State champions! Abbeville football rolls to fifth title in six seasons
After a year’s absence, Abbeville football is the king of Class 2A football again.
The Panthers scored 19 points in less than a three-minute span to defeat Marion 37-6 on Friday in the Class 2A championship on Friday at Benedict College’s Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.
It is the Panthers’ 11 state title in school history and fifth in the past six seasons. Seven of the school’s state championships have come under coach Jamie Nickles. Abbeville lost last year in the 2A Upper State semifinals.
“I think those kids set their minds on that we were going to make a statement this year whether we won it or lost it,” Nickles said. “From the time the High School League turned us loose, these kids did everything we asked them to do.”
This was the final high school football game in South Carolina this year. It was originally scheduled for Dec. 4 but was pushed back two weeks because of positive COVID-19 tests in the Marion football program.
It was Marion’s first state championship appearance since 1987 and the Swamp Foxes were hampered by turnovers and mistakes early in the game.
Marion fumbled on back-to-back possessions, and Abbeville converted the turnovers into a pair of touchdowns, including Marquis Jackson’s 12-yard fumble return to make it 13-0 with 2:22 left in the first quarter.
Less than a minute later, Martico Jackson scored on a 7-yard run to make it 19-0. Marion turned the ball over five times in the game.
Zy Raford added an 80-yard kickoff return to start the second half, and Sincere Ceasor had a 72-yard fumble return for a score for the Panthers in the fourth quarter.
Abbeville held Marion to 44 yards of offense in the first half and outgained the Swamp Foxes, 299-95. The Panthers gave up just 44 points in 10 games this season.
HOW THEY SCORED
First Quarter
A: Marshall 35 pass from Beauford (Nickles kick), 3:13
A: Marquise Jackson 12 fumble return (kick failed), 2:22
A: Martico Jackson 7 run (pass failed), 1:16
Second Quarter
A: Nickles 29 FG, 7:05
M: Crawford 4 run (kick failed), 1:11
Third Quarter
A: Rayford 80 kickoff return (Marshall run), 11:46
Fourth Quarter
A: Ceasor 72 fumble return (Nickles kick), 10:50
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: A: Haddon 11-94, Martico Jackson 10-47, Marshall 12-37, Burton 6-25. M: Crawford 16-52, Cusack 12-18, Bethea 5-7, Rollins 2-6.
PASSING: A: Beauford 4-6-1 85. M: Cusack 4-8-1 53
RECEIVING: A: Marshall 2-47, Martico Jackson 1-36, Harrison 1-2. M: Crawford 3-45, Bethea 1-8.
SCHSL State Champions
▪ Class 5A: Dutch Fork 28, TL Hanna 6
▪ Class 4A: AC Flora 42, North Myrtle Beach 7
▪ Class 3A: Daniel 52, Camden 31
▪ Class 2A: Abbeville 37, Marion 6
▪ Class A: Southside Christian 46, Lake View 6
This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 8:55 PM.
