Thomas Heyward Academy Back on Top with 23-8 Win over Williamsburg Academy

By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

North Charleton – Thomas Heyward Academy is synonymous with championships, but it had been two years since they hosted the championship trophy, well they are back on top of SCISA Class A as they avenged a regular season lose by beating Williamsburg Academy 23-8 Saturday at Charleston Southern University

The state championship was the 12^th for the Rebels and their first under first year head coach Taylor Malphurs,  a former player and coach for the Rebels. They finished the year 12-1with their only loss coming to Williamsburg 28-26 in week four.

“We have come a long way since March. It has been a long road and these guys have been getting after every week. I could not be happier or prouder of them. I had a lot of these guys since the sixth grade when I started coaching JV as head coach. To have that group as seniors winning it all is a great feeling,” said Malphurs.

The Stallions finished the year at 10-2 with their only losses coming the Class A champion (THA) and the AA champion (Pee Dee). It was their fourth consecutive trip to the championship game with the last three coming at the AA level. They won it all 2022 (AA).

“They are a good team but we did not finish our drives. We are not a big play team, we like to drive it down the field and control the clock,” said Williamsburg Academy coach Tyler Boyd. “This group played with a chip on their shoulder all year. I am proud of the effort, they did not quit and played until the end.”

Williamsburg started the game by doing what they do best running the ball and controlling the clock. They put together a 15-play drive covering 64-yards that used 8:15 of the clock but when they got to a first and goal at the Thomas Heyward 10-yardline things went array as two delay of games penalties derailed the drive and the Stallions were turned away.

Junior quarterback Micah Balder completed three of five passes for 47 yards and rushed for 13 while sophomore running back Grant Smalls had 32 total yards on the drive.

THA Senior Beau Pinckney and junior Tony O’Banner had big plays in stopping the Stallions once they got to the 10. Pinckney had a stop for no gain on first down while O’Banner had a five-yard tackle for loss on second down to push the Stallions back to the 20.

The Rebels finished out the first quarter be driving the ball 52 yards to the Stallions 24- yard line but on the first play of the second quarter the Stallions defensive front led by seniors Wyatt Floyd and Drake Evans broke through the line and hit THA senior running back Colton Young

in the backfield forcing a fumble which was recovered by the Stallions.

The Stallions returned the favor four plays later when on first down a bobbled snap led to a fumble where senior Kelan Fripp fell on the ball at the Williamsburg 28.

The turnovers continued when on third and eight from the Stallions 23 the Rebel tried a half back pass but O’Banner was pressured as he rolled to his right and his pass was intercepted by William Caulder at the 12. On first down Floyd had five-yard tackle for loss for the Stallions.

Williamsburg ended the back-to-back-to-back turnovers by driving the ball 88 yards in just four plays to take the lead when Balder lofted a perfectly thrown deep ball in the waiting arms of junior Jay Kellahan for a 37-yard touchdown. Balder then hit sophomore Michael Ard for the two-point conversion and the Stallions were up 8-0.

The Rebels would take one play to get back in the game as O’Banner would take a hand off going left then hit the seam and out raced everyone to the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown run. Senior kicker Donovan Robinson added the PAT making the score 8-7 Stallions.

“I definitely wanted to atone for my interception so it was felt good to score a touchdown,” said O’Banner.

After a 32-yard kickoff return by Smalls giving the Stallions good field position at their 42 with 5:11 left in the first half. Balder led the Stallions down the field by to the Rebels 10-yardline with 35 seconds before disaster struck. Balder got some pressure as he rolled to his left. As he was going down he tossed a pass to the left, right into the waiting arms of THA junior safety Josh Gibson. Gibson returned the ball 28 yards to the 43 with 22 seconds left in the half.

Gibson said of the interception, “I saw that they ran a flat route but both receivers went inside. I knew the quarterback was going to throw it outside so when he threw it I just went and got it. Then ran the ball up the field.”

O’Banner would strike again when he took the hand off on a stretch play left. He saw a crease, then made his cut and raced untouched for a 57-yard touchdown run. Robinson added the PAT and the Rebels would have a lead they would not relinquish at 14-8.

THA came out after half-time with the intent of putting the game away on their first possession. Starting at their own 28 they moved quickly into Stallion territory after a 15-yard run by O’Banner and a face mask penalty. However, on third and ten from the Stallion 19 sophomore quarterback Kiran Boggess had his pass picked off at the 10 by freshmen Gamble Wilson who returned it 16 yards to the 26.

The Rebel defense took over from there. Led by their defensive line of sophomore Dawson Drew, junior Dodge Peeples and freshman Ben Gibson they forced the first punt of the game on Williamsburg’s first possession and then held the Stallions to 76 yards in the second half after allowing 236 yards in the first half.

“The defense got hit in the mouth early but they rebounded from that adversity and made the plays when we had to have them. In the second half we were able to push the pedal down,” said coach Malphrus.

The Rebels went up two scores on their next drive. Taking over at the Stallions 45 the Rebels started the drive with two penalties putting them in a first and 25 hole. O’Banner picked up 8 yards and then Boggess hit Young with a swing pass to the right. Young run the ball down to the one for a first and goal. After losing 9 yards on their first two play, Boggess hit Gibson in the left corner of the end zone for 20-8 lead. The PAT was no good.

While Stallion offense struggled in the second half, the Rebels played keep away with theirs. They had two drives in the third and fourth quarters where they ran 18 plays and ate up over 8 minutes on the clock. The second drive ended in a Robinson 25-yard field goal for a 23-8 lead.

The Stallions final three possessions ended it two turnover on downs and one interception when Gibson nabbed his second of the game at the end of third quarter.

Seniors Angus Crider Jaiden Edwards along with Pinckney, Peeples and Drew led the offense by opening up holes along the Stallion front to the tune of 285 yards on the ground. O’Banner led all runners with 201 yards (unofficially) and the two touchdowns while Young ran and caught the ball for 107 total yards. Boggess was 5-6 for 46 yards and touchdown and interception and Gibson caught four of those balls for 46 yards, a score and he had two picks.

Balder threw for 218 yards while Smalls had 90 yards of total offense. Kellahan had three receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown while Byrce Blackburn had two catches for 58 yards.