Here's how Spartanburg football got back on track with win against Riverside
SPARTANBURG – With experienced senior big men up front to keep defenders in their place, your running backs are likely to shine.
That was absolutely the case for Drek Carter, Keke Kelly and Trey Harris in Spartanburg’s 59-25 win over Riverside (1-4) Friday night. While Spartanburg finished up with just shy of 400 yards passing, the Vikings piled up well over 300 yards rushing with most of the game-changing moments coming from that talented backfield.
A fourth-and-1 offsides infraction, punt snap into the end zone, and a Warriors touchdown pass cut the Vikings lead to 14-9 with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter. The sudden momentum swing meant nothing to Carter and his veteran offensive front.
Carter, a senior, carried the Vikings (2-3) the entire series immediately following Riverside’s touchdown with runs of 15, 19, 51, 6, and finally 3 yards to turn the tide back in Spartanburg’s favor.
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“It got hairy for a minute,” Spartanburg coach Mark Hodge said. “Our offensive line did a good job with them. We were able to answer quickly. It’s a senior offensive line. They’re starting to get stronger, a little more confident and a little more swagger especially running the football.”
Carter finished with 139 yards rushing in less than three quarters.
“He’s fabulous,” said Hodge of Carter. “He’s got a smile that lights up the room. He’s got great hips and balance. He runs the ball hard between the tackles. Not huge but strong, but he doesn’t want to bounce everything outside like a lot of kids. He’s tough and doesn’t want to come out.”
When it was not Carter leading the biggest drive of the night, it was Kelly popping off huge plays to get the sideline jumping.
Carter’s first two carries went for 60 and 51 yards as he made ample use of his time to finish as the leading rusher with 188 yards on only eight carries.
Carter, a freshman, was responsible for the early 14-0 lead, snapping off a 60-yard, first-quarter touchdown run, with his speed and shiftiness leaving several defenders grasping at air. He later set up Will Love’s 22-yard field goal halfway through the third quarter with his second carry of the night, the 51 yard run.
Harris was no slouch either, with all three of his runs going for at least 5 yards including a touchdown.
“It’s nice to be able to have a couple of guys who can run it and two quarterbacks who can run it,” added Hodge. “That’s a great advantage. When Drek needs a rest, we can bring in Keke and Trey on top of that. It’s a really good group to have.”
The Vikings will take that rushing attack into a final non-region matchup with Mauldin at Viking Stadium next Friday before beginning the 2-AAAAA region slate the following week.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SCHSL football: Spartanburg offense too much for Riverside
