In just its third season playing 11-man football, John Paul II will play for a state championship next Saturday.
The Golden Warriors followed up the first playoff win in program history with a 49-6 rout of visiting Robert E. Lee Academy on Friday, earning a trip to the SCISA Class 2A championship game. The Golden Warriors (7-4) will face Florence Christian for the state championship at noon next Saturday at Benedict College in Columbia.
Rashad Battiste was the x-factor for the Golden Warriors on Friday, as he returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, blocked a punt and returned it for a score in the second quarter, and caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Sam Summa in the third quarter.
Zach Doe got JPII on the board with a 30-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Battiste’s pick-six made it 14-0. Battiste’s blocked punt score made it 21-0 at halftime, and his touchdown reception pushed the lead to 28-0.
The Golden Warriors broke it open in the fourth, as Summa scored a 7-yard TD run, Freddie Aiken added a 14-yard TD run, and Jordan Sims broke a 72-yard TD run before the Cavaliers scored a late touchdown to avoid the shutout.