What We Saw: Lugoff Elgin 28, Lower Richland 14

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LUGOFF |</strong> As good as <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267277' first='Shamil' last='Saadiq']</strong> was in the first and as good as first-year starting quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823858' first='Zach' last='Williams']</strong> was in the first half, Lugoff-Elgin needed the guys up front with the game hanging in the balance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Demons were clinging to a seven-point lead when they got the ball back with 4:17 remaining at their own 23-yard line. In three second half possessions, Lugoff-Elgin had a total of 11 total yards in nine plays. But they turned it over to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1268611' first='Jar'kese' last='Grant']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603854' first='Eric' last='Richardson']</strong> in the backfield and the five offensive linemen up front when it counted the most.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Five plays later, Richardson ran in from 30 yards out with 1:18 left to give first-year coach Jarvis Littlejohn a 28-14 victory in the season-opener.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I feel like we have one of the best offensive lines in the state,” Saadiq said. “We had some adversity in the second half because everything isn't always rainbows but we responded like I knew we could. I had no doubt our line and running backs would come through.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Littlejohn has said all off-season the strength of the team was going to be the guys up front. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821247' first='Cam' last='Morrison']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1658086' first='Kelan' last='Hammond']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821245' first='Jackson' last='Anderson']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821247' first='Cam' last='Morrison']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1824595' first='Logan' last='Ward']</strong> made those words ring true.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I've said from the beginning I thought our offensive line was the strength of our team this year,” Littlejohn said. “We're going to build this thing from up front because physicality id the name of the game. If you can run the football, you can win games.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It didn't look like it would take those late game heroics after the first half. Saadiq, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver and Lenoir-Rhyne commit, was having his way. Williams twice found Saadiq for long touchdowns in rather spectacular fashion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Demons had taken a 7-0 lead on a 25-yard scamper by Grant in the first quarter. Lower Richland answered with its best drive of the night and got within 7-6 on a 12-yard<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1823907' first='Ziyear' last='Yates']</strong> reception from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821292' first='Gerald' last='Gibson']</strong> with 11:17 left in the half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That's when Saadiq (pictured) and Williams took over. The first score was an 83-yard strike on a go pattern that Williams hit Saadiq in stride for the score. On the next Demons possession, they set up a perfect tunnel screen when Saadiq caught the ball just past the line of scrimmage and outran the defense for a 61-yard score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saadiq finished with 187 yards receiving on six catches. Williams finished 8-of-16 for 200 yards and two touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I want to go out and prove that we can do it,” Saadiq said. “Lugoff-Elgin doesn't really have a we can do it history. We aren't going to be satisfied and show what we can do. This is just a start.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Demon defense made it difficult for Lower Richland to move the ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823864' first='Jace' last='Coleman']</strong> was flying around making plays all over the field. <strong>Lohan Hinton</strong> and <strong>Tristian Young</strong> applied pressure on almost every passing play. Then the defensive front of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592561' first='Preston' last='Rhodes']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1734627' first='Pervis' last='Walker']</strong> controlled the line of scrimmage and only allowed the Diamond Hornets 198 yards of total offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gibson, the LR quarterback who also was making his first start, finished 9-of-18 for 89 yards despite being under heavy pressure. Yates was the leading ground-gainer with 55 yards on 16 carries. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1356028' first='Solomon' last='Kelson']</strong> was banged up but did manage 30 yards on 11 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, the front of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821295' first='Dominick' last='Heath']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823904' first='Maurice' last='Horry']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1332044' first='Israel' last='Brown']</strong> played well as did linebacker <strong>Serginio Samuels</strong>. It was Samuels who scooped up a blocked punt by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821287' first='Kevin' last='Henry']</strong> and returned it 27 yards to pull the Diamond Hornets within 21-14 late in the third quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NOTEABLES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lugoff-Elgin kicker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1818426' first='Ken' last='Sutipanya']</strong> can be a weapon for the Demons. All of his kickoffs were inside the 10-yard line, and he even made a tackle near midfield on a deep return. He was perfect on his three PAT attempts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->