What We Saw: Byrnes 21, Spartanburg 9

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DUNCAN | </strong>Everybody pointing to the Region II-5A opener between Byrnes and Spartanburg expected defense to be the focus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They sure got their money's worth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The teams combined for 16 defensive points, each allowed just one offensive score, and the Rebels took a 1-0 start in region play with a 21-9 victory over the Vikings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Our defense proved tonight that they've got to be one of the best in the state," Byrnes coach Reggie Shaw said. "We put them in tough situations, and just hat's off. They found a way to win."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Byrnes defense came up big twice with Spartanburg driving, and each time was costly for the Vikings. In the first half, trailing 7-0, Spartanburg mounted its best drive of the night since their opening march, but<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='272705' first='Armoni' last='Weaver']</strong> wrestled a pass away, recovered the fumble, and raced in for a score to double Byrnes' lead at 14-0.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rebels' second defensive touchdown preserved the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trailing 14-9 with just over a minute and a half left in the game, Spartanburg drove deep into Byrnes territory before LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1144103' first='James' last='Oates'] </strong>stepped in front of a pass and returned it 80 yards for the game-clinching score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I saw a slant, I saw the ball thrown, and I took it," Oates said. "I was just running for my life hoping I didn't get hawked down by someone."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those weren't the only massive defensive plays on the night, though. The Rebels forced a fumble to cost Spartanburg a fourth-down conversion late in the third quarter. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267454' first='Chris' last='Foster']</strong> had a huge sack on a Vikings' drive in the fourth to snuff out another chance. A late interception on a tipped ball allowed the Rebels to run out the clock.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spartanburg made plenty of big plays on defense as well. The Vikings sent Byrnes backwards on their first three plays from scrimmage. <strong>LaCharles Woodruff</strong> closed on a ball in the air from one hash to outside the other, knocking away what looked like a sure TD near the end of the first half. <strong>Chase Watson</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1249806' first='Peyton' last='Jones']</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448978' first='Bennie' last='Littlejohn']</strong> kept up near-constant pressure, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624354' first='Cam'Rich' last='Smith']</strong> was all over the field. The Vikings defense got on the board themselves, forcing a safety following a bad punt snap.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neither team cracked 250 yards of offense. Neither rushed for 140. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"It's the old saying," Shaw said. "Offense wins games, but defense wins championships."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If that's the truth, expect to see both teams deep into November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FRESHMAN PHENOM</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036721' first='Tre' last='Segarra']</strong> continued his stellar freshman season for Byrnes. His 68-yard TD run was the Rebels' only serious offensive look at the end zone, and he did it with a side-step at the line, a nice hesitation move, a physical move through an arm tackle, and some serious speed. He finished with 13 carries for 112 yards, and was just about the entire Byrnes offensive highlight reel.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DOWNFIELD THREAT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Going forward, opponents are going to want to know where<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1359184' first='Justin' last='Rice']</strong> is. Rice had a pair of big catches, one of which set up Spartanburg's score on a run by <strong>TJ Johnson</strong>. Rice did a good job of getting open, having a couple of tough catches bounce away, One near-fingertip, diving grab barely missed, and Byrnes' relentless pressure from the DL hurried some throws that might have helped Rice to a HUGE night. His ability to get open against top-tier defenders will serve the Vikings well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->