Lewis, Sherman and Loris Defense Upends Dillon

DILLON | If defense indeed wins championships, you have to think Loris is going to be a team to watch in the Class 3A state playoffs starting in just over a month.   The Lions clamped down on Dillon and held the Wildcats to one offensive yard in the second half and used a 90-yard fumble return by [player_tooltip player_id='1821016' first='Khalil' last='Sherman'] and extra point by William Scruggs to eek out a 23-22 win in a battle of Top 10 teams.   “It was a total team effort,” Sherman said. “We had guys playing in new positions to match up with Dillon and everyone played up to their potential. We knew we had the defense to stop them, and we were able to do that tonight.”   It was a collective effort in winning for the second straight season against Dillon after suffering a 22-game losing streak in the rivalry. It's just the second win in the series since 1968.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592447' first='Jacobien' last='Lewis'] stripped the ball out to allow Sherman to pick up the loose ball at his 10-yard line. Sherman started cramping immediately on the return but he zig-zagged his way in from about midfield to tie the game at 22 with 4:38 remaining in the third quarter. Scruggs knocked in the extra point, and it was up to the Lions defense the rest of the way.   “Big-time players make big-time plays,” Lewis said. “I made a mistake on offense, and my teammates needed me, so I went after the ball right when the receiver caught it.”   After allowing 229 yards of offense in the first half, they limited Dillon to one first down, 14 passing yards and a negative 13 rushing yards on 19 offensive plays in the second half.   Preston Hays and [player_tooltip player_id='473018' first='Landon' last='Conner'] were bringing pressure off the edges. [player_tooltip player_id='1395062' first='Damarea' last='Thurmond'] locked down the interior and was also able to create pressure from the middle. [player_tooltip player_id='1422629' first='Roderick' last='Purcha'], playing defense for the first time this season, created havoc coming in on blitzes. Jay Dalton Todd, [player_tooltip player_id='1881794' first='Ethan' last='Shaw'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1656668' first='Khalid' last='Sherman'] got in on the sack game as well.   Terrance Hardee, Antinio James, [player_tooltip player_id='1656668' first='Khalid' last='Sherman'] and Lewis played well in the secondary. Lewis was matched up with UNC commitment [player_tooltip player_id='1165163' first='Zamaurious' last='Robertson'] most of the game and limited him to three catches for 65 yards.   “It wasn't pretty, but we will take it,” Loris coach Greg Mance said. “We hang our hat on our defense but at halftime we had six kids cramping. We had to fight to get through this one. We allowed one first down in that second half and just kept coming. We found a way and that's what good teams do.”   The way the game started, it looked like it would be a shootout. On the second offensive play, Purcha brought heavy pressure from the edge, and the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Thurmond intercepted the ball at the line of scrimmage.   Three plays later, [player_tooltip player_id='797160' first='Moon' last='Gerald'] found [player_tooltip player_id='1821016' first='Khalil' last='Sherman'] wide open for a 10-yard TD pass.   The Wildcats (3-3) struck right back. [player_tooltip player_id='1595007' first='Khayel' last='Sam Fong-Talia'] scrambled around in the backfield and found a streaking JJ Campbell for a 76-yard touchdown strike.   Loris (6-0) answered right back with a five-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a Gerald 32 TD pass to [player_tooltip player_id='1824547' first='Mykhai' last='Bell'] in the back of the end zone. Bell also had a 49-yard reception on the drive. Moon finished 8-of-14 for 112 yards and two scores.   Robertson scored on a 28-yard TD pass from Fong Talia to tie it back up at 13. Fong Talia finished 11-of-22 for 182 yards and two interceptions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267317' first='Daniel' last='Capehart'] intercepted a pass for the Wildcats and also recovered two fumbles as well. He teamed with [player_tooltip player_id='1025771' first='Keryien' last='Brown'] to continuously get into the Loris backfield and had several tackles for loss.   Both teams added field goals to make it 16-all at the half.   On the first possession of the second half, Capehart scooped up a bad snap on a punt and returned it to the 1-yard line to set up a 1-yard plunge by [player_tooltip player_id='1025778' first='Domanick' last='Felton'] for the Wildcats first lead and only points of the second half.   Capehart gave Dillon another short field when he grabbed a loose ball and returned 54 yards to the Lions 16-yard on Dillons second possession of the third quarter. But two plays later, Lewis stripped the ball out after a completed pass and [player_tooltip player_id='1821016' first='Khalil' last='Sherman'] scored the winning TD.   “As soon as I picked the ball up, I felt myself start cramping,” [player_tooltip player_id='1821016' first='Khalil' last='Sherman'] said. “But I kept going and swerving around until I got to the end zone. I wasn't going to stop.”   Lewis ended the final Dillon possession with an interception right in front of the Wildcats bench.

DILLON | If defense indeed wins championships, you have to think Loris is going to be a team to watch in the Class 3A state playoffs starting in just over a month.