Late touchdown lifts Wren over AC Flora; Gilbert, B-C River Bluff lose on road in playoffs

A.C. bounce back season came to an end Friday night.

Wren’s Tyrell Jackson hit Eli Wilson on a 20-yard pass with 2:02 left to give the Hurricanes a 34-30 victory over AC Flora on Friday in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.

Wren advances to play Daniel the Upper State semifinals next week. The Falcons season ends at 9-3 after an 0-10 season last year.

“I will take Tyrell Jackson in any day, in any game on any field in high school football this year,” Wren coach Jeff Tate said. “He’s got guts, he’s got faith, determination and trust in his teammates. You got to have a short memory because as much as we throw it sometimes bad things happen.”

Jackson overcame three interceptions in the game including two in the red zone. He finished with 402 yards on 25-of-42 yards passing and also ran for 41 yards and a TD. Wilson caught 10 passes for 204 yards and two scores.

A.C. Flora looked to have some magic left in them as it rallied from 21-7 down in the first half to tie at 21 on Josh Heatley’s touchdown pass to RJ Mobley with 22 seconds left in the second quarter. Heatley played the whole game at quarterback because Matthew Jamison was out with a concussion.

Heatley finished with 137 yards passing and 67 rushing. Quincy Riley finished with 156 all-purpose yards and two TDs. Mobley caught four passes for 114 yards.

The Falcons took a 24-21 lead on a Harper Fordham’s field goal with 1:45 left in the third.

But Wren answered on Jackson’s 8-yard run to put the Hurricanes up 28-24 with 54 seconds left in the third. The drive was kept alive on Tyler Cherry’s pass to Wilson on a fake punt down to the Falcons’ 8.

Flora used its own trick play as Cameron Scott hit Heatley on a reverse pass on fourth-and goal from the 3-yard line to make it 30-28 with 8:37 left.

The Falcons’ Dontorian Best picked off Jackson in the end zone on the next drive but AC Flora couldn’t move the ball and had to punt. The Hurricanes moved it 78 yards in a little more than two minutes for the game winning score.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way our guys fought,” AC Flora coach Collin Drafts said. “Nine wins after 0-10. I couldn’t be more proud. The feeling I had when I walked off this field and went 0-10. I didn’t know who I was as a coach anymore. These guys reminded me why we do it and we got them to buy in. That is a credit how awesome our seniors were, 28 seniors.

“Nobody in the state, in Columbia thought we would be here on a nine-game winning streak and won the region. It ain’t a dadgum fluke. We ain’t going nowhere. We will back, we are building off of that and we are here to stay.”

Berkeley 32, River Bluff 14

Keshawn Wicks rushed for 260 yards and three touchdowns as Berkeley ends the winningest season in River Bluff history.

The Gators finish the year at 9-2.

Jackson Stone threw a pair of touchdowns for the Gators. Stone played in place of quarterback Michael Rikard, who was out with an injury. River Bluff also played without starting running backs Braden Walker and Antonio Gantt, who also were out with injuries.

Stone’s first touchdown pass gave River Bluff a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Chapman 28, Camden 21

Brandon Jones’ 1-yard run in the fourth quarter helped Chapman eliminate Camden in the Class 3A playoffs.

Camden led 21-14 in the third quarter on Bryce Jeffcoat’s 12-yard pass to Willis Lane.

Jeffcoat finished with 132 yards passing. Deldrik Jones led Camden with 77 yards rushing and a TD. Shymeik Corbitt had 75 yards.

Mikele Colasurdo threw for 167 yards and two scores, both to Dashaun Mitchell who finished with eight catches for 112 yards.

May River 27, Gilbert 7

Quarterback Ahmad Green rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns and also threw for 97 yards as the Sharks defeated Gilbert in a Class 3A playoff game.

May River (12-0) travels to Dillon next week.

Cody Temples had Gilbert’s lone touchdown.

Hartsville 68, Brookland-Cayce 35

Hartsville outscored B-C 47-7 in the second half to advance in the Class 4A playoffs.

Abbeville 24, North Central 7

Abbeville scored two touchdowns in the first quarter as it advanced in the Class 2A playoffs.

The Panthers have come 31 straight home games. North Central’s season ends with eight victories, its most in 20 years.

Cortney Jackson, JaBryan Sanders and JD Moore each had touchdown runs for Abbeville.

Austin Bowers had a 13-yard touchdown to Sentrell Davis-Warren in the fourth quarter for North Central’s lone score.

Bowers threw for 174 yards with Tyler Faulkenberry hauling in 11 passes for 88 yards.

Saluda 38, Buford 14

Noah Bell threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns as Saluda won its Class 2A second-round playoff game.

Saluda travels to Southside Christian next week.

Running back Jeremiah Stevens had 105 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Madison Williams caught four passes for 138 yards and a TD for Saluda.

Dillon 43, Swansea 6

Jay Lester threw a touchdown pass and ran for one in Dillon’s win in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Ty King added two TD runs for the Wildcats.

Bamberg-Ehrhardt 56, Gray Collegiate 22

Bamberg-Ehrhardt returned three interceptions for touchdowns and a punt return for a score in the first as the it advanced in the Class 2A playoffs.

The loss ends Gray Collegiate’s season at 7-5.

B-E’s AJ Williams had four touchdowns including two interceptions returned for scores.

Gray’s Hunter Helms had two TD passes and running back Kazarius Adams ran for a score.

This story was originally published November 16, 2018 at 11:13 PM.