Gerald, Loris Roll To Second Consecutive Region Title

LORIS | [player_tooltip player_id='797160' first='Moon' last='Gerald'] wanted to leave no doubt.    Although Gerald and the Loris Lions won the program's first region title in 24 years last season, the accolade came with an asterisk. Loris had defeated Marlboro County via a forfeit.    “Last year, there was a lot of bickering back and forth,” Gerald (pictured) said of the forfeit win and subsequent arguments.   There's no arguing who the best team in Region V-3A is this year.   In a matchup of two of the top Class 3A teams in the Palmetto State, Loris flexed its muscles and rolled to its second straight region crown with a dominant 49-14 win over Marlboro County at Heniford Field on Friday night.   The Lions entered the evening with one of the state's top offenses at 46.1 points per game, while Marlboro County boasted a defense that was allowing just 11.5 points per contest. Loris grabbed the momentum from the opening whistle as the Lions marched 65 yards in nine plays. Gerald connected with [player_tooltip player_id='1821016' first='Khalil' last='Sherman'] for a 16-yard touchdown to give Loris an early 7-0 lead.    Marlboro County fumbled away the ensuing kickoff and [player_tooltip player_id='1422632' first='Makel' last='Stephens'] from the end zone from six yards out as Loris jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.    The scrambling ability of Marlboro County quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='776240' first='Tre' last='Blakeney'] moved the Bulldogs into Loris territory on the next drive, but Loris turned Marlboro County away on a fourth-down attempt. The Lions' offense continued to roll as Stephens punched in a one-yard touchdown on 4th-and-goal to put Loris up 21-0. After outgaining the Bulldogs 174-42    Blakeney gave the Bulldogs life when he lofted a pass to [player_tooltip player_id='1816914' first='LaQuincy' last='Leach'] into the end zone. Leach made a spectacular grab in tight coverage for a 15-yard score with 4:53 left in the second quarter, cutting the Loris lead to 21-6.    However, the potent Loris offense quickly moved back to Marlboro County's five-yard line and Stephens did the honors from there, scoring his third rushing touchdown of the first half to put the Lions up 28-6 with 2:55 on the clock.    The Lions forced their second fumble of the night two plays later as Landon Connor pried the ball loose and Preston Hays fell on it at the Marlboro County 19-yard line. Gerald then rifled a 19-yard pass to Sherman for the duo's second score of the evening to give Loris a 35-6 lead heading into halftime.   The Bulldog defense logged its first stop of the night early in the third quarter, halting the Lions on Marlboro County's half of the field thanks to a pair of tackles for loss from [player_tooltip player_id='905534' first='Jaden' last='Ashe']. The Bulldogs then reached into their bag of tricks as Blakeney uncorked a 48-yard flea flicker to Leach. Blakeney found the end zone on a five-yard keeper, then plowed ahead for a two-point conversion at the halfway point of the third quarter to make the score 35-14 Lions.   Loris eclipsed the 40-point threshold for the seventh time in nine games when Gerald hit [player_tooltip player_id='1656668' first='Khalid' last='Sherman'] for a 23-yard touchdown with 10:34 to go in the game. Gerald fired his fourth touchdown toss of the night on the Lions' next possession, finding [player_tooltip player_id='1824547' first='Mykhai' last='Bell'] for a 21-yard score with 5:13 remaining as the Loris put the finishing touches on its first back-to-back region championships since 1990-91.    The Lion offense ended the night with 382 total yards, averaging 8.0 yards per play. Loris head coach Greg Mance credited his quarterback for keeping the Lions on track throughout the night.   “About 60 percent of our play calls that are sent in, there are two plays called,” said Mance. “He gets us in the right thing. He's a leader, he's a general, and when he's seeing it right, he's tough to stop.”    Gerald finished the evening 13-of-17 for 225 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 26 yards rushing on six carries.    “My coaches did a good job with me this week, helping me figure out what they were going to do before the play even started,” said Gerald. “I feel like the sky's the limit for us as long as we stay humble.”   LORIS NOTABLES   [player_tooltip player_id='1395062' first='Damarea' last='Thurmond'] DL, 2026 – The Loris defense smothered Marlboro County's offense most of the night and Thurmond was the Bulldogs' most constant tormentor. He recorded multiple stops at the line of scrimmage and kept clogged up Blakeney's running lanes all game as the Lion defense stymied Marlboro County's attack.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821015' first='Jamarius' last='Wilson'] DL/OL, 2026 – Wilson was a key cog in the offensive line that helped Gerald direct a formidable passing attack. Wilson handled his right tackle position throughout the night and also sealed off the edge on multiple plays to allow Stephens to turn the corner and get to the perimeter.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592447' first='Jacobien' last='Lewis'] DB, 2026 – Lewis made the key play for the Loris secondary in the second half. After Marlboro County scored to cut the deficit to 35-14 and forced a Loris punt, Blakeney tried to go deep down the Lion sideline. Lewis timed his jump perfectly to bat the ball away, Marlboro County punted away, and the Lions were never threatened again.    [player_tooltip player_id='1422629' first='Roderick' last='Purcha'] RB, 2027 – After Marlboro County pulled within two scores in the first half, Purcha provided explosive plays on consecutive snaps to help put the game out of reach. He hauled in a pass over the middle for a 24-yard catch-and-run and took a speed sweep on the next snap for a 26-yard scamper down to the five-yard line. Loris scored from there to go up 28-6 and never led by less than three scores the rest of the night.   MARLBORO COUNTY NOTABLES   [player_tooltip player_id='1823832' first='Lee' last='Best'] P/K, 2026 – Best put his athleticism on display twice in the third quarter, evading a free rusher to get his first punt of the night away early in the quarter to keep Marlboro County from setting up the Lions deep in Bulldog territory. Two drives later, Best found himself punting with his heels in the back of the end zone. He jumped and snagged a high snap with one hand before botting away a 39-yard punt that kept the Lions from tacking on two (or six) more points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592270' first='Troy' last='Hailey'] RB, 2026 – Marlboro County tried to lean on its ground game most of the night and Hailey provided a solid complement to Blakeney. He finished with eight carries for 45 yards and was the Bulldogs' most effective runner with 5.6 yards per carry.   [player_tooltip player_id='1823833' first='Tremayne' last='Ashford'] KR, 2026 – Although the kick return game had some sloppy moments, Ashford showed his playmaking ability on several impressive runbacks during the game. His best return came in the fourth quarter when he broke loose for a 55-yard return to set up Marlboro County's offense at the Loris 40-yard line.    Michael McLaughlin DL, 2026 – McLaughlin and the rest of Marlboro County's defensive line showed why the Bulldogs had held opponents to less than two touchdowns per game entering the game. The Bulldogs pressured Gerald relentlessly in the third quarter and McLaughlin's sack forced Loris into its first punt of the night and kept Marlboro County within striking distance.

LORIS | Moon Gerald Moon Gerald 6'0" | 170 lbs | QB Loris | 2026 State SC wanted to leave no doubt.