The Gaffney defense, which gave up 42 points in its first meeting with Dorman, has changed for the better. Photo by LARRY HILLIARD Call it the Gaffney Indians’ version of Black Friday.

The Dorman Cavaliers scored on four straight possessions in the second half to break open a close contest at halftime and beat the visiting Indians, 42-17, in the season opener for both teams.

Quarterback A.J. Booker did most of the damage for the Cavaliers with four short rushing touchdowns, executing the Wildcat offense to perfection.

Booker’s first touchdown came on a 1-yard run with 6:37 left in the first quarter. Gaffney tied it at 7 on a 27-yard touchdown pass from DeEdward Burris to Khris Brown on a fourth-and-11.

The Indians had plenty of chances to score before the touchdown but came up empty after a bad snap, fumble and an offensive interference call that wiped out a touchdown by sophomore wideout Quinshad Davis.

The teams meet again Friday at Dorman with a trip to the Columbia on the line.

Gaffney coach Phil Strickland said the Cavaliers will see an improved version of the Indians. Call it Gaffney 2.0.

“The makeup of our team is different,” Strickland said. “We have several kids starting that weren’t before. We’ve moved some other players around and our younger players have gotten some seasoning.”

For example, the offensive line has been revamped with three new starters. Joe Craig has been moved from wide receiver to cornerback and Khris Brown has seen extensive action at safety.

The other big change has been the emergence of playmakers, both on offense and defense for the Indians.

“The other night when we got behind, we were able to make plays to get back into the game,” he said. “This year we just have more playmakers.”

The defensive line also has a new look with Edward Bigby moving from end to tackle and freshman defensive end Jaylen Miller learning from his early-season mistakes.

“A lot of our younger players were still trying to find their way,” he said. “Now, they have more experience.”

Strickland said his team is looking forward to the rematch. It’s a chance for the players to redeem themselves from one of the season’s low marks.

“Our kids haven’t forgotten that game,” Strickland said. “We felt like they laid down late in the game. We didn’t play like we needed to. I’ve said we are a lot better team when we play with emotion.”

Dorman’s Charone Peake put up big numbers running and receiving against the Indians. The versatile wide receiver caught six passes for 117 yards, including a 24-yard TD grab that capped the Cavaliers’ scoring. Peake also ran the ball six times for 59 yards.

But Peake sprained his ankle in the first round playoff win against Clover and is noticeably less explosive.