Knights' season ends

By WORTHY EVANS
Special To The Item

GRANITEVILLE — Special teams, defense and mistakes combined to end the Crestwood High School football team's season at Midland Valley Stadium on Friday.

Midland Valley got two long kickoff returns – one for a touchdown, and two safeties as the Mustangs closed out a 28-11 victory over the Knights in the first round of the 3A state playoffs.

“It's the same old story,” said Crestwood head coach Keith Crolley, whose team finishes the season with a 5-6 record. “Too many turnovers, too many penalties. It's the story of our whole season. We made a lot of mistakes, but that's the way it's been all year. Our kids played hard, though; I'm still as proud of them as I could be.”

Midland Valley, 9-2, plays at Myrtle Beach on Friday.

Two lost fumbles and two interceptions, along with six illegal procedure and fase start penalties, cost the Knights both in points and in field position. Even so, Crestwood stayed close, trailing 9-3 at the half.

Midland Valley got a burst of scoring midway through the third quarter. Mustangs running back Jeremy Robinson broke up the middle on a game-high 59-yard run, which eventually set up a 32-yard field goal attempt. Crestwood blocked it, and Knights defender Travis Jenkins caught the ball at the Midland Valley 5-yard line to keep the ball in play.

Unfortunately for the Knights, Jenkins ran into the end zone to avoid Midland Valley tacklers and was downed for the safety at the 4:43 mark to give the Mustangs an 11-3 lead. Then on the ensuing kickoff, Trey Walker fielded the kick at the Midland Valley 25-yard line and blasted past the Crestwood defenders for a 75-yard touchdown to make it 18-3.

Robinson then broke through for a 68-yard kickoff return, which set up a Holmes 21-yarder to give the Mustangs a 21-11 lead with 4:24 left in the game. Robinson closed out the scoring with a 13-yard TD run at the 1:50 mark.

Mistakes on the field were everywhere, though, as both teams struggled to move the ball consistently. Both offenses combined for three fumbles and a safety in the first five minutes of the game.

Midland Valley took a 2-0 advantage when it caught Crestwood quarterback Willie Glover in the end zone at the 7:23 mark of the first quarter.

The Knights caught the Mustangs off guard when, on second-and-8 at the Crestwood 22, Damone Pringle pulled in Glover's wobbly pass just beyond all the Midland Valley defenders and scampered to the Mustangs 5-yard line.

However, Crestwood could not punch the ball in and Thomas Ray kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 3-2 Knights with 9:30 left in the first half. The lead didn't hold.

Midland Valley started its next possession on its 35 and drove the length of the field. Mustangs quarterback Marquett Carr hit receiver Nico Hatcher with a 25-yard fade pass on the left corner of the end zone to make it 9-3 Mustangs with 7:20 left in the second quarter.

The defense had sacked Carr five times on the night, and held the Mustangs to 169 yards of total offense – not counting two of Midland Valley's kickoff returns that combined for 143 yards. Noting the defense, Crolley said Crestwood came into the locker room hoping to rally, but it was not to be.

“You can't play like that against anybody and expect to win every week,” Crolley said. “The defense played good all night, but offensively we just don't do what we're supposed to do.”

Midland Valley 28, Crestwood 11

CHS MV

First downs 8 8

Rushes-yards 42-116 22-68

Passing 87 101

Comp-Att-Int 2-5-2 9-16-0

Fumbles-Lost 4-2 2-2

Punts 2-39.5 5-35.8

Penalties-Yards 9-56 4-25

Crestwood 0 3 0 8 - 11

Midland Valley 2 7 9 7 - 28

First Quarter

MV -- Safety.

Second Quarter

C -- Ray 25 field goal.

MV -- Hatcher 25 pass from Carr (Holmes, kick).

Third Quarter

MV -- Safety.

MV -- Walker 75 kickoff return (Holmes, kick).

Fourth Quarter

C -- McGee 5 run (Simon, run).

MV -- Holmes 21 field goal.

MV -- Robinson 13 run (Holmes, kick).