Scott’s Branch won’t overlook Raiders

By PATRICK ENZOR
Item Assistant Sports Editor
penzor@theitem.com

Going into every game, Scott’s Branch High School head football coach Leonard Johnson asks just a few simple things of his team.

Included in that are that his defense make a couple of stops and that the offense pick up four yards each play in the Hammer offense. Against Timmonsville last week, the Eagles’ defense was up to the task.

The offense? Well, it took it about a half to get going, but it eventually scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the 12-0 win.

As Scott’s Branch faces Hannah-Pamplico today, Johnson is hoping everything comes together earlier.

“That’s how we approach the game,” said Johnson, whose team is 3-5 overall and 2-1 in Region VII-1A. “If the defense can get some stops, the offense should control the clock and get in the end zone. We’re doing a heck of a job stopping ourselves. The minute a person takes a play off, they make a stop.

“We’re going to do the same thing we do,” he added. “Try to block, try to get better with a little more intensity. Our offensive line just hasn’t been playing well the last 10 quarters prior to that. We had a meeting and reminded them of their role on the team.”

With leading rusher Quinton Singleton sidelined with an ankle injury, the Eagles went to Kadeem Baxter and Tim Bryant, who was making his first start in the backfield for Scott’s Branch. Singleton is questionable for today’s game.



Baxter carried 32 times for 137 yards and two scores in the win, while Bryant had 75 yards on 16 carries and added 42 yards receiving. Baxter has 1,006 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

Hannah-Pamplico is 1-7 overall and 0-3 in the region and is coming off a 32-0 loss to Lamar. The Raiders have been outscored 249-88, but that doesn’t give Johnson any comfort.

“We screw up so much that we can’t afford to ease up,” he laughed. “Our kids realize that it would make Hannah-Pamplico’s year to beat the defending state champs. This game is important to us and them. We have to bring our A-game — whatever little game that is.”

Johnson said that every game from here on out should be treated like a playoff game by the Eagles. Given that, he’s depending on his players to have some intestinal fortitude.

“I’m not a rah-rah type of coach,” he said. “I’m not coming out doing flips or running through brick walls. All that rah-rah stuff goes out the window when you get hit in the mouth.

“Our players have to have motivation from within than motivation from without,” Johnson added.