What We Saw: Gaffney Downs Dorman In Shootout
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Saying that a game that included 77 points and a combined 966 yards of offense came down to a couple of defensive plays sounds absurd. That’s exactly what happened in Gaffney’s 42-35 thriller over Dorman, though. The Indians used a…
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Continue ReadingSaying that a game that included 77 points and a combined 966 yards of offense came down to a couple of defensive plays sounds absurd.
That’s exactly what happened in Gaffney’s 42-35 thriller over Dorman, though.
The Indians used a pair of goal-line stands and a special teams play to rally from a 14-0 deficit to take the victory. Landon Bullock had a ton to do with how.
Bullock had 9 tackles, a tackle for loss, and 2 pass break-ups on the night. He also blocked a punt for Gaffney, smothering it and then recovering it himself at the Dorman goal line, scoring to tie the game up at 35-35 in the fourth quarter. It was Bullock who knocked away Dorman’s last chance, diving to knock away a pass at the goal line on the game’s final play and Dorman driving inside the Gaffney 15.
But it was the game’s first goal-line stand, way back in the second quarter, that began to turn the tide for the Indians. Brayshawn Littlejohn and Clay Putman swallowed up a Dorman rush for a loss of two yards on fourth-and-one from the 4-yard line, avoiding a 21-0 Dorman advantage and giving Gaffney the ball at their own 6. Tyler Smith Tyler Smith 5'11" | 180 lbs | RB Gaffney | 2022 State SC gave the Indians valuable room with a 4-yard run on first down.
Grayson Loftis Grayson Loftis 6'2" | 175 lbs | QB Gaffney | 2023 State SC and Deshun Corry did the rest. Corry got behind the defense, Loftis found him with a good throw, and Corry raced untouched into the end zone. The 90-yard strike made it 14-7, and the game was on.
Dorman’s defense made a huge difference in the early going, too. Freshman Armoni Weaver notched a pair of first-half interceptions, returning one for a 44-yard score that staked Dorman to their early two-score lead.
• Loftis had the breakout game that he needed in the win. The junior signal-caller had largely managed games in the early going during Gaffney’s 7-0 start, with the Indians content to ride Smith and Ken Littlejohn out of the backfield. On Friday, Loftis came up big with a 9-of-19 passing night, throwing for 249 yards and 3 TDs. In addition to the bomb to Corry, he tossed scores of 64 yards to Jaydian Tate and 6 yards to Jadarius Littlejohn.
• Smith and Littlejohn had a great night in the rushing game, again. Smith piled up 154 yards rushing with a 59-yard score, while Littlejohn ran for 75 yards, a touchdown, and a key first down on Gaffney’s final drive that helped the Indians flip the field.
• For Dorman, Demarius Foster had another strong rushing night, picking up 190 yards on 20 carries, scoring on a 41-yard run. Chamarryus Bomar added 58 rushing yards, while Will Black ran for 16 yards and 2 touchdowns.
• Hudson Talley threw for 185 yards for Dorman. The bulk of that went to Kendall Norman, who turned in a phenomenal night. Norman racked up 147 yards on 5 catches, much of it coming after the catch, including on a 76-yard touchdown reception.