Trojans get past The King’s Academy

QUINBY — The Byrnes Schools coach Jared Amell said two weeks ago he thought he had the best SCISA team in the Pee Dee. If that’s true, The King’s Academy made a pretty good case Friday night for second best.

A minute and a half after TKA took a fourth-quarter lead, the Trojans answered right back and scored with 1:23 left for a 27-23 win on their home field.

Amell was pleased with the result, if not the effort, but he said The Byrnes Schools will have to play a lot better next week to beat Laurens Academy.

“It was good to get out with a win — first conference game — but we’ve got a lot of work to do before next week,” he said. “If we play like we did tonight, we won’t win that game.”

With 2:48 to play, Lions’ quarterback Ryan Hewitt hit Jimmy Bokelman with a 30-yard touchdown pass and added the conversion run to give TKA a 23-20 lead.

“We played to the best of our ability, but time ran out on us,” Hewitt said.“I’ve never been prouder of these boys than what I just saw.”

On the Trojans’ ensuing drive, quarterback Lee Schurlknight dumped a screen pass to Barrett Goodson who turned it into a 51-yard play and a first down inside the 10.

On fourth-and-goal from the 1, Schurlknight went over the right side for the game-winner. J Adams kicked the PAT to make it 27-23.

“I knew everybody in the world knew it was a quarterback sneak,” Amell said. “We had to do it, and we had to just man up and get it in.”

Goodson, who usually plays receiver for the Trojans, racked up 206 rushing yards, including a 29-yard TD.

Hewitt completed 10 of 26 passes for 180 yards and a TD while throwing two interceptions.

The Byrnes Schools will host Laurens on Friday at 7:30 p.m. while TKA will host Pee Dee Academy.