Pee Dee overcomes Lee in Second Half for 38-16 Win

Larry Gamble

HSSR, Photo Editor

Bishopville – The football action Friday night in Bishopville played on a soggy gridiron courtesy of the rains Hurricane Helene brought before Lee Academy hosted Pee Dee Academy. The Class AA Pee Dee Golden Eagles 5-0 coming into this game faced the Class A Lee Cavaliers team a 3-1-1 for the season. The young underdog Lee team stepped up for the challenge.

The game started with the Cavaliers getting the opening kick-off and controlling the clock with a 20 play drive from their 23 yard line to score with 2:40 left in the first quarter. Freshman QB Brayden Davis (6-0, 150) and junior Andrew Bowers (5-10, 165) hammered out a ground game taking them to the 16. Davis found an open receiver in senior WR Noah Brazzell (5-10, 150) on a quick pass for their first TD. On the point after, Davis kept the ball for a two point conversion to strike first 8-0. 

Pee Dee would show why they are undefeated.

The Golden Eagles took just three plays to match the Cavaliers score. Senior QB Colby Richardson kept the first two run-option attacks to move the ball 14 yards to their 49. The next play Richardson finds senior WR Miles Trussell (6-0, 185) open for a 51 yard TD followed by a two-point conversion by Trussell. The game now tied 8-8 with 1:30 left in the 1^st.

The next series, Lee starts at their own 20 and scores 13 plays later. This drive highlights Bowers ability to find a seam and to catch. Bowers accounted for 44 yards on the ground on this drive.  Davis connected with junior WR/DB/LB Cain June (6-0, 140) for a keep the drive alive 13 yard pass. With 6:11 left in the 2^nd Qtr, Davis find Bowers open at the 19 to complete a pass for their next score of the half and again Bowers drives in the two-point conversion puts the Cavaliers ahead 16-8.  At this point, both teams seem to have found ways to stop each other.

With 1:22 left in end the first half, Pee Dee gets the ball near mid field, Tristan Heckman (5-10, 180) takes the ball to the set up first and goal from the 2. He scores on the next play and follows that with the two-point conversion leaving 49 seconds for Lee. The Cavaliers managed to push from their 15 to the Eagles 31 in just two plays but time ran out on the drive leaving the game tied at 16 for halftime.

The second half Pee Dee dominated the field. Lee kept the pressure on with their offense and defense but the more experienced Pee Dee team found ways to frustrate the Cavaliers while putting up three unanswered touch downs with the game ending 38-16.

Catching up with Pee Dee coach Jonathan King, he admitted the game started out slow and close. “(Lee) is a really good football team and well coached. We knew they were going to smack us around a bit and we had to respond to that.  In the second half, we figured out we could handle that.” “Our team played a good and really adapted and stepped up when needed.” One player seemed everywhere on both offense and defense, coach said that was “Tristan Heckman, a leader with great speed who can provide blocking up front, also carrying the rock getting yards plus he does a great job on defense.” When asked about the east-west cross field run where Miles Trussell turned a busted pass play into an 22 yard gain, coach King had this to say. “He is an incredible receiver who wants the balls and really tries to make plays.” Coach King credits this win to the whole team and coaching staff pulling together and finding what works against a very good Lee team.

Catching up with Lee head coach Will Furse, coming SCISA AAAA to Class A ball, said he is “excited about region play starting and the challenges” of coaching at this level. With a freshman at QB, who played exceptionally well, coach Furse commented; “Brayden played a really good game, I proud of the game he play tonight.” Overall, Pee Dee “made the plays on the 50-50 balls and we didn’t.” It is worth noting, both teams did a good job with their coverage schemes. He went to say about Pee Dee, “that’s a really good football team and to be in the game like we did, I’m extremely proud of our offense and defense lines and we got good blocking from our Tight Ends.”  When asked about playing up in classification and the challenge of this game coach Furse said, “when I turn on the tape, I’ll see some things to work on next practice."  Right now, "I don’t know if I would change any play calls or decisions we made.  We were in the game against a good football team, you got to play really well. We did play really well and we did not quit, but it wasn’t enough at the end.” 

Next up for both teams are region play games, Pee Dee is hosting Hilton Head Prep and Lee travels to Dorchester Academy.