:36 left in the second quarter. The Bobcats came back with Fields completing the drive on a 10 yard pass to wide receiver Rashad Maxwell.
The conversion failed but the Gator lead was cut to 28-12 with 6:24 left in the second quarter.
With time running out in the second quarter Bethea found wide receiver Brandon Acevedo open for a 37 yard touchdown pass. The conversion failed holding Lake View to a 34-12 lead with 37 seconds left in the second quarter with the first half ending with this score. With 5:40 left in the third quarter Bethea crossed the goal line on a 17 yard keeper. Bethea hit Acevedo with the conversion pass to up the Wild Gator lead to 42-12. On the Gator’s next offensive possession McDaniel broke tackles and raced 61 yards for the touchdown. Washington added the two point conversion run to give the Wild Gators a 50-12 lead with 1:00 left in the third quarter.
The Bobcats answered with a quick drive that ended with Fields finding receiver Tyrese Gathers open for a seven yard touchdown pass.
Fields added the conversion run to put the score Lake View 50 Baptist Hill 20 with the quarter ending with this score. On the second play of the fourth quarter, McDaniel again broke loose with a 75 yard touchdown run.
The kick failed holding the Gators to a 56-20 lead with 11:37 left in the quarter. Coach King knew it was time to play reserves and younger players at this point in the game.
Baptist Hill mounted one last successful drive that ended with Fields hitting receiver Kevin Smalls with a seven yard touchdown pass. Jordan King would finish the game as the Wild Gator quarterback. Lake View statistician Jimmy Sweat listed the offensive efforts giving Tyshawn McDaniel 175 yards on eight carries with three touchdowns, Randall Washington had 126 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown adding two two point conversions, Delvon Bethea was 2 for 2 passing 37 yards and a touchdown, adding 19 yards on five carries with two touchdowns, Deonte Roberts had 50 yards on two carries, De’Ante Bridgett had a 24 yard touchdown run and returned a kick 80 yards for a touchdown and Brandon Acevedo caught a 37-yard touchdown pass.
On defense, Sweat had Stone Spivey with ten tackles and a quarterback sack. Xavier Johnson had eight tackles with a quarterback sack, Tyler Davis had six tackles with two for a loss, Shawn Williams had six tackles, Tieray Blue had six tackles and Datron Jones had four tackles with two for a loss.
The Wild Gators will travel to Greeleyville Friday to take on C.E. Murray.
Both teams are undefeated but if Lake View plays Lake View football they will be the team that advances. Game time is set for 7:30.
