Despite the score, Darlington team improves
By Drake Horton, Contributing Writer
It may have been a loss and it may have been by three touchdowns, but in all facets of the game the Darlington Falcons played its most complete game of the season to date on Friday.
With no tropical storm like the previous week and high school football back on Friday night the Falcons hit the road and headed to Bennettsville to take on the Marlboro County Bulldogs.
Like every other game this season the Falcons were on the wrong end of the score, losing 35-14, but the score really does not indicate how well Darlington played compared to the first three games of the year.
“The guys stepped up this week,” Darlington head coach John Jones said. “They played very hard.”
Marlboro took the opening kickoff and put together an impressive 11-play drive ending in a one-yard touchdown run and it seemed like right there this game was going to be like the others.
That ended up not being the case.
Down 7-0 late in the first quarter, Darlington showed life on offense when Joshua Gray broke off a long first down run that put the Falcons in the red zone.
The drive, which leaked over into the start of the second quarter, saw Darlington get down to the Bulldogs two-yard line setting up a fourth and one. Down by a touchdown and nothing to lose the Falcons rolled the dice and came up short, turning the ball over on downs.
Marlboro County increased its lead to 14-0 two drives later on a 23-yard touchdown pass on a skinny post and it looked like the Bulldogs were going to go up by three touchdowns before the half before the Falcons defense flexed their muscles.
Instead of letting Marlboro County score, the Falcons held the Bulldogs to a field goal attempt which it missed, giving Darlington some much needed momentum going into the locker room at the half.
That momentum ran over into the third quarter. After committing a turnover deep in Bulldogs territory on its first offensive drive of the second half, the Darlington defense made a huge play forcing a fumble, with Christian Jackson recovering it and returning it for around a five-yard touchdown with 7:13 left in the quarter.
Marlboro County did not waste any time in responding, taking its next drive right down the field and ending with a 21-yard touchdown pass that increased the Bulldogs lead to 21-7.
Following the Bulldogs touchdown Darlington, who has struggled in the kickoff-return department, changed its fortune when Nick Self returned the kickoff back to the Marlboro County 22-yard line.
It looked promising and Darlington moved the ball inside the Bulldogs 10-yard line before the drive stalled and the Falcons turned the ball over on downs again, this time on the Marlboro County seven-yard line, the second time the Falcons came up empty in the red zone.
“We have to take advantage of opportunities,” Jones said. “We got down twice inside the red zone and came away with nothing.”
Going into the fourth quarter Darlington forced a Bulldogs’ punt and got great field position again, this time starting on the Marlboro County 41-yard line.
On the first play, however quarterback Silas Barr was picked off and on Marlboro County’s first play from scrimmage following the turnover the Bulldogs busted off a 61-yard touchdown run and that basically ended any chance Darlington had.
Marlboro County scored one more touchdown about four minutes later increasing its lead to 35-7.
Darlington scored the final touchdown of the game with 5:21 left as Barr hit wide receiver Jordan English for an eight-yard touchdown.
With that touchdown Darlington matched its overall season point total in just one game. Going into the game the Falcons had scored a combined 13 points in their first three games of the season.
“Our defense has played better every week all season long and we are starting to make some strides offensively,” Jones said on the improvement of the team.
The Falcons are now 0-4 on the year and will stay on the road next week as they travel to take on the Lake City Panthers.
County Recap
Other teams in Darlington County were busy Friday night as Hartsville, Lamar and Trinity-Byrnes were all in action.
The Red Foxes took care of business beating Conway 62-28 at home while the Silver Foxes won 48-7 against Eau Claire on the road. Trinity-Byrnes lost 42-22 against Lee Academy on the road.
Both Hartsville and Lamar improve to 4-0 overall as Trinity-Byrnes drops to 1-2 overall.