Marlboro, Myrtle Beach meet in lower state title rematch

Marlboro County football coach Dean Boyd has no regrets about going for two points and the win during the second overtime of last year’s Class 3A lower state championship game against Myrtle Beach.
In fact, Boyd said he would do it again — and again — given the opportunity. And he just might get the chance on Friday when his Bulldogs meet the Seahawks again with a trip to the state championship game in Columbia on the line.
“Yeah I would (go for the win). That’s the way we play. That’s the way we do things here,” said Boyd, whose team defeated Lake City 26-21 last Friday. “If the same situation comes up (on Friday), we would (go for two and the win again).”
Myrtle Beach coach Mickey Wilson was on the sidelines as an assistant when Demazio Skeleton intercepted Marlboro’s Elliot Alford in the end zone on the Bulldogs’ two-point attempt to preserve a 51-50 win, and propel the Seahawks (12-1) to the Class 3A title game — a game they eventually won.
Wilson said he would be a little hesitant to go for the win if his team was in that position.
“It depends on your personnel,” said Wilson, whose team blasted North Charleston 55-13 in its third-round playoff meeting. “We have a good, experienced kicker (in Jordan Butler), and we would probably kick the extra point in that situation.”
Boyd is confident his defense can make life complicated for Seahawks signalcaller Everett Golson. Linebacker Lateek Townsend has 19 tackles for loss, including 13 quarterback sacks.
If Golson can get his throws off, he will be going against a secondary that will be looking for picks. Dashon Hicks has four of them, while Jaquan Brantley, Malik Ford and Malcolm Thomas each have three.
With 300-plus pounders Thomas Teal and Clifton Benjamin manning the middle of the Bulldogs’ defensive line, Myrtle Beach might have to think twice about utlizing wide receiver Morgan Byrd in the Wildcat formation.
“I don’t think (the Seahawks) have faced anybody, with the exception of Byrnes, that has a defensive line as big as ours,” Boyd said. “It’s going to be a test for them.”
“We’ll throw the ball as many times as we can,” Wilson said. “If coach Boyd is worried, I don’t know why because he’s the one that has the great defense.
“I’m the one that should be worried.”
Offensively, Boyd wasn’t completely happy with his team’s performance against the Panthers last Friday, and says that has to change for the Bulldogs to advance to Williams-Brice Stadium.
“We had a touchdown pass dropped, and we fumbled on the (Lake City) 2-yard line,” he said. “It wasn’t that we couldn’t move the ball. We should have scored three more touchdowns.”
On the other hand, Boyd has been proud of what his offense has done this season, particularly his quarterback. Alford has thrown for 1,720 yards and 27 scores with just six interceptions this season. He has also rushed for a team-leading 753 yards and seven TDs.
The senior has been the trigger of an offense that has averaged 35 points per game en route to Marlboro’s 13-0 record and hasn’t gotten the credit he’s deserved, according to Boyd.
“I think (a win) would be big for him,” Boyd said of Alford. “He went through a lot just to get to this point, and he’s played in the shadow of (Golson) for the last two years.
“Elliot’s been just as important to us as Golson has been to (Myrtle Beach). He hasn’t gotten as much publicity. A win against Myrtle Beach would validate his efforts.”
No matter the outcome, Wilson expects another classic game.
Said Wilson. “Anytime you have programs like Marlboro County and ours, you’re going to have good games. This year, Marlboro looks like Byrnes, so we’re gonna have a tough game.
“We’re definitely the underdogs in this one.”