Greer defeated by Union County, 31-14

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Julie McCombs

Quez Nesbitt (20) had 118 yards rushing on 24 attempts in tonight's second round state playoff game. It's the first game this season he did not score a touchdown.

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Julie McCombs

D'Anta Fleming drags down Union County's Chris Booker on this pass play.

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Julie McCombs

Union County had John Hicks shadowed on every play and beefed up its rushing attack to minimize the linebacker's presence.

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Tyler Wright, sophomore linebacker, is outnumbered but makes the tackle on this play. 

They were trying to will Quez Nesbitt, the Yellow Jackets prolific junior running back, through the first line of defense to see some of the magic he created in the first 11 games. It wasn’t to be.

Greer’s playoff run ended in the second round of the state 3A playoffs tonight when Union County defeated the Yellow Jackets 31-14 at Dooley Field. Greer finished the season 9-3 and Union County moves on to the third round with a 7-5 record. The game was billed as Yellow Jacket Bowl II.

Greer Head Football Coach Will Young was asked what a coach tells a group of players, particularly seniors, after their season ends prematurely. “There’s really nothing you can tell them tonight that they want to hear. You put some time between this game and tell them later how good they did this year.”

Four turnovers – three fumbles and one interception – kept Greer from mounting a comeback once Union regained the lead in the second half.  Union also had two touchdowns taken off the boards because of penalties.

Nesbitt did not score in a game for the first time this year although he ran for 118 yards on 24 carries. “Everybody wants to stop No. 20 (Nesbitt),” Young said. “He’s broken a lot of runs for us this year.  Tonight he didn’t break one and that’s OK.”

Young tossed in Emmanuel Kelly and Brook Chapman into the backfield early to add some power. Both scored Greer’s touchdowns – Chapman on a 12-yard run in the first quarter and Kelly a 1-yard run in the second. That gave Greer a 14-12 lead in the first half.

“I thought we should have been up by two (TDs) at the end of the first half,” Young said. Union was flagged for roughing quarterback Josh Gentry that kept a drive alive midway in the second quarter. Greer drove to Union’s 21 but lost the ball on downs when Gentry’s pass to Kelly was short.

“I give all the credit to Union County,” Gentry said. “They took away the run and made more plays than we did. I wish them luck in the playoffs and hope they go a long way.”

Union County did something no team had done until tonight – shut out Greer in the second half.

“In the first half we had a pretty good idea of what they would be in. The second half we just had the four turnovers and couldn’t get anything going,” Young said.

Keiston Smith, Union County quarterback selected to play in the Shrine Bowl, completed 13 of 30 pass attempts for 231 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Chris Booker for a 9-yard scoring play in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead.

Smith and Victor Ruth teamed for a 25-yard scoring play and T.J. Foster added the final touchdown on an acrobatic catch in the end zone for Union’s final touchdown. Smith also ran 7 times for 58 yards.

Smith’s longest run of the game, 34 yards, came up one yard shy of scoring. Kelly ran down Smith and slapped the ball out of his hands at the one. Chris Booker, running full speed, caught the ball on one bounce and ran the remaining yard to complete the scoring play.

Union Head Coach Steve Taneyhill said he added more athletic players to the defense since Greer’s win in the third game of the season. “We took out the bigger guys and put in speedier players,” Taneyhill said. “We got younger. We put in two wide receivers on defense, playing both ways. Tonight our offensive line picked up their blitz. But we’ve been playing a lot better the last four to five games this season.”

John Hicks, who had a career game against Union earlier this season, was shadowed virtually every play and often double-teamed, said, “I’m very proud of what we’ve done. The coaching staff and players have been preaching family all year and we’ve become a family.”

Hicks said the defense was prepared for Union’s game plan. “They did what we expected,” Hicks said. “They ran a good game plan sometimes doubling me and using the H back to add some power.”

WATERS RECOVERING: Greer High Principal Marion Waters attended the game, sitting in his usual spot in front of the Yellow Jackets' dressing facility. Waters had double bypass surgery in October and has completed three weeks of rehabilitation at the Greenville Hospital System's Life Center. Waters said he will return to his job on Nov. 26, the Monday after Thanksgiving. "I can't wait," he said.

HELMET TO HELMET: When Greer’s Corbin Nesbitt’s helmet came off, courtesy of a helmet-to-helmet hit by a Union County player that drew a personal foul penalty, it was the first time this season a Yellow Jacket’s helmet came off in a game.

TONIGHT’S CAPTAINS: Alex Waters, John Hicks, D’Anta Fleming and Emmanuel Kelly.

BAD NIGHT OUT: Greer, Greenville and Blue Ridge, for the second time in the playoffs, were eliminated in tonight’s second round leaving Region II-3A without any teams remaining in the playoffs.

BIG TURNOUT: Both sides of Dooley Field were full tonight.

Upper State 3A Results
Second Round

Union County 31, Greer 14

Daniel 49, Blue Ridge 17

A.C. Flora 59, Belton-Honea Path 42

Chester 21, Greenville 20

Game summary

First Quarter
5:39. Union County: Keiston Smith 9 pass to Chris Booker. (Brandon Shetley missed PAT). 0-6.

1:56. Greer: Brook Chapman 12 run (Nate Robertson kick). 7-6.

Second Quarter

11:01. Union County: Adrian Brown 3 run (Smith pass overthrown to Kalay Jones). 7-12.

9:19. Greer. Emmanuel Kelly 1 run. (Roberson kick). 14-12

Third Quarter

7:25. Union County. Victor Ruth 25 pass from Smith. (Trayvond Davis run failed). 14-18

4:00. Union County. Booker 1 run recovered fumble. (Shetley kick failed, bad snap from center). 14-24.

Fourth Quarter

4:37. Union County. Smith 24 pass to T.J. Foster. (Shetley kick). 14-31.

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING
UNION COUNTY

GREER

PASSING
UNION COUNTY

GREER

RECEIVING
UNION COUNTY

GREER

PUNTING
UNION COUNTY

PUNT RETURNS
UNION COUNTY

GREER

KICKOFF RETURNS
UNION COUNTY

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