What We Saw: Socastee 14, Loris 13

MYRTLE BEACH | Socastee coach Ben Hampton called him the “goofy” kid who is “self-taught” as a punter.   For the second time this year, Daniel Devaux looked like something else.   A senior capable of delivering gut shot after gut shot from different positions in different phases of the game.   On top of what might end up being two of the prettiest and most effective punts Horry County might see all season, the second extra point from Devaux (pictured) ended up being the game winner. Not enough? He also came up with a huge tackle for loss on a fourth and three inside of 2 minutes to play that forced Loris into a turnover on downs.   It allowed the Braves to run out the clock on an upset that might ultimately change the trajectory of Socastee's season.   “This means a lot for our team, meaning that we can do it,” Devaux said after the 14-13 victory Wednesday. “We can hang with these guys and we can go out there and dominate and win these ball games. We can get a top spot in the region and see where this momentum can take us.”   The “dominate” comment might seem out of place for anyone just looking at the final score or even the final stat pack.   However, for much of the game, it felt like Loris was the team chasing opportunities and playing behind the sticks. Consider this: in the Lions' first four games of the year (against Green Sea Floyds, Conway, South Columbus and North Myrtle Beach), quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='797160' first='Moon' last='Gerald'] and tailbacks [player_tooltip player_id='1422632' first='Makel' last='Stephens'] [player_tooltip player_id='1422629' first='Roderick' last='Purcha'] and the rest of the Loris offense had never played from behind and had only been tied with those opponents for a total of 21 minutes, 23 seconds of game time.   Much of that had to do with huge plays early in games. A long Gerald pass or a [player_tooltip player_id='1592447' first='Jacobien' last='Lewis'] kickoff return a big run by Purchia or Stephens.    Those never came against the Braves. Instead, defensive backs Braydin Bollinger and Jaylen McIntyre played virtually mistake-free pass defense and Gerald struggled to a five-of-19, 47-yard passing night.    Socastee's defense allowed only five plays of 15 yards or longer. There were back-to-back 19-yard [player_tooltip player_id='1656668' first='Khalid' last='Sherman'] runs that set up Purchia's go-ahead touchdown run with 1:55 to go in the first half, a pair of long Purcha runs in the second half and a Gerald pass to Tay Cox early in the third.    Socastee avoiding more upper cuts ensured the body blows it was delivering was enough.   Devaux certainly did his part. About those aforementioned punts? How about a 58-yard boot near the end of the third quarter that pinned Loris at its own five or a 43-yarder on the Braves' next possession that was downed at the 1?   Tack on a couple of PATs, a few tackles and a big tackle for loss, and it looked awfully similar to his performance in a 23-8 victory at Aynor on September 6. During that game, he had six total tackles on defense, added a 46-yard punt, hit a couple extra points, knocked in a 32-yard field goal and blocked a punt.   Hampton knew less than 6 minutes in against Loris that Devaux was charged up; on his first kickoff of the night, Devaux one-hopped it through the back of the end zone.    For the senior, reality started to set in after Loris scored it's final points of the night right before halftime.   “We stopped that that PAT and its only 13-7 going into half time. We're down six. These guys are blowing people out. We knew we were in this ball game. In the second half, we said ‘Let's go beat these guys.'”   OTHER LORIS NOTABLES   Khalil Sherman DB, 2026 | The junior prevented Loris from going up two scores early in the game when he picked off a pass at the 1-yard line and raced back to the other side of midfield before getting tackled. The play ultimately set up the Lions' first points of the evening when Stephens took it in from eight yards away.   [player_tooltip player_id='464883' first='Javon' last='Johnson'] DE, 2025 | Johnson showed his experience throughout the evening as an edge rusher capable of beating just about any offensive tackle off the snap. His first step was perfectly synced with the snap throughout the fourth quarter and had Socastee not been running away from him he very well could have ultimately disrupted a few more plays to change the final outcome.    OTHER SOCASTEE NOTABLES   [player_tooltip player_id='1429140' first='Christian' last='Royals'] QB, 2026 | Royals has already shown plenty of grit in running the Braves' offense, as he had a huge hand in that win over Aynor earlier this month. On Wednesday, he packaged it with some solid production in the passing game. Royals finished with 157 yards passing and two touchdowns, one to [player_tooltip player_id='1158009' first='Jonathan' last='Goswick'] on a perfect slant route in the first quarter and then a touch pass to Hayes Hardwick, who was the recipient of a blown coverage for the game's only second-half points. Royals also found a nice rhythm with 6-foot-2, 175-pound sophomore Chis Livingston on a seam route that worked to perfection twice.   Amare Godfrey RB, 2025 | Godfrey did little in the first half, when he picked up just eight yards on four carries. The second half was a different story. He used his eight touches to put up 64 yards, with more than half of those yards coming after first contact.   Cade Radvansky DE 2025 | In setting a tone that would last then entirety of the second half, Radvansky picked up a sack on the Lions' first series after the break that forced a third-and-long. Then, after Michael Kegler knocked down the third-down pass attempt and an errant snap on fourth down, Radvansky chased down the punter to give Socastee excellent field position. Five plays later, Royals hit Hardwick for the go-ahead touchdown.

MYRTLE BEACH | Socastee coach Ben Hampton called him the “goofy” kid who is “self-taught” as a punter.