Gray Collegiate knocks off defending champ Abbeville to earn spot in 2023 title game
The adversity and outside noise have been there all season for Gray Collegiate. At one point, they didn’t know what kind of season they would have. They faced the prospect of playing a shortened season once it was decided all their region opponents would forfeit games.
At the end of the day, they’ve persevered. And they also know where the season will end: the Class 2A state championship.
BJ Mongomery accounted for two touchdowns and Tyler Waller threw for two more Friday and the War Eagles used a hard-hitting, tenacious defense to knock off Abbeville 27-12.
Gray Collegiate will be making its second state championship game appearance on Thursday, Nov. 30 when it plays Oceanside Collegiate, a winner over Hampton County, at 7 p.m. at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg. The War Eagles won the title in 2021, their only other appearance in the finals. The Landsharks lost to Abbeville in the Class 2A title game last season.
“It means everything. What these guys have been through all year,” Gray Collegiate coach Adam Holmes said. “We maybe were going to have a four-game schedule. But at the end of the day, our guys persevered. Football teaches you how to face adversity and our football team faced adversity. We went out and played great football teams and it got us ready for nights like this. (Abbeville) set the precedent for 2A and that’s what we’re working to be and get on that level.”
The War Eagles (14-3) had to come back from an early deficit. And it was a special teams play that turned out to be the turning point. Demarcus Leach sprinted 80 yards for a score to bring the visiting Panthers within 13-12 with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter.
That’s when Montgomery made the play of the game. He misplayed the ensuing kickoff and let it bounce around on the ground. He gathered himself enough to go 88 yards just in front of the Abbeville sideline to make it 20-12 with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter.
“I had to stop and give it a second to make sure it didn’t roll through my legs,” Montgomery said. “Coach talked about it all week that if we take it back to the right side, we score. That’s what we did. We executed it very well.”
Holmes confirmed they thought they could make a big play on special teams.
“We worked on that all week,” he said. “We knew it was there. We just had to get our opportunity. We almost broke one every time. Finally, BJ hit it and broke the game open.”
Abbeville struck first on a 24-yard TD pass from Leach to Karson Norman on the opening drive.
But Waller, who was 13-of-22 for 165 yards, sandwiched a couple of TD passes around the half to give the War Eagles the lead for good. First, he connected with Blaine Redmond on a 7-yard TD just before the half to make it a 6-all game at the break.
Then after a turnover on the first possession of the second half, Waller directed 3-play, 23-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard TD strike to Jamarious Lockett with 5:21 remaining in the third. Lockett finished with six catches for 103 yards.
Montgomery, who was the workhorse on the ground with 96 yards on 24 carries, iced it on the next Gray possession with a five-yard run with 7:59 remaining.
The War Eagles defense took over from there.
“Our defense did an amazing job,” Holmes said. “They balled out tonight. Guys like (Michael) Boulware and (Trequan) Singleton played great. Other than that one long run, we held them and made them have to go on long, long drives. Proud of that defense and we just have to do it one more week.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2023 at 12:36 AM.