Hartsville defense makes stand to beat Bruins

This Friday night at Kelleytown Stadium at 7:30 p.m. the Hartsville Red Foxes (9-1) face the Sumter Gamecocks (8-2) to determine the region champion. It’s that simple.

Both teams took care of business this past week to setup the high stakes matchup, with Sumter rolling over Conway 55-14 to win their eighth straight game after dropping their first two, and with Hartsville winning an epic 27-20 game at South Florence. The winner will cruise into the playoffs with a top spot, though a Hartsville loss would still mean a playoff berth following the South Florence victory.

Before the huge game with Sumter could mean the region title, Hartsville had to defeat a tenacious South Florence squad, which was coming off thrashing Conway 71-21.

There would be a goal line stand that will forever reside in Hartsville’s collective football memory. Hartsville Head Coach Jeff Calabrese called it a game --- and a finish --- to remember.

“Our kids on defense don’t always get the respect, but boy what a way to earn it,” he said. “That was a great high school football game.”

Down 27-20, the Bruins mounted a furious last drive, without their quarterback Caleb Griffin, who was injured, or their injured star running back. Backup quarterback Michael Muhammad abruptly switched to an option style game, which moved the ball all the way down the field as the clock ticked away.

“We didn’t have any time outs, so we couldn’t call time out to make adjustments,” Calabrese said.

The drive would feature a 4th-and-3 conversion by the Bruins. Another fourth down conversion would eventually get them to the Hartsville 2-yard line with 53 seconds left. Attempt after attempt would come up short, and a final inside handoff out of the shotgun would be stuffed by Hartsville’s Stephen Segars.

Earlier, though Hartsville has made jumping out to an early lead a trademark this season, it was South Florence who made the first big play in this contest, intercepting a Shawn Smith pass and returning it to set up the Bruins’ first touchdown on a 17-yard pass. It was 7-0 with early in the first quarter.

After a good kickoff return, Hartsville set up shop at the 50-yard line. Running back Ronnie Jackson (87 yards, 1 TD) would lift Red Foxes spirits by breaking a big run deep into Bruins territory. Smith would power it in from the 1-yard line with 8:36 to go in the first frame. It was 7-7.

South Florence would move the ball on a later drive, but Hartsville’s Jacob Cole would intercept a pass to set up Hartsville at their own 18-yard line. On a 3rd-and-6, running back Dre Scott (12 carries, 130 yards, 1 TD) would follow blockers to a first down at the Bruins 30-yard line. Williams would soon run it in to make it 14-7, which would stand until halftime.

Following an excellent kickoff return to open the second half, South Florence quarterback Caleb Griffin would hit a receiver over the middle to make it 14-14 early in the third quarter.

But with 4:55 to go in the third period, Smith would scramble for space to hit Scott for a big gainer to the Bruins 34-yard line. Jackson would take up the middle virtually untouched to make it 21-14.

Soon the Bruins would answer with a score, making it 21-20. It would stay that way as six-foot-six inch tall Robbie Clair would block the extra point.

Scott would then break off his biggest run of the night, about 62 yards, chugging down to the Bruins 7 yard line. He would finish off the drive with a touchdown, but Hartsville would miss the extra point.

That would be followed by the goal line stand by Hartsville.

“We knew South Florence was riding a wave of momentum from last week…it was a tough, hard-nosed game, that we were fortunate to win,” Calabrese said.