"What second round curse?" Those were the first words Coach Teddy Dyess joyfully announced to his team after they had punched their ticket to the third round of the 3A Playoffs.
The win expelled a lot of demons for the Trojans. First, the win put the Trojans into the third round of the playoffs for the first time in a long time. Second, the win got the team playing some of the most confident and complete football they have played all season. Lastly, the win was the 200th of Coach Dyess' career. The Trojans are playing like a team with something to prove thus far in the playoffs and are more focused than they have looked the entire year.
Magee began the game with the ball at their own 46 and quickly exerted their dominance in the contest. Chandler "Da Mayor" Pittman played more like "Da President" on the night as he had his way with the Lions defense. Pittman launched the game with a 21-yard run to quickly move Magee into Raleigh territory. He then turned to Xavier "X-Man" Franks for a 15-yard pitch and catch to move to the Raleigh 30. Pittman again went to the air and found Cayden "Bear" Bridges for 15 yards as the Trojans effortlessly moved down the field. Pittman finished off the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run to put Magee up 7-0 with little over a minute and a half off of the game clock.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Raleigh return man mistakenly took a knee as he fielded the Sam Rials kickoff at the Lions’ 13 yard line. It was very clear early on that the Magee defense did not fear the Raleigh offense and would play the role of the dominant force as the Lions sputtered offensively for the majority of the game. Jaheen Campbell was stuffed on the Lions first offensive play of the game. Jaravian Ducksworth managed to find room for 3 yards to set up 3rd and 7. Zedric Keyes stepped up on 3rd down and found Dontrea Evans for a first down out to midfield. Keyes again turned to the air, connecting with Suntarine Perkins on a screen for a 3-yard loss as Bridges met Perkins in the backfield to force 2nd and 13. Keyes dropped back on 2nd and long and was immediately under pressure from the Trojan defense, causing the Lion signal caller to fire an ill-advised pass into coverage where it was intercepted by Josh Sanders. Sanders picked off the Keyes pass at the Magee 45 and after weaving his way through the Raleigh offense, found his way to the endzone for a 55-yard pick 6 to put the Trojans up 15-0 with 8:35 remaining in the first quarter after Thomas Dyess handled a bad snap on the PAT and connected with Jameyian Spencer for the 2-pt conversion.
Down two scores early, the Lions looked to respond. Taking over at their own 16, Raleigh turned to Perkins on a sweep looking to put the ball in their best player’s hands, but Jordan Magee was having none of it as he dragged Perkins down for a 5-yard loss. The Lions again went backwards on 2nd down as Campbell was stuffed, setting up 3rd and long. Keyes managed to connect with Perkins on 3rd down for a 16-yard gain to pick up the 1st. A false start and an incomplete pass put the Lions into 2nd and 15. An illegal procedure penalty further pushed Raleigh back to put the offense in 2nd and 20. Javarious Walker was met in the backfield by Montarro Collins for a 2-yard loss to force 3rd and very long. A toss to Antonio Wansley picked up 6 yards, but not the yardage needed to move the chains, forcing a Raleigh punt.
Magee took over at their own 31 and continued their hot streak. After Pittman lost 2 yards on 1st, he scurried to keep the play alive on 2nd down, keeping his eyes downfield and firing a pass to Sanders out to the Raleigh 43 for a 1st down. Jawon Shaw was stopped for a 1-yard loss on his first carry of the game before a screen to Franks netted 34-yards and set up 1st and goal. Pittman then found Bridges, who was stopped just short of the goal line, keeping the Trojans out of the endzone for only one more play as Shaw capped off the drive with a 2-yard run to give Magee a commanding 22-0 lead with 2:27 left in the first quarter.
After forcing a Lion three-and-out, Magee took over at their own 47 with a short 20-yard punt. Pittman quickly went back to work carving up the Raleigh defense like a Thanksgiving turkey on the ground and through the air. Pittman made a fantastic read on the option handoff, pulling the ball out of Shaw's belly and fooling the entire Raleigh defense as he flew to the Lion 35. After a 1-yard run by Shaw, a jet sweep to Sanders picked up 30-yards to set up 1st and goal. The Trojans again went to Sanders on a sweep that picked up 5-yards down to the Raleigh 1. Pittman mishandled the 2nd down snap and was forced to throw the ball away to set up 3rd and goal inside the 5. An illegal procedure penalty moved Magee back to the Raleigh 6, where Bridges took a handoff down to the 1. The Trojans decided to go for it on 4th down but were stopped short as Pittman was taken down for a 2-yard loss, giving the ball to the Lions at their own 3.
The Magee defense quickly did their job and forced the Raleigh offense off the field after only three plays and another short punt that was downed at the Lion 20. The Trojans wasted little time scoring on the drive as Sanders took a shovel pass from Pittman 20-yards for the touchdown to put Magee up 29-0 with 7:39 left in the second quarter.
The Lions’ offensive woes continued as another three-and-out led to a punt that was downed at the Magee 44. Pittman wasted little time moving into Raleigh territory with a keeper down to the Lion 26. After back-to-back runs for no gain, Pittman and company were faced with a 3rd and 15 situation. Pittman was under pressure immediately after receiving the snap and began scrambling looking to keep the play alive and find a receiver down field. Pittman fired a pass into the endzone for Matthew Thurman, who leapt to make the catch but lost it on the way down to force Magee to settle for a 45-yard Rials field goal attempt. Rials stepped up on a cold night with a nearly fractured right ankle and drilled the 45-yard field goal with ease to put the Trojans up 32-0 with less than 3 minutes remaining in the half.
Rials then drilled the ensuing kickoff down to the Raleigh 2-yard line where Javarious Walker caught the ball and maneuvered his way 98 yards down the field for a touchdown to put the Lions on the board 32-6 with 2:23 until halftime.
After surrendering their first score of the game and with little time on the clock, the Magee offense had to respond quickly if they wanted to put the lead back over 30 points before the half. The Trojans took the Lions’ kickoff to their own 35. Pittman picked up 5 yards on a run, followed by a slant to Franks that moved Magee to the Lion 39. Pittman then churned out a 16-yard run to the 23, connecting with Thurman at the 15, where the speedy wide out cut back across the field and took the ball into the endzone after leaving the defense in his wake for a 23-yard score to give the Trojans a 39-6 lead that they would take into the half.
The Trojans came out to start the second half and quickly forced the Lions off the field. After a late hit penalty on the opening kickoff moved Raleigh to their own 38, Campbell was dragged down for a 4-yard loss by a host of Trojans. Perkins managed to get 3 yards on a short run to set up 3rd and 11. Magee’s defense bailed the Lions out after the 3rd down pass was incomplete, but Sanders bumped into the intended receiver unintentionally, drawing a drive saving pass interference to move the Lions into Magee territory. Zyrus "Big Z" Craft rudely introduced himself to Campbell, whom he demolished on a short 1-yard run. Jody Durr then disrupted the next play in the backfield, as he flushed Keyes from the pocket and chased him down for a 6-yard loss on a sack. An incompletion on 3rd down brought the drive to and halt, ending in a punt that was downed at the Magee 15. The quick strike Magee offense was again on display as the Trojans required only two plays to put up a touchdown on the following drive. After a 2-yard run by Sanders, Pittman did some Pittman things, shredding the Lions’ defense for a 83-yard touchdown run to put Magee up 46-6 with 7:35 left in the third.
The Trojan defense again forced Raleigh off the field in just three plays as Jamaal Dinkins and Cassius Walker dragged down Keyes on 3rd down to force a punt that was returned by Sanders 24-yards to the Raleigh 31. Pittman turned to Franks on a quick 11-yard pass to move into the Lions' redzone. Shaw then picked up 1 and 3 yards to set up 3rd and 6. Pittman found Franks again on a screen that ended with the star receiver finding pay dirt to put the Trojans up 53-6 with 7:57 left in the third.
With the game seemingly out of reach, Raleigh was now playing for pride with a large number of seniors playing their final game in a Lion’s uniform. Raleigh started with the ball at their own 31 and quickly found success with Perkins on the drive, as the sensational freshman picked up 11 yards and a Lion first down. Campbell then turned in a 6-yard run as Raleigh finally started to find some success offensively on the night. Perkins took a sweep for an 8-yard gain and another Raleigh 1st down. LJ Johnson then picked up 11 and 6 yards to move to the Magee 21. Walker moved the ball down to the 12, where Johnson would finish off the drive with a 12-yard run to put the Magee lead at 53-12 early in the fourth.
The Magee offense turned in a very rare three-and-out and punted the ball to the Raleigh 39. Jody Durr again wreaked havoc in the Raleigh backfield as he stopped Jameon Page for a 7-yard loss. Perkins managed to get some of the yardage back as he picked up 5 yards to set up 3rd and 12. Keyes then found Walker for a 17-yard pass and a 1st down. Walker then took a handoff down the left side of the field where he was seemingly stopped several times inside the 20, but willed his way through tackles and into the endzone for a 46-yard touchdown to cut the Magee lead to 53-20 with 7:17 remaining in the ballgame.
The Lions attempted an unsuccessful onside kick that was recovered by Jordan Magee at the Trojan 48. Shaw took the first play of the drive 11-yards followed by a 1-yard run to move onto the Raleigh side of the field. Pittman then hit Bridges on a swing pass that lost 2 yards to set up 3rd and 11. Pittman hit Shaw on a screen that picked up 9 yards with a 15-yard personal foul facemask on the end of the play to move to the Raleigh 26. Bridges then transitioned to the backfield and picked up 8 and 12 yards on back-to-back runs to get inside the Lion 10. Shaw ran for 4 yards followed by another carry by Bridges for a 1st down inside the Raleigh 2.
Bridges nearly punched it in on 1st and goal, but his knee was down just shy of the goal line. Shaw did the honors of finishing the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to put the lead up to 60-20 with 1:45 remaining in the game. As the final seconds ticked off of the clock, an emotional Coach Dyess began receiving congratulatory hugs from his players and staff. Unbeknownst to Coach Dyess, several players gathered around the Gatorade cooler and began making their way through the crown of Trojan players. In the 33 degree weather, Coach Dyess received what was surely the coldest and most beloved shower of his life as the Trojans doused their head coach with ice cold water to celebrate his 200th victory.
After the game, Coach Dyess spoke to the magnitude of the victory as he notched his 200th victory and expelled the 2nd round curse for the Trojans, "It was huge and this group really responded this week, Monday might have been our best day of practice since I've been here, we came out focus and intense and had fun and got after it and just had a great week or preparation physically and mentally." Coach Dyess voiced the pride he feels in his team who is playing their best ball of the season, "You get 10 wins, you get to the third round, that's what it's about, taking that next step and we want to win a State Championship, that's our goal and you have to get out of the second round to do it and we got out of the second round for the first time I think since 2000." Coach Dyess chuckled and told of how great it felt to receive the ice bath in the freezing cold, "Well, I was already cold so it wasn't too bad."
The word for the third round matchup is REDEMPTION. Magee will be facing the undefeated Columbia Wildcats who defeated the Trojans 24-14 on the final game of the season. The winner of the game will find themselves in the South State Championship during Thanksgiving week. Be sure to come out and support the Trojans as they look to exact revenge against the Wildcats of Columbia in the 3rd round of the 3A Playoffs.
