Welcome! Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Login | Register
   

All County Teams Fall In Playoffs, But Chesnee Keeps Rolling

Comment     Print
Related Articles
Kevin Carver

Unfortunately, the pads, helmets and cleats are to be put away for Rutherford County this season following a turnover prone weekend on the football field in the first round of the playoffs.

In the 1A playoffs, Thomas Jefferson got an early bounce in their favor, but not another went their way the rest of a very rainy and soggy night in Mooresboro.

Thomas Jefferson punts on their opening possession of the game and the ball ends up nose diving and bouncing back into an Andrews player. TJCA’s Coty Flynn recovers and Mason Martin scores their first touchdown on the night five plays later on a three yard rush. Mason Fenner would add a field goal on the next drive and TJCA is up 9-0 before going to half 9-6.

Andrews scores a touchdown in the third quarter off a bad snap on a punt attempt and then the dagger seemed to be when Dillan Ward scooped up a fumble going 30 yards to push the Wildcat lead to 20-9.

However, Thomas Jefferson wasn’t done. Tyler Mitchell makes the play of the year taking a 58-yard reception to the house by juking, jiving, going from sideline to sideline and outrunning everybody to close the game at 20-15 with 4:24 left in the fourth.

The momentum soon ended, losing 34-15 after Andrews scored two quick touchdowns off turnovers.

Despite the loss, 2013 will go down as the best record in TJCA football history to date at 8-4 and they have just five seniors that graduate off this club.

At Monroe High School, R-S Central’s season came to an end on a bad draw. The Hilltoppers were their own worse enemy and couldn’t get anything going against a fairly athletic Redhawks club. It was 33-0 deficit at the half before a 46-8 score finalized it. Despite 21 seniors, Central does have some upcoming talent.

Last week, Thomas Jefferson vied for a shot at the 1A title, but were beaten at home in the semifinals. North Moore won 2-1 in a thrilling overtime match. Despite the loss, Thomas Jefferson finishes ranked third in the state in 1A, the best ever ranking in school history. Congrats to the Gryphons!

For those down in Chesnee, if you will accept me, I would love to make the football game on Friday as they host Ninety-Six (9-2) in the Division II side of AA among South Carolina High School athletics. Last year, Chesnee made it to the semifinals before falling to Abbeville. The Eagles sport a 10-1 record this season and average an alarming 48 points per game. Ninety-Six is allowing just 18 points per game in the last six contests. As they say, something has got to give.

And please stop with the “Fire Roy” campaign at North Carolina. Some Tarheel basketball fans are calling for Roy to step down in Chapel Hill after falling 83-80  to Belmont on Sunday. Though not a Tarheel fan, I guarantee you they will get better and scarier to play as they season goes along. Too much talent and too much basketball IQ in Chapel Hill for people to get antsy at this point.

And who else would win the NASCAR Sprint Cup title other than Jimmie Johnson. One more of those titles and that ties the record with Richard Petty at seven, two more and for those who don’t want to hear this…he could be the new king.

Finally, Ken Schrader and Mark Martin have seem to retire from the NASCAR circuit after Sunday’s race at Homestead. I have watched their careers over the years and even received the chance to interviewed both. I find it sad that both are done driving and leave NASCAR when more changes are needed for the sport. These two individuals were in it when the growth was beginning, but today’s NASCAR is really not NASCAR.

Schrader is a character, a man with heart and passion for racing. In his time he won four Cup races and posted 184 top tens in 763 Cup events. He has raced everywhere and everything in about every series. And unfortunately Schrader will forever be remembered as the first to know Dale Earnhardt had died. To end that on a better note though, Ken has a great personality and I have a funny story to share about Schrader, but I don‘t think I could ever write it down.

Martin on the other hand was as serious as they come to racing. From Arkansas, he tried everything to win a Cup title finishing second in the standings an astounding five times, but couldn’t ever reach the pinnacle. Very few if anybody is more respected in NASCAR as Mark Martin. Martin accomplished 882 Cup races, won 40 Cup events, five IROC championships and four ASA titles.

Read more from:
Latest News
Tags: 
None
Share: 
Comment      Print

Powered by Bondware
News Publishing Software

The browser you are using is outdated!

You may not be getting all you can out of your browsing experience
and may be open to security risks!

Consider upgrading to the latest version of your browser or choose on below: