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| South Columbus defensive backs Derrick Clay (15) and Donovan Watts (26) defend on a Loris passing attempt in Friday night’s high-school football battle between the longtime border rivals at Civitan Stadium. The host Stallion squad posted a 14-0 victory, but lost the services of standout back Justin Smith, who suffered a broken right ankle while being tackled on the return of the second half kickoff. South Columbus, the two-time defending Waccamaw Conference champion, now holds a 10-5 edge over Loris in the series that dates back to 1992 with the opening of South Columbus. Coach Joey Price’s Stallions will play this Friday at East Bladen. |
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| South Columbus running back Dakota Piver tries to break away from a pair of Loris defenders in the Stallions’ 14-0 football victory over visiting Loris, S.C., Friday night. It marked South Columbus’ fifth straight win in their fierce rivalry with the South Carolina counterparts. South Columbus, now carrying a 2-0 season record, will travel to Elizabethtown this Friday night for a key non-conference match-up with East Bladen. |
VINEGAR HILL - With a defensive effort that allowed only 57 yards of total offense, the South Columbus Stallions claimed their fifth straight football victory over longtime border rival Loris, S.C., Friday night in a 14-0 shutout.
The big victory gave the Stallions a 2-0 record, but it was dampened by misfortune when standout junior back Justin Smith went down with a broken ankle on the second half kickoff. Smith had scored the lone touchdown of the first half and had tallied three touchdowns in the Stallions’ 27-14 season-opening victory over Wilmington Laney.
Smith underwent surgery on the ankle Saturday and he will probably miss the rest of the Stallions’ regular-season schedule.
“We might get him back for the playoffs, but even that is questionable,” said Price, whose Stallions had taken their eighth win in 10 meetings with him as head coach.
The game turned into a real defensive war as the Stallion defense kept the Lions in check all night, and Loris made a big first half stop on a fourth-down play at the goal line.
Smith got the first-half touchdown on a two-yard run with 33 seconds left in the first quarter. Donovan Watts kicked the extra point.
The only other score of the night came with 1 minute, 17 seconds left in the game on a seven-yard run by Andrae Jacobs. The score had been set up by a 27-yard run by James Vereen.
Vereen led Stallion ball carriers with 79 yards on 10 carries. Smith had 42 yards on 12 carries before his injury. Dakota Piver had 37 yards on seven carries.
Loris, whose season record fell to 0-2, finished with 49 yards rushing and eight yards passing. South Columbus came away with two pass interceptions as it posted a victory in its home opener for the ninth straight season.
Darrius Graham led Loris rushers with 35 yards on eight carries.
Price now has 98 career head-coaching victories at South Columbus.
South Columbus now holds a 10-5 edge in its football rivalry series with Loris.
South Columbus, which has won eight of the last 10 Waccamaw Conference football championships, will travel to Elizabethtown this Friday to take on East Bladen in a battle between two of Southeastern North Carolina’s most successful programs.
|
L
|
SC
|
|
| First downs |
8
|
10
|
| Rushes-yards |
27-49
|
40-171
|
| Yards passing |
8
|
29
|
| Passes |
3-15-2
|
2-6-0
|
| Fumbles-lost |
1-0
|
3-2
|
| Penalties-yards |
6-45
|
8-60
|
| Loris |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
-
|
0
|
| S. Columbus |
7
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
-
|
14
|
SC – Justin Smith 2 run (Donovan Watts kick).
SC – Andre Jacobs 7 run (Watts kick).