Camden outlasts Brookland-Cayce, joins Dutch Fork and Newberry in playoff semifinals
Camden High School football head coach Brian Rimpf was already thinking of his postgame victory speech as the Bulldogs, up 27-24 over Brookland-Cayce, punted the ball away with more than a minute left.
With the Bearcats backed up inside their own 20-yard line, Rimpf had full faith in the Bulldogs’ defense, which had recorded three straight shutouts and held opponents to an average of 11.2 points per game heading into Friday night’s matchup.
“We had the utmost confidence when (Brookland-Cayce) got the ball and had to go 80-plus yards to take the lead,” Rimpf said. “We were confident with our defense being on the field.”
His confidence was well-placed. Camden staved off the Bearcats’ final push, which made it down to the Bulldogs’ 30-yard line and ended with an incomplete pass to the end zone as time expired.
Camden defeated Brookland-Cayce 27-24 Friday night to advance to its third straight Class 3A semifinal game. The Bulldogs will host the Dillon Wildcats at Zemp Stadium for the 3A Lower State championship game next week.
Camden (10-2) led throughout most of Friday night’s contest but saw Brookland-Cayce (9-3) connect on a go-ahead 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tanner Staton to receiver Jahmari Kennerly, giving the Bearcats a 17-13 lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs responded quickly with a 42-yard pass from sophomore Grayson White to senior Anthony Lyles Jr., which set up an easy 2-yard touchdown rush and put Camden back in front with 10:15 to go in the game. Another White-to-Lyles connection seven minutes later resulted in a 51-yard touchdown reception, extending the Bulldogs’ lead to 27-17 with 3:35 left.
Brookland-Cayce made it close late with an efficient 1-minute drive that brought the Bearcats within a field goal of the Bulldogs with 2:25 to go in the game. The Bearcats went for an onside kick and didn’t recover, but Camden punted away with just over 1 minute left and kept the Bearcats from the end zone to seal the game.
“You get to this point in the playoffs, they’re gonna be close games,” Rimpf said. “You gotta be ready to fight to the end, and our guys did.”
This year was the second in a row the Bulldogs met the Bearcats in a playoff game, but Rimpf said this season felt more special given the adversity Camden has faced this season — particularly with injuries.
The Bulldogs are starting their third quarterback in White, who began this season playing defensive line, and sophomore running back Averee Hickmon stepped in after starting the year on the junior varsity team.
“Those guys have just risen to the occasion,” Rimpf said. “They’re football players, and the team rallies around them.”
With Friday night’s win, Rimpf said Camden reached one of its goals.
“One of the goals is to practice on Thanksgiving — they’re gonna get to do that,” he said. “I’m so proud of them.”
Class 5A
Dutch Fork 49, Sumter 21: Jarvis Green ran for three touchdowns and quarterback Davin Patterson accounted for three scores as the Silver Foxes moved on to the Class 5A Lower State championship game. The win extended Dutch Fork’s unbeaten streak to 61 games. They will travel to Fort Dorchester next week in the Lower State championship.
Sumter kept it close and trailed 28-21 midway through the third quarter. But Dutch Fork scored on its next two drives, both capped off by Green touchdown runs. The junior finished with 25 carries for 149 yards and also caught four passes for 25 yards.
Patterson was 17-of-24 passing for 233 yards and two touchdowns. The senior also carried it eight times for 47 yards.
Dutch Fork outgained Sumter 523-238.
Fort Dorchester 30, Lexington 8: Zolten Osborne threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots ended Lexington’s season. Davion Joyner led Fort Dorchester with nine catches for 179 yards and a TD.
The Wildcats, who were winless last year, finished the year at 9-3. Lexington trailed 16-0 at halftime but got the game to 16-8 on Tyler Walker’s touchdown run with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.
Lexington forced a punt on Fort D’s next drive, but the Patriots’ Ma’lek Horlback recovered a fumble and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown to make it 23-8.
Spartanburg 32, Ridge View 29: Raheim Jeter’s TD pass to Radrekus Carter with 4:53 left was the difference as Spartanburg is moving on in the Class 5A playoffs. The Vikings will play Gaffney in the Upper State championship game next week.
Ridge View had a chance to tie or win it but turned it over on downs.
Friday’s game went back and forth with several lead changes. Ridge View took a 26-22 lead with Andre Washington’s TD pass with 8:43 left. Washington had two TD passes for the Blazers. Joshua Holmes had two TD runs for Ridge View (6-5).
Jeter had three touchdown passes for the Vikings.
Class 4A
Greenville 42, Irmo 23: Clemson commit Josh Sapp scored four touchdowns as the Red Raiders ended Irmo’s season in the third round of the Class 4A playoffs. Greenville will host South Pointe in the Upper State championship.
Izyah Whiteside had two touchdown passes for Irmo (7-4), which led 23-21 at halftime.
Class 2A
Newberry 26, Christ Church 24: Head coach Phil Strickland’s final season continued as the Bulldogs won their third straight playoff game and advanced to the Class 2A Upper State championship.
Newberry will play Region 3-2A foe Gray Collegiate on Friday at Fairfield Central.
Newberry jumped out to a 20-7 lead in the second quarter. Zy Epps scored on the first play of the game and OD Robinson had a 91-yard kickoff return for a score.
Christ Church rallied and led 24-20 with 8:55 left in the third. But the Bulldogs scored the go-ahead touchdown with 8:46 left on KJ Robinson’s second touchdown of the game.
The Bulldogs stopped Christ Church on a fourth-and-two with 2:30 to seal the win.
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 11:42 PM.
