As Seventy-First football marches on, DeAndre Nance the 'glue' to Falcons' high hopes
DeAndre Nance doesn’t post eye-popping stats like some of his Seventy-First football teammates.
But the sophomore quarterback showed his growth and importance Friday night in the Falcons’ 27-20 win at Jack Britt.
“I’m just a playmaker,” Nance said. “When (my teammates) need me, I step up. They just believe in me.”
Nance’s development has helped Seventy-First (7-0, 4-0) close in on a second straight championship in the United 8 Conference.
“DeAndre’s been given more and more of the game plan. He’s got free rein in the offense to do the things he needs to do – make all the throws and all the plays,” said Seventy-First coach Duran McLaurin.
Often overshadowed by an elite offensive line and the talented rushing duo of Anthony Quinn Jr. and Jayden Shotwell, Nance doesn’t mind operating outside of the spotlight.
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When his number was called Friday, Nance displayed his playmaking ability with nine carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns. He’s had a rushing touchdown in three straight games and logged 84 rushing yards on seven carries at Cape Fear in Week 7.
“He’s been extremely patient with everything. When he does become aggressive, it’s always a big play,” McLaurin said.
“He’s been the glue for us, offensively. When things slow down – and (defenses) really key in on Anthony, Jayden and Aaron (Downing) – he’s able to make a play. He’s been huge for us the last two weeks and we’re gonna need him to continue that throughout the regular season and into playoffs.”
Early in the second quarter against the Buccaneers (4-3, 3-1), Nance showed that big-play ability with a 50-yard touchdown run.
Britt responded behind running back Sincere Baines, who had 207 of his 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first half. His third touchdown run with just under three minutes remaining in the second quarter gave the Bucs a 20-13 lead before Nance swung the momentum to the Falcons.
In the final 30 seconds of the second quarter, Nance had a first-down run on fourth down and followed with a sideline pass to Downing, who drifted out of bounds at the 1-yard line before he could reach across the goal line.
With time for just one more play before halftime, McLaurin trusted Nance to complete the drive with a quarterback sneak. Nance punched it in for a touchdown and the teams were tied.
“He’s a really talented kid and he’s only a sophomore,” McLaurin said. “I think he just tries to be patient, but he needs to be aggressive and stay aggressive. He’s got the keys to the offense and all the confidence from his teammates. It’s time.”
Quinn, who logged 163 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, scored on a 30-yard run in the third quarter to put the Falcons ahead for good.
Now, with three weeks remaining in the regular season, Seventy-First is in good shape to repeat as league champion. The Falcons have Purnell Swett, Lumberton and Douglas Byrd remaining on the schedule; none of those teams has won a conference game yet.
“The big deal right now is just playing against ourselves and staying healthy,” McLaurin said. “These guys are going to give us everything they’ve got. We’ve got a target on our back, so we just gotta play through whatever it is that’s going to happen on the field.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Seventy-First QB DeAndre Nance now as important as star teammates
