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Greer wins 'Jacket Bowl' thriller on Cusano to Pride TD pass

By John Clayton, Staff Reporter
Published on Friday, September 11, 2015

Enlarge photo

Troy Pride (5) breaks away from a Union County defender for Greer's game-winning touchdown.
 
 

Jim Fair

Troy Pride (5) breaks away from a Union County defender for Greer's game-winning touchdown.

 

 



Enlarge photo

Greer's Travigea Ware (7) works through hand-to-hand combat with a Union County player.

Julie McCombs

Greer's Travigea Ware (7) works through hand-to-hand combat with a Union County player.



Enlarge photo

Greer quarterback Mario Cusano (10) threw for four touchdowns.
 

Julie McCombs

Greer quarterback Mario Cusano (10) threw for four touchdowns.

 



Enlarge photo

Greer's weight room was named in honor of Steve Woodward.
 

Julie McCombs

Greer's weight room was named in honor of Steve Woodward.

 



The annual "Jacket Bowl" lived up to its reputation Friday night as undefeated and No. 3 ranked Greer got a late score for a 35-28 victory over Union county at Dooley Field.

Quarterback Mario Cusano hooked up with Troy Pride, Jr. for the game-winning touchdown, which covered 53 yards, with 1:01 to play. Greer is 3-0.

Pride, who had already taken a screen pass from Cusano 61 yards for a score in the opening minute of the second half, is known primarily as a shutdown defensive back, but proved his worth on offense against Union County.

But that's just the way things go in the annual Jacket Bowl rivalry.

"I love playing in this Jacket Bowl; it's always intense; it's always crazy," Pride said. "It's a great game. We played together as a team. We had good schemes. ... We got better as a team today."

Pride finished with three catches for 150 yards and the two second-half touchdowns, the first of which gave Greer a 21-7 lead with 11:30 left in the third quarter.

But Union County (0-4) stormed back with 14 unanswered points, tying the game at 21-21 on quarterback De'Airrius Smith's second touchdown run of the third quarter, a six-yard jaunt with 2:08 left in the period. 

Smith had answered Pride's first score by capping a quick three-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:25 left in the third quarter.

Dorian Lindsey, who is known more for his offensive skills as a receiver, intercepted Smith on the first play of the fourth quarter and returned it 32 yards to the Union 13-yard-line, setting up a 2-yard scoring run by Adrian McGee with 10:45 to play.

McGee, who also saw significant time at safety, intercepted Smith in the end zone on the ensuing drive after Union drove to the Greer 3. But after a quick three-and-out by Greer, Union drove 43 yards in six plays. The drive was capped by De'Airrius Smith's 14-yard scoring pass to Shi Smith, tying the game at 28-28 with 3:06 to play.

"I told my boys, 'look at me, does it look like I want to lose this game?'" Cusano said. 

Cusano completed 11 of 21 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for another 50 yards. McGee rushed for 91 yards on 19 carries and a score.

De'Airrius Smith led Union County with three rushing touchdowns and also completed 25 of 40 passes for 348 yards and another score. Roscoe Johnson tallied eight catches for 123 yards.

"Pretty much all the games (with Union County) are like this," said Greer head coach WIll Young. "They come down to just a few points and just a few possessions, and we had the least mistakes tonight. That's what it came down to."  

 

1st Quarter

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

Total

Union Co.

0

7

14

7

28

Greer

7

7

7

14

35

 

TEAM

UCHS

GHS

 

(VISITOR)

(HOME)

Score

28

35

First Downs

27

16

Rushes / Yards (Net)

33 / 171

36 / 141

Passing Yards (Net)

348

274

Passes -- Att / Comp / Int

42/25/2

21/11/0

Total Offensive Plays / Yards

75 / 519

57 / 415

Fumble Returns / Yards

0 / 0

0 / 0

Punt Returns / Yards

0 / 0

0 / 0

Kickoff Returns / Yards

1 / 11

2 / 25

Interception Returns / Yards

0 / 0

2 / 32

Punts (Number/Average)

2 / 37.5

3 / 26.7

Fumbles / Lost

1 / 0

0 / 0

Penalties / Yards

7 / 45

4 / 14

Possession Time

25:11

22:49

 

UCHS

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

GHS

 

 

 

 

Rushing

Att

Net

TD

Lg

Avg

Ty Thomas

12

70

0

15

5.8

De'airrius Smith

12

40

3

17

3.3

Shi Smith

4

35

0

13

8.8

Brandon Thompson

5

26

0

6

5.2

Rushing

Att

Net

TD

Lg

Avg

Adrian McGee

19

91

1

32

4.8

Mario Cusano

17

50

0

34

2.9

 

 

Passing

Att

Comp

Int

Yds

TD

Lg

De'airrius Smith

40

25

2

348

1

48

Brandon Thompson

2

0

0

0

0

0

Passing

Att

Comp

Int

Yds

TD

Lg

Mario Cusano

21

11

0

274

4

61

 

 

Passing Receiving

No

Yards

TD

Lg

Roscoe Johnson

8

123

0

32

Shi Smith

7

105

1

48

Demarcus Brown

4

42

0

15

Douglas Brannon

2

25

0

18

Passing Receiving

No

Yards

TD

Lg

Dorian Lindsey

5

39

0

13

Troy Pride

3

150

2

61

Zecchariah Glidden

2

64

1

59

Alex Syphertt

1

21

1

21

 

 

Punting

No

Yards

Avg

TB

I20

Lg

C. Smallwood

2

75

37.5

0

1

46

Punting

No

Yards

Avg

TB

I20

           

Jay Arrowood

3

80

36.7

 

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scoring Summary:

Plys

Yds

TOP

Score

02:00 

GHS 

Mario CUSANO Passes to Alex SYPHERTT COMPLETE TOUCHDOWN, clock 02:00 21 yds PAT Kick by Nicholas ROBERSON GOOD.

7

93

03:22 

0 - 7

08:53 

GHS 

Mario CUSANO Passes to Zecchariah GLIDDEN COMPLETE TOUCHDOWN, clock 08:53 59 yds PAT Kick by Nicholas ROBERSON GOOD.

3

65

01:19 

0 - 14

01:07 

UCHS 

De'airrius Smith Carries(QB Keeper) TOUCHDOWN, clock 01:07 16 yds PAT Kick by Jacob Crocker GOOD.

5

49

01:09 

7 - 14

11:30 

GHS 

Mario CUSANO Passes to Troy PRIDE COMPLETE TOUCHDOWN, clock 11:30 61 yds PAT Kick by Nicholas ROBERSON GOOD.

2

63

00:30 

7 - 21

10:25 

UCHS 

De'airrius Smith Carries(QB Keeper) TOUCHDOWN, clock 10:25 1 yds PAT Kick by Jacob Crocker GOOD.

3

80

01:05 

14 - 21

02:08 

UCHS 

De'airrius Smith Carries(QB Keeper) TOUCHDOWN, clock 02:08 7 yds PAT Kick by Jacob Crocker GOOD.

12

80

04:49 

21 - 21

10:45 

GHS 

Adrian MCGEE Carries(Hand Off) TOUCHDOWN, clock 10:45 2 yds PAT Kick by Nicholas ROBERSON GOOD.

3

13

01:04 

21 - 28

03:06 

UCHS 

De'airrius Smith Passes to Shi Smith COMPLETE TOUCHDOWN, clock 03:06 14 yds PAT Kick by Jacob Crocker GOOD.

6

43

01:57 

28 - 28

01:01 

GHS 

Mario CUSANO Passes to Troy PRIDE COMPLETE TOUCHDOWN, clock 01:01 53 yds PAT Kick by Nicholas ROBERSON GOOD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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