CHESNEE – Chesnee High School fell to Fairfield Central in their 2021 home opener last Friday night as the Griffins captured a 32-16 victory on the same night the Eagles introduced fans to their newly renovated field.
The Eagles had a promising opening drive but a pair of miscues set the Griffins up in excellent field position and the Griffins punched it on the legs of Semaj Young as he took his third carry of the drive nineteen yards for the score to put them up 6-0 as the Eagles were able to block the extra point.
Chesnee responded by going on a thirteen play drive that chewed up more than six minutes off the clock as the drive ended when Ezequiel Lazarin nailed his first career field goal from twenty-seven yards out to cut the lead in half at 6-3.
Fairfield Central answered the score just over a minute later when Stephon Gadsen found Trent Boyd from forty yards out to put the Griffins up 13-3 over the Eagles.
The Eagles responded quickly themselves when Adonis Burgess scored from six yards out with less than a second left on the clock in the first quarter. The Griffins led 13-10. Earlier in the drive Burgess was on the receiving end of a twenty-two yards pass from Jaylen Rudisill to set up the score.
In the middle of the second quarter Fairfield Central extended their lead when quarterback Stephon Gadsen kept the ball on a nice play-action keeper and scrambled forty-eight yards to put the Griffins up 20-10.
Gadsen got back to work on the next possession and ran it in himself again, this time from thirty-three yards out with just under three minutes to go in the half to put the Griffins up 26-10 over the Eagles.
The Eagles’ defense forced a three-and-out to open the second half and their offense used that momentum to grind out a thirteen-play drive that ate up just under six minutes of clock. It was capped by a touchdown from Chesnee’s Jayden Gossett on a one-yard run. A missed two-point conversion cut the lead to 26-16 with just under four minutes to go in the third quarter.
Young got his second touchdown run early in the fourth quarter from thirteen yards out to give Fairfield Central a 32-16 lead over Chesnee. Young led the Griffins from the ground with 193 yards rushing yards and a pair of scores.
Gadsden had 6 carries for 69 yards and threw 3-7 for 60 yards and 1 touchdown. He threw one interception. Kelton Mobley picked up 9- yards on 13 carries.
Jayshawn Manning and Josh Green had 11 tackles apiece for the Griffins. CJ Sampson racked up 9, Stephano Watkins had 8, and Jamari Martin had 7 and one tackle for loss. Watkins, Green and Martin each had a sack. Junior Donovan Watkins had an interception in the win.
The Griffins are set to face off with Westwood in Winnsboro this Friday. The Redhawks dropped a 20-39 game to Ridge View on Aug. 20 before two canceled games as a Covid precaution. Kickoff on Sept. 10 is set for 7:30.
CHESNEE – 10-0-6-0 — 16
FAIRFIELD CENTRAL – 13-13-0-6 — 32
