WINNSBORO- Fairfield Central defeated rival Newberry 49-42 after a high-scoring comeback in their homecoming thriller at E.K. McLendon Stadium on Friday.
“I don’t remember the last time we’ve been down 21 points in the first half and been able to come back and win a game like that,” said Griffin head coach Demetrius Davis.
After trading punts to begin the game, Bulldogs’ quarterback Kenton Caldwell hooked up with Caleb Levy for a 52-yard touchdown with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.
But on the first play of the following drive, Griffins’ senior TyDarion Grier fielded a jet sweep from the 34-yard line, taking it all the way to the house for a 71-yard score. Erik Martinez piped the point after attempt through the uprights to tie the score 7-7 just 15 seconds after Newberry’s touchdown.
Newberry scored again early in the second quarter. BJ Jones found the end zone for a one-yard score.
A big reception from Jamal Howse sparked the drive for the Bulldogs. Caldwell rolled out of the pocket to find his target from their own 30-yard line.
The Bulldogs continued to build major momentum behind their elusive quarterback, physical running back, and speedy wide receivers.
Newberry appeared to be in full control, getting out to a 28-7 lead.
Senior quarterback Ford Davis threw an interception on the first play of Fairfield’s drive with 6:55 remaining in the half. Against all odds, the Griffins cashed in on their final drive of the half.
Fairfield was sparked by a 21-yard rush from their own 40-yard line to the Bulldogs’ 41, and a personal foul on Newberry moved a Grier gain from the 31 to the 14-yard line with 30 seconds remaining.
The Griffins miscommunicated with two open wide receivers, and sophomore wide receiver TyDarious Shannon dropped an open pass to the left corner of the end zone, but he made a critical catch on the next play, bringing the score to 28-14.
Despite being down big at the half, homecoming festivities brought life to the party. Suddenly, the mood was lightened, setting the stage for Fairfield’s second half comeback.
“At halftime, I told them, ‘All we have to do is just play’. And if we don’t turn the ball over and get some momentum going, we will win this game,” Davis said.
Junior Er’Dreus Walker played the role of Homecoming King for Fairfield’s special teams, returning the kickoff all the way to the Newberry 40-yard line to open the second half.
“The most important part of a football game is about three minutes before halftime, and about three minutes after halftime,” Davis said. “We were down 21 points, we were able to get a touchdown right there before the half, we were able to get the ball back and score right there,” Davis said.
Grier moved Fairfield from the 40 to the 26-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Kaden Diggs found an opening for a touchdown making it 28-21 with 10:07 remaining.
Fairfield forced a Newberry punt with 9:46. Diggs and Grier chipped away at the Bulldogs’ defense with their strong run-pass option (RPO) attack, and the Griffins converted on a huge 35-yard pass to junior Jalen Squirewell to knot the score at 28.
Newberry returned fire behind Jones. The Bulldogs marched into Fairfield territory, but a penalty put them back to their own 48-yard line.
On the next play, Griffins’ junior Douglas McCloud stripped the ball on a pass intended for Bulldogs’ running back Ty Abrams, forcing an interception.
“Any time you can get a turnover, that is a game changer,” Davis said.
Starting their next drive in Newberry territory, Diggs and Grier continued to pick apart the Bulldogs’ defense with their RPO.
But it would be Shannon who would once again play the role of the hero, earning the 35-28 lead for Fairfield after a contested 23-yard catch over a Bulldogs’ defender with 2:18 remaining in the quarter.
The Griffins forced Newberry to a third straight three-and-out and score their fifth consecutive touchdown on a Diggs run from the one-yard line with 11 minutes remaining in the game
After Fairfield pinned the Bulldogs deep into their own territory, a punt return from Jayden Boyd put the Griffins at the Newberry 35-yard line.
It appeared the Griffins had sealed the deal after Grier shot down the middle for a 23-yard touchdown score and added two-point conversion to make it 49-35 with 4:55 to go.
But in a display of special speed, Newberry’s Dontavious Jones took it to the house for a touchdown return on the kickoff, and Daniel Teran’s PAT sailed through the uprights to make it 49-42 with 4:43.
With the game still up for grabs, Bulldogs’ fans received new life, but it Fairfield recovered the onside kick attempt. Then, a long Grier gain to the 17-yard line with 2:18 remaining finally put the game out of reach for Newberry.