Camden Dominates Second Half in 22-14 Comeback Win

Larry Gamble

HSSR Photo Editor

Camden – Friday night was rainy under the lights at historic Zemp Stadium in Camden as the Hartsville Red Foxes challenged the Camden Bulldogs, continuing a 77 year South Carolina high school football rivalry tradition.  Camden stepped up to Class AAAA play this season after a Class AAA Lower State championship in 2023, head coach Brian Rimpf and his Bulldogs are looking pretty good in their second game without Grayson White now at Newberry and Jah Mayrant at SC State.

The Bulldogs managed to rebound in the second have for a 22-14 comeback win over the Red Foxes. 

Camden got the ball first, Tylin Drakeford (Jr. WR/DB) caught the opening kickoff at his 15 returned it to the 35 giving the Bulldogs good field position. They managed a strong drive from their own 35 to the Hartsville 5 yard line. But, on 4^th and 1 from the 5, Wyatt Thompson (Sr. QB/DB) hands off to Navier Boykin (Jr. RB/ILB) and their drive ends with disappointing one yard loss and turn over on downs. 

The Red Foxes take over at the 6 yard line and six plays later, EJ Smith (Sr. QB) connects with Kylif Miller (Jr. RB) on a quick pass about 10 yards down field that results in a 73 yard TD and the PAT by Gerardo Segura is good. This puts Hartsville on the board first with 4:49 to go in the first quarter. 

Camden’s next drive starts with Treyvon Wright retuning the kick off from his 21 to the 39 yard line. This drive stalls with a penalty on 3^rd and 5 and Camden punts from their 49. Hartsville takes over on their 25 with 2:35 left in the first quarter. Two big gains by Hakeem Waters (Sr. RB) for 10 and 23 yards, two keepers by Smith for 14 and 15 yards each and Miller picking up 10 more yards; Hartsville has the ball 1^st and goal at the Camden 4. Miller gets the handoff and makes it 2^nd and goal from the 2. Next play, Smith keeps the ball and scores. PAT by Segura is good and Hartsville is up 14-0 with 10:08 remaining in the half. 

Camden gets the ball back and this drive ends in a turn over on downs with Hartsville getting ball back at their own 18. This time, the Red Foxes’ drive stalls at their own 40 and they punt. Jackson Chavis has his punt blocked and Treyvon Wright scoops up the ball and goes 30 yards for a defensive TD. The PAT by Osmin Manueles (Sr. K) was good and Camden is on the board with 2:35 left in the half which is how the half ended.

To start the second half, Hartsville goes three and out at their 33 and a short punt gives Camden the ball at their own 46. 

Camden’s Wyatt Thompson proved to be an exceptional athlete making 84 of his 95 yards rushing in the second half to help Camden keep drives alive with key plays when they needed them. 

Camden’s first drive in the 3^rd quarter started with two Thompson keepers for 14 yards, then after a couple penalty downs, and another Thompson keeper adds 6 more yards to the drive. This drive culminates with Thompson connecting with Chance Dixon (Sr. TE/DL) on a 2^nd and 23 for 15 yards.  With 3^rd and 12, from the Hartsville 42, Thompson tosses the ball to Drakeford who complete a pass to JoJo Crim who takes the catch 25 yards for Camden’s first offensive TD. The PAT by Manueles is good and Camden ties the game at 14.

Hartsville gets the ball at their 22 on the kickoff. Miller makes a 38 yard gain and that was the only big spark for the Red Foxes offense on that drive as they turn the over over with an incomplete pass on 4^th and 1 at the Camden 40 with 3:21 left in the 3^rd.

Camden takes over and their drive continues into the 4^th quarter until Hartsville’s Jackson Chavis recovers a Camden fumble at their 29. With 11:11 remaining in the game, Hartsville takes over but goes three and out again, but a short punt in the rain sets Camden up at their own 47 with 9:21 to go. 

Several short plays and Drakeford gets the Bulldogs a 23 yard gain setting up 1^st and goal at the Hartsville 8. On first down, a Thompson keeper puts them a 2, but a penalty followed by a TFL for -2 put the Bulldogs back at the 9. On 3^rd and goal, a Thompson to Drakeford pass results in the go ahead TD. With Thompson as the holder for PATs, Manueles fakes the kick and Thompson takes the ball and sprints around the left side for a two point conversion. Score is now 22-14 Camden.

Hartsville and Camden trade turn over on downs for each of their next possessions. With 1:22 left in the game, Hartsville gets the ball at their own 15. First play is an incomplete pass to Watters that was almost intercepted by Triston Hollingsworth (Jr. DB/WR). Second down, hand off to Watters nets 2 yards. Then, a bad snap on third down puts the Red Foxes deep in the hole with 4^th and 23 at their own 5 yard line. 

There is under a minute to play and down by 8 points.  Smith hands off to Watters who converts the fourth down with a 24 yard run. Next play, Tristian Spann picks up 9 yards and the Red Foxes at their own 37. Second down, Smith’s pass to Casey Hawkings gets picked off by Tylin Drakeford at the Camden 27 with 22 seconds remaining. One victory formation by Thompson and the game ends 22-14.

Hartsville’s head coach Jeff Calabrese commented after the game, “Camden played exceptionally hard. They made the plays when they had to, they made the third down conversions when they had to, and they blocked our punt. They just made play after play when they had to and we didn’t.” When asked about the Red Foxes as a team, coach Calabrese mentioned “we have to work on our assignments. We have some young positional players who to their credit converted a 4^th and 23..  Our kids are good kids and we got to play the game better. I’m proud of our kids because of how hard they played.”

Coach Rimpf had this to say about his team. “Last week we had six turn overs on offense and this week we had zero. Wyatt Thompson started at Safety last season and is up to the task at QB. Tylin Drakeford made the game clinching interception and scored the game winning TD. JoJo Crimm and Drakeford are a great pair on offense and on defense, plus we have Dotrell Wilson on the defensive line and he had more than a few TFLs.  This is a big win and we’re real excited for team.”

Next week, Hartsville is on the road again at Rock Hill.  Camden is home again hosting Ridge View.