Indians must hit stride against tough Fort Mill

INDIANS FRIDAY NIGHT PREVIEW

Ledger Sports Editor

For Fort Mill coach Greg Taylor, two quarterbacks are better than one. Especially, when they have both held their own against some tough competition.

Senior Jordan Griffin returned to practice Monday after missing three games with an injury. David Martin, who was 1-2 as a starter, will also see action when the Yellow Jackets travel to Gaffney tonight.

“They will both play. They both deserve to play,” said Taylor, a former GHS assistant.

The Yellow Jackets (5-4, 1-2) are also solid at running back with Lowell Watson, who has gained nearly 800 yards. Watson didn’t play in the team’s 35-0 loss to Rock Hill last week.

Gaffney will also need to keep an eye on the Yellow Jackets’ receivers, dubbed ‘The Smurfs’ because of their height.

“They are all about 5-7, 150 pounds,” Taylor said.

Gaffney coach Phil Strickland said he’s also concerned about the Yellow Jackets’ defense, which boasts Vance Walker, who has 26 tackles for losses and 10.5 sacks.

“They seem to be very tough against the run,” Strickland said. “They have played very well. We’ll have our hands full against them.”

Likewise for the Yellow Jackets.

The Indians are giving up just 15 points a game on defense. Gaffney limited Lancaster to just 97 total yards, including just 11 through the air.

“The thing that sticks out to me about Gaffney is the consistency on defense,” Taylor said. “I haven’t seen anybody be able to drive the ball down the field on them.”

Taylor is also impressed with the Indians’ offense.

“They are so athletic on offense,” he said. “And their No. 2 quarterback (Malcolm Long) played well last week. Their offensive line is also impressive.”

Both teams have battled injuries. The Yellow Jackets’ starting backfield was missing a week ago because of injuries.

Gaffney will be without its best player, Shrine Bowler Andy Strickland, who is expected to return for the regular-season finale against York.

Quarterback Nick Melton injured his ribs against Rock Hill two weeks ago, but did handle the punting chores in last week’s 24-10 win over Lancaster. Linebacker Julius Wilkerson, who has played well the last few weeks, should be at 100 percent after battling a cold last week.

Strickland said the Indians must stop wasting opportunities with untimely turnovers and penalties if they hope to go deep in the upcoming Big 16 playoffs.

“Turnovers and penalties are still a problem,” Strickland said. “We have to protect the ball better. We are still making too many mistakes. We are stopping ourselves and we just can’t do that. We had 80 yards in penalties (against Lancaster) and they seemed to negate big plays that we had.

“We need to get on track and start sustaining drives.”

Strickland said even if the Indians win their next two games it’s doubtful Gaffney will host a first-round playoff game. The Yellow Jackets, on the other hand, need a win to remain in contention for a playoff spot.