Lamar wins playoff tune up 52-0 versus rival Timmonsville

It’s a rivalry game that through the years has produced some of the most competitive and intense games one will ever see on the football field, but it was all Lamar (9-1) against Timmonsville Friday, as Silver Foxes quarterback Trevor Norris threw five touchdown passes in the first half before his team coasted to a 52-0 victory. Lamar had won a contest earlier in the season 26-6.

The final regular season game positioned Lamar 5-0 in their region and set up a Friday matchup versus Estill (4-5) at 7:30 p.m. at Lamar in the first round of the playoffs under Head Coach J.R. Boyd.  Estill had ripped off four straight wins before losing its last two games to Allendale-Fairfax and Bamberg-Ehrhardt. If Lamar was to defeat Estill, the Silver Foxes would face the winner of an Allendale-Fairfax at Baptist Hill match-up.

The Silver Foxes decimated their region opponents, defeating Scott’s Branch (30-8), East Clarendon (44-6), Timmonsville, Hannah Pamplico (32-0) and C.E. Murray (28-6) by a combined score of 186 to 20.

The team’s sole loss on the season was 19-18 against larger Marion High School, and the only other stern tests came against county rival Darlington, which the team won in its last moments 26-24, and Cheraw, where the team squeaked out a 24-21 win.

But first Lamar had to close out the season against Timmonsville, a game that in the recent past determined the outcome of the region. But essentially this game was decided a few minutes into it.

Lamar immediately went to work, driving to the 50-yard line behind running back Jerrod Dargan (10 carries for 89 yards) and the arm of quarterback Trevor Norris (a phenomenal night with 17 of 23 passing for 288 yards and 5 TDs), who hooked up with favorite receiver Matthew Mitchell (7 catches for 142 yards, 2 TDs) for a big gainer to the Whirlwind 6-yard line. Norris then began his touchdown magic, lobbing a perfect ball in the left corner of the endzone to Anthony McAllister (7 catches, 92 yards, 3 TDs) with 9:48 to go in the first period. A two-point conversion made it 8-0.

Timmonsville mounted some offense, but Lamar defender Eric Daney would step in front of pass for an Interception that set up Lamar at the 43-yard line. Immediately after, Norris hurled a deep ball to a sprinting Mitchell, who ran under it for a 38-yard touchdown with 6:32 to go in the first quarter.  Just like that it was 14-0.

Soon back on offense, Mitchell would catch it in space and race 20 yards to the Whirlwind 30-yard line. The following play was a repeat of touchdown number two, as Norris would again lob a high ball in the left corner of the endzone, this time to McAllister with 4:48 to go in the first quarter. It was 21-0.

Timmonsville would get the ball, but the result would eventually be the same, as Eric Daney would again snag an interception, this time scooting 38 yards down the left sideline to pay dirt to make it 27-0 early in the second quarter.
It wasn’t long before on a 3rd-and-5 from their own 34-yard line, Mitchell would take a screen pass and work off some excellent blocks to scamper the distance, making it 34-0 with 6:37 to go in the first half.  Norris would finish the first half scoring with a 31-yard pass to McAllister.

The second half was academic, as the final score was 52-0 (Eric Daney scored again, however, on a 43-yard punt return for a touchdown).