‘Games like this go a long way’: South Pointe downs South Florence in 3OT thriller
“McCrorey gives it off to Sims. Sims fights his way into the end zone — touchdown, South Pointe Stallions!”
WRHI’s Chris Miller closed out a long, emotional game with a short, emotional call.
South Pointe scored 12 points in the first quarter. South Florence scored 20 unanswered.
The Stallions tied it on a long touchdown pass and two-point conversion. Three overtimes ensued. Two missed field goals. A 4th-and-33 desperation try for South Florence.
Then, finally — finally — the fourth-ranked Stallions outlasted the eighth-ranked Bruins, claiming a 33-27, triple-overtime victory at The Corral in Rock Hill on Caleb Sims’ one-yard scoring plunge.
“I told them to just keep fighting,” said South Pointe coach DeVonte Holloman, addressing the consistent message he delivered to his kids as the game slowly dripped away on every South Florence carry, before the emotional tying score and finish. “There were points in the game where we could have hung our heads and given up. I’m proud of the boys for showing toughness and fighting.
“Games like this go a long way, in terms of the future and what our goals are. We’re trying to win a championship.”
South Pointe (3-0) started the scoring early in the first period, capping a zippy drive with a 16-yard connection from Zay McCrorey to Waymond Jenerette. The reception put the Stallions ahead, 6-0. The home team doubled the margin as the first-quarter horn sounded. Khyre Rawlinson grabbed a quick inside screen, then cut outside and scored a 23-yard touchdown to give his side a 12-0 advantage.
The active defenses on both sides kept the ground game of each quarterback at bay during the opening stanza. South Pointe took down Lanorris Sellers four times — two by AJ Miller, who recorded six sacks in last week’s effort — in the period for minus-39 yards. South Florence felled McCrorey three times for minus-29 yards in the period.
McCrorey performed quite efficiently in the period, connecting on 13-of-17 throws for 140 yards and the two scores. South Pointe limited Sellers to 2-for-6 for 27 yards before the interval.
Second half turns tides
South Florence (3-1) utilized a punishing running game to wrest control of much of the second half. The Bruins limited South Pointe to just six third-quarter plays, with running back Tyae McWhite helping his side practice clock control. McWhite ran 16 times for 135 yards in the second half, including a 70-yard touchdown spring down the left sideline that gave his side a 13-12 lead in the third quarter. That run came just one drive after Sellers capped a long Bruin drive with a six-yard touchdown scamper to get his team on the board.
Evan Singletary then hauled in a 40-yard touchdown grab to provide the last of the Bruins’ 20 unanswered points, putting the Bruins ahead, 20-12, with 6:07 to play. The Bruins seemed on the verge of again thwarting the Stallion offense — until magic happened.
McCrorey took the snap from center at his own nine after the Stallions had been backed to the shadow of their own end zone. The big-play options downfield were covered. McCrorey looked around. He found Sims on a short throw out of the backfield. Sims then accelerated, picked up a few blocks, and went 91 yards to pay dirt to level the game at 20, following the two-point conversion.
“They were bringing pressure. It was a good job by Zay, kind of seeing it early and just getting the ball out of his hands. Caleb split two, made one miss, and he was off to the races,” Holloman said. “I’m proud of Zay, I’m proud of our offense. I’m proud of everybody. I could call them out one-by-one, but I’m just proud of all of them.”
The sides went to extra time after regulation elapsed, with McWhite again finding the end zone from seven yards away on the first South Florence possession. Sims needed just one play to counter on the initial South Pointe, drive, marching 10 yards for his second score and forcing a second extra period.
The second extra period also offered plenty of drama. South Pointe’s 33-yard field goal try was stuffed by South Florence, and the Stallions returned the favor on a South Florence try to close its possession.
South Pointe forced two incompletions to start the third overtime, then got immense pressure on Sellers on third down and forced an intentional grounding call. The Bruins launched a 4th-and-33 heave into the end zone, but the pass was deflected, falling harmlessly to the turf.
That set up the Stallions, who moved inside the one following a South Florence penalty and set up Sims to walk it off with the short touchdown dive.
“We got (the kick) blocked, and it looked like they started hanging their heads. I was screaming, just telling them to keep fighting and keep playing,” Holloman said. “That was an exciting football game, and the way to have a home opener.”
McCrorey connected on 22-of-32 tries for 280 yards and the two scores. Sims ran nine times for 29 yards with two scores, while tallying 103 more and another score on three catches. Rawlinson caught eight for 75 yards, while Jenerette pulled in three for 49 yards and a score alongside Demari Kendrick’s nine grabs for 63 yards.
South Pointe returns to action next Friday, hosting Spring Valley in a non-region tilt at District 3 South Stadium. That game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
This story was originally published September 18, 2021 at 12:33 AM.