Hartsville takes care of business at Wilson, 34-13

The Hartsville Red Foxes played sound fundamental football and capitalized on big turnovers to keep the Wilson Tigers at bay Thursday night, looking tougher on defense in a 34-13 road win.

The Tigers were coming off a season opening 40-30 win against South Florence and wanted to keep the momentum going with a home win. It was not to be.

With about 6:29 to go in the first period, Hartsville’s Adam Peterson made the first big play with an interception of a deep pass attempt by Wilson. On the following drive Dre Scott would catch a 20-yard ball, and Ronnie Jackson would show hard running, before quarterback Sean Smith would dive for a short score to make it 6-0 with 3:52 to go in the first. Smith (6 of 9, 167 yards, 3 TDs) didn’t throw as much as he has in other games this season but made the most of his opportunities.

With 11:42 to go in the second period came the next big play, this time via special teams when Kadeem Swinney blocked a punt, and Adam Peterson, who seemed to be in the middle of everything, scooped it up for an easy touchdown to make it 13-0.

Later, after Ronnie Jackson extended a drive with a third down run, Smith, on a 4th-and-11 at the Tigers’ 11-yard line, would scramble right, shake off a few rushers, pull up and fire a strike to Dre Scott in the endzone to make it 20-0 with 2:48 to go in the half.

With time running out in the half, Wilson would drive and hit a slant route to make it 20-7 at the half.
In the second half, it was Hartsville’s Peterson making the big play again, this time a fumble recovery at the Wilson 28-yard line, with 6:06 left in the third period. A few plays later Smith scrambled right, froze a defender with a pump fake, then hit Nyquan Peterson for an easy six to make it 27-7.

Wilson mostly did a good job defending Hartsville’s speedy deep threat, Brandon Beans (2 catches, 61 yards, 1 TD), playing Beans way off the line most of the time. But his defender slowly crept up in a following series, and Beans soon sprinted past him as a Smith pass nestled into his hands for a rather routine looking 50-yard touchdown, making it 34-7 in the third.

Smith’s accuracy on deep balls this season has been impressive.

“They were taking away an awful lot, we were just trying to pick our spots,” Hartsville Head Coach Jeff Calabrese said of his offense. “Sean kept the offense basic. He looked for the little things. He did a great job of leadership as much as did quarterbacking.”

The rest was academic.

Assessing the team, the offense’s performance has been most noteworthy up this point, but the defense stepped up Thursday night. The leading tackler was DeShane Foxx with 11, who also recorded two of the team’s three sacks, but most menacing was senior Adam Peterson, who ran wild to record 10 tackles, six solo, while also intercepting two passes and running a blocked punt into the endzone. Wilson’s receivers helped out, dropping numerous passes.

“We’re getting better every week, the kids work hard…they played really hard tonight against an explosive Wilson team,” Calabrese said of the team’s defense.

Hosting Myrtle Beach at 4-0 at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Kelleytown Stadium should have the team confident, and confidence will be needed to take on the 3A state champs of a year ago helmed by top quarterback Everett Golson. Myrtle Beach lost big to the nationally ranked 4A champs of last year, the Byrnes Rebels, but has otherwise looked rather impressive building a 2-1 record.

“They are extremely talented; we will have our hands full,” Calabrese said following the victory.