Phantoms blow out Fayetteville

FLORENCE — The last time Florence and Fayetteville hooked up on the field turf, it took a record comeback by the Phantoms to pull out a win at the Crown Coliseum.
Friday night at the Florence Civic Center, Florence needed no such effort. In a season filled with record-setting performances, the Phantoms looked to post the first shutout in team history. Even though they lost the shutout late in the fourth quarter, Florence settled for a 50-6 rout of the Guard.
The six points were the fewest allowed by the Phantoms in the three-year history of the team.
“I am more and more proud of this unit every week,” Phantoms coach Tavares Bowens said. “Our secondary has dominated games all season, but our defensive line and linebackers had a heck of a game tonight.”
“We knew we were facing a team that had no shot at the playoffs,” Florence defensive back Larry Thompson said. “All we had to do was not make mistakes that could give them easy scores.
“I wanted the shutout, but I’ll take 50-6.”
Phantoms general manager Bennie King issued an open challenge to the people of Florence and the Pee Dee after the game.
“The community has asked for a winner at the Civic Center,” he said. “We have done our part, now Florence and the Pee Dee have to do theirs and come out and support us.”
Florence (7-4) took control of the game from the opening kickoff. From the Fayetteville 23, Jacobs completed a screen pass to Jonathan Wedlock. Wedlock powered through three tackles on his way to paydirt. Derek Scott’s PAT attempt was good, and the Phantoms led 7-0 at the 12:29 mark of the first quarter.
After an Al’Tariq Brown fumble recovery, it took Florence just one play to add to its lead. Jacobs found high school teammate A.J. Bennett from 27 yards out to give the Phantoms a 14-0 lead.
Scott’s ensuing kickoff split the uprights, and Florence had a 15-0 advantage at 7:51 of the period.
Jacobs looked to finish off the Guard (3-7) on his team’s next possession. From the Phantom 12, the Bowling Green star lofted a 38-yard rainbow that former South Florence standout Torrey Pettigrew pulled in for an easy score that gave Florence a 22-0 lead with 4:05 remaining in the opening quarter.
Larry Thompson recovered a Guard fumble, which set up another scoring drive for the Phantoms. C.J. Washington capped the eight-play, 37-yard march with a 3-yard TD run to give his team a 29-0 lead with 8:29 left before halftime.
After Thompson recovered a Wilmont Perry fumble, Jacobs called his own number to cap a six-play drive. The Florence quarterback raced 10 yards to the end zone on a draw to give the Phantoms a 36-0 advantage at the 8:12 mark of the third quarter.
Shutting down Perry and Fayetteville quarterback Jasun Thompson was a key to victory for Florence. The Phantoms sacked Thompson seven times and forced six turnovers, three by Perry. Brown racked up three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another for the Phantoms.
“Our defensive game plan was to contain (Thompson) and Perry,” said Florence defensive captain Nick Freet, who forced two fumbles from Perry. “Wilmont Perry is one of the best running backs in the league.
“We shut him down to the point where he did not want us anywhere near him.”
Notes
Former Hannah-Pamplico and Clemson standout Cory Groover was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct with 8:44 left in the first quarter. It is the second early exit in three games for Groover, who was tossed late in the fourth period of Florence’s rout of Florida on May 16. … Pettigrew left the game with an upper body injury after taking a blindside hit during a kickoff in the fourth quarter. His status is unknown at this time.