It was a night of offensive miscues, but Thomas Heyward’s defense came up clutch to keep the Rebels unbeaten.
Despite a rash of penalties and unforced errors, the defense stepped up with three interceptions to secure a 22-7 home victory Friday over Dorchester Academy.
“If it could’ve gone wrong, it did,” THA head coach Nic Shuford said. “Bad snaps, a million penalties, one of those nights.”
The Raiders landed the first blow of the game, as a high THA snap flew over the quarterback’s head and into the arms of the defense for an early score and a 7-0 Dorchester Academy lead. But Thomas Heyward’s explosive offense responded, as eighth-grader Tony O’ Banner continued his sensational start to his Rebel career with a touchdown scamper. Freshman quarterback Dietrich Shuford then put the home team in front, crossing the end zone to take a 14-7 lead into the halftime break.
A dialed-in Shuford added a score through the air after the intermission, hooking up with Brandon Howard for 20 yards before a two-point try extended the advantage to 22-7. The red-hot Heyward defense shut the door the rest of the way, and Howard capped off his brilliant night with a game-sealing interception to lock down the Rebels’ second win of the season.
After taking the opening kick to the house a week ago and scoring twice, James “Turbo” Townsend made headlines on the other side of the ball, picking off two passes to lead a phenomenal defensive group that has yet to allow a touchdown through two games.
O’ Banner continued his outstanding start to the season, running for 132 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Shuford was electric on the ground, picking up 107 yards and a score on just 12 attempts while completing 7-of-12 passes for 124 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Howard snagged three catches for 67 yards and a score to go along with his pick, while Tyshon Mansell added a catch for 36 yards.
Thomas Heyward (2-0) travels to Bluffton on Friday for a duel with the SCHSL Class 4A Bobcats.
By Wes Kerr
