Player of the Week: Higgins stays cool for Lower Richland

Lower Richland coach Darryl Page saw enough from Tevaughn Higgins in a limited role as a freshman to know he can handle being a starting quarterback.

Through two games this season, the sophomore signal caller has proved his coach right. Higgins was 22-of-45 for 402 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 84 yards and two scores in the 54-48 win against Keenan on Friday.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder was at his best when the game was on the line. With the game tied at 48 in the fourth quarter, Higgins marched the Diamond Hornets 74 yards in the final three minutes and scored the winning touchdown on a 2-yard run on the last play of game.

“He grew up and never did panic,” Page said of Higgins. “Every time we had to convert, he was able to make a big play or good decision whether it was with his feet or his arm and allowed the team to move down the field.”

Higgins was happy Page gave him the chance to make the game-winning play.

“You’ve always got to want that ball,” Higgins said. “You’ve got to be able to come through in the clutch and be able to win for your team.”

Page said Higgins has the same traits of two of his former quarterbacks, Darian Durant and Richard Cue, who he coached at Wilson High in Florence. Durant went on to a successful career at North Carolina and is still playing in the Canadian Football League. Cue, part of Wilson’s 2007 state title team, played at South Carolina State.

Higgins started the first two games last season for the Diamond Hornets before suffering an injury against Orangeburg-Wilkinson. Lower Richland went on to a disappointing 1-9 record.

“Last season was a tough season,” Higgins said. “But you know you’ve gotta come back and work hard to bounce back from it for this season.”

Higgins learned a lot from the two starts last year that helped him prepare more coming into the season. Page simplified the playbook for Higgins and the talent around him is stronger with senior receiver Larry Collins, one of the state’s top prospects, and Jonathan Murphy, Keyon Hair and running back Fred Cunningham.

In two games, Higgins has completed 52.4 percent of his passes for 673 yards and six touchdowns. He also is second on the team with 122 yards rushing.

“He started last year out of necessity. But this year, he was the No. 1 guy coming in and has only gotten better,” Page said. “He is a natural, gifted athlete and he listens. He is making good decisions, and we have been blessed by it so far.”

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 9:58 PM with the headline "Player of the Week: Higgins stays cool for Lower Richland."