Lugoff-Elgin ends playoff drought with win over Dreher
The Lugoff-Elgin football program has taken steps forward during Matt Campbell’s three seasons.
The Demons took another step Friday by defeating Dreher, 38-21, in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs. L-E advances to the second round and travels to Berkeley next week.
The victory was L-E’s first playoff win since 2008 and comes just four years after an 0-10 season in 2014. The Demons have increased their win total each year since Campbell took over in 2015, and the seven wins this season are the most since 2009.
“I’m so proud of my kids. We are really working hard and the kids are working their tail off,” said Campbell, the former South Carolina lineman and NFL player. “The kids are doing it. They are the ones putting the effort to what it takes to win.”
L-E took control near the end of the first half and early in the third quarter. Alex Bowers hit a 36-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter to give the Demons a 23-14 lead.
On Dreher’s first possession of the third quarter, the Demons forced a fumble. The first play after the turnover, Chandler Price took it 41 yards, and the two-point conversion made it 31-14 with 10:41 left in the third quarter.
Jay Lynch caught a TD and ran one in for L-E in the first half.
Dreher’s Jay Washington rushed for 124 yards and two TDs.
KEY NUMBERS
3: Number of wins in three years combined before Matt Campbell took over at Lugoff-Elgin
2008: Last time L-E won more than seven games in a season.
THEY SAID IT
“Alex (Bowers) goes in there and make the kick and our defense gets us a stop and Chandler takes it to the house It is momentum, and it is so important in the playoff that you execute at a high level.” – Campbell.
“It means a lot to the community and everyone involved. We started from the bottom and now we are here.” – Jay Lynch
HOW THEY SCORED
1st Quarter
LE – Dixon 38 run (Bowers kick)
2nd Quarter
LE – Lynch 16 pass from Morris (kick failed), 10:26
D – Clarke 32 pass from Campbell (Pierce kick), 5:56
LE – Lynch run (Bowers kick), 2:37
D – J. Washington 2 run (kick) 0:43
LE – Bowers 36 FG, :00
3rd Quarter
LE – Price 41 run (Payne from Bowers), 10:41
4th Quarter
LE – Brown (Bowers kick)
D – J. Washington 26 run (Pierce kick)\
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: D: J. Washington 22-124, D. Washington 3-21. L-E: Lynch 6-36, Brown 18-82, Dixon 9-80, Price 3-54
Passing: D: Campbell 7-15 85. L-E: Morris 4-8-0 105
Receiving: D: Clarke 3-55, Dreher 4-32. LE Lynch 1-16, House 1-17, Dixon 1-9 McDonald 1-10, Price 1-23, Payne 1-13.
This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 10:40 PM with the headline "Lugoff-Elgin ends playoff drought with win over Dreher."