Gaffney smacks Jackets

Photo by LARRY HILLIARD Gaffney quarterback Bo Davidson (8) finds some running room in the first quarter against T.L. Hanna on Friday. Gaffney quarterback Joe Craig kept calling his own number and the T.L. Hanna defense couldn't do anything about it.

Craig entered the game in the second quarter and energized a lethargic offense, rushing for 153 yards and scoring three times to help the Indians to an easy 44-13 victory over the self-destructive Yellow Jackets on Friday.

Starter Bo Davidson was pulled after the Indian offense failed to move on its first three possessions. Craig made an immediate impact, scoring on a 57-yard run midway through the second quarter.

"(Craig) came in and gave us a spark," Gaffney coach Phil Strickland said.

The way Hanna was playing, the Indians really didn't need a spark. Thanks to Hanna mistakes, Gaffney led 9-0 lead before its offense stepped onto the field.

On Hanna's first possession, Gaffney linebacker John Michaels jarred the ball loose from Hanna wideout Quinton Payton and Stephon Adams scooped it up for a 43-yard touchdown.

The Yellow Jackets didn't fare much better on their second series when quarterback Dajon Martin took the snap, dropped back and dropped the ball, which rolled out of the end zone for a safety.

Gaffney capitalized on another Martin miscue when cornerback Jordan Manning returned an interception 30 yards to put the Indians up 16-0 with three minutes left in the first quarter.

Gaffney's offense finally got going midway through the second quarter with Craig at quarterback. What appeared to be a basic run up the middle, Craig found a hole and suddenly was in the clear, outrunning the Yellow Jackets for a 57-yard touchdown.

"We pulled a guard and it left a big hole to hit," Craig said.

Craig hit the hole two more times, scoring from 2 and 4 yards as the Indians built a 37-6 cushion with 7:02 left in the game.

The Gaffney defense had its way all game long with an anemic Hanna offense. Martin completed only 12 of his 26 passes for 62 yards.

The Gaffney cornerback tandem of Stephon Adams and Jordan Manning held star Hanna recievers Martavius Bryant and Quinton Payton to a combined two receptions and one yard. Payton has committed to N.C. State, while Bryant, a junior, has given a verbal commitment to Clemson.

The Indians also limited Hanna to only 56 yards on 28 attempts.

"The defense has stepped up all year," Strickland said.

After a sluggish start, the Indians racked up 272 yards on the ground. Georgio Littlejohn gained 51 yards on eight carries. Jeremiah Cochran rushed for only 34 yards, but ran with the power that had been missing on some of his runs earlier in the season.

The Yellow Jackets special teams accounted for the team's scores. Hanna blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter and Dominique Ellis returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown for the game's final margin.

Gaffney, which improves to 3-1, hosts USA Today's No. 1-ranked Byrnes Rebels on Friday.