Late field goal extends South’s winning streak in Touchstone Energy Bowl
Tevin Eley heard the coaches screaming and knew he had to do something.
The Camden linebacker saw the loose football on the field after a backward pass, scooped it up and ran 58 yards down to the 10-yard line. Four plays later, Drew Stevens of North Augusta hit the game-winning 36-yard field goal with less than two minutes left to help the South to a 20-17 win over the North on Saturday in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl.
“All the coaches on the sideline were like, ‘Get the ball, get the ball,’ ” Eley said. “So I saw the ball, picked it up and started running. It just happened, honestly.”
Eley finished the game with 10 tackles and was named MVP on defense for the South team. Conway receiver Carlton Terry was the South offensive MVP after a team-high nine catches for 96 yards and a TD.
“I expected to get some tackles, but not a fumble recovery or the MVP. It was a great week,” Eley said.
It’s the third win in a row for the South team. North leads all-time series 39-31-2.
The game featured some of the top seniors in South Carolina. And with the Shrine Bowl, which pits South Carolina seniors against North Carolina, canceled for a second straight year because of COVID-19, the Touchstone Energy Bowl featured one of the most talented rosters in the game’s 72-year history.
“I’ve never been around this much talent on one team in my career,” South coach Art Craig said. “But, they were not only great players but also great kids. We had some great young men and it was a real pleasure to coach in this game. First-class event all the way.”
The South used that talent to its advantage early in leading 17-3 at halftime. Myrtle Beach quarterback and Appalachian State commit Ryan Burger threw a pair of first-half touchdowns to Terry and his high school teammate Adam Randall.
Randall, a Clemson commit, hauled in a leaping catch for a 19-yard touchdown to make it 14-3 with 9:33 left in the second quarter. Randall finished with three for 53 yards.
Burger was 16-of-21 passing for 159 yards.
North used defense to get back in the game. Indian Land’s Dumekele Idehen returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 17-10 with 7:51 left in the third quarter.
The North tied it at 17-17 when two-time S.C. Gatorade Player of the Year Trent Pearman hit Chapman’s DJ Black, who leaped over the South defender, for a 29-yard touchdown catch with 11:53 left.
Pearman, who helped Daniel to back-to-back Class 3A titles, was 16-of-26 passing for 141 yards and a TD. Black was the South Offensive MVP after three catches for 34 yards.
Daniel’s Jahiem Lawson was the North Defensive MVP after his three sack performance. Lawson’s brother, Shaq, was North MVP in the 2011 game.
Gray Collegiate’s KZ Adams had 118 all-purpose yards.
How They Scored
First Quarter
SOUTH - Terry 23 pass from Burger (Stevens kick), 6:41
NORTH - Vinesett 41 FG, 2:31
Second Quarter
SOUTH - Randall 19 pass from Burger (Stevens kick), 9:33
Third Quarter
SOUTH - Stevens 38 FG, 9:01
NORTH - Idehen 32 fumble recovery (Vinesett kick). 7:31
Fourth Quarter
NORTH - Black 29 pass from Pearman (Vinesett kick), 11:53
SOUTH - Stevens 36 FG, 1:54
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: N: Adams 13-58; Williams 4-20, Smith 8-8, Dunham 1-5. S: Squire 8-15, Shaw 4-14, McKithen 3-4, Janack 1-1
PASSING: N: Pearman 16-26-2 141, Mattison 1-5-1 20. S: Burger 16-21-1 159, Douglas 2-4-0 18
RECEIVING: N: Bowser 6-48, Adams 3-36, Black 3-34, Foster 27. S: Terry 9-96, Randall 3-53, Squire 2-13, Sowell 2-9.
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 4:47 PM.
