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Julie McCombs
Quez Nesbitt added the most touchdowns scored by a Greer player to his already title as the most prolific runner in the school's history. He rushed for 356 yards and scored 4 TDs versus Westwood.
Julie McCombs
Emanuel Kelly stares down Westwood's defense on this play Friday night at Dooley Field. Westwood blinked twice and Kelly muscled his way for two key touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Julie McCombs
Greer Head Coach Will Young is surrounded by his offensive linemen during Friday's game versus Westwood at Dooley Field. The line opend enough daylight for Quez Nesbitt to rush for 356 yards and four touchdowns.
Sophomore kicker Nick Roberson kicked a 37-yard field goal with 2.7 seconds remaining in the game to give Greer a thrilling 45-42 victory in a second round Class AAA playoff game over Westwood Friday at Dooley Field.
“I don’t see this team every giving up,” Greer Head Coach Will Young said on the Yellow Jackets Sports Network. “They know next week will be tougher. They know where they are and what they’ve got to do.”
Greer will host unbeaten No. 1 Daniel (13-0) next Friday. Daniel, Young’s alma mater, eliminated Clinton 31-7.
Young was in Charleston part of the week to be with his ailing mother at the Medical University of South Carolina. A blood vessel attached to a new kidney burst, which led to massive internal bleeding. Young reported his mother is making positive steps toward recovery. He returned to Charleston Saturday to be with her.
It was a slugfest between two heavyweight runners with Quez Nesbitt of Greer and Christian Brown of Westwood each running for 356 yards. Nesbitt scored four touchdowns and Brown recorded five TDs.
Emanuel Kelly also provided Greer two powerful touchdowns and a key two-point conversion that made up the difference for a previously missed extra point by Roberson. Kelly also ran a kickoff back 45 yards to give the Yellow Jackets excellent field position for another fourth quarter score.
“Both teams fought their tails off,” Young said. “We had great players made great plays at critical times.”
Westwood called timeout twice to try to unnerve Roberson. His kick split the uprights with yards to spare.
“That was a great kick by Nick Roberson,” said Young. “He missed one on that side of the field a few weeks ago (versus Blue Ridge) and that kick tonight was huge for his confidence.”
Roberson was carried off the field on his teammates shoulders. He was matter of fact describing the kick. “Coach Miller tells me to be fundamentally sound on every kick, whether there are seven seconds left on the clock or 12 minutes left in the game.”
Dorian Lindsey’s leaping grab of a Cusano pass at Westwood’s 42-yard line on third and 11 yards for a first down was critical with 1:17 left in the game. There was little passing with Cusano completing eight passes and Westwood’s Chris Patterson going 0-for-7.
Beginning with Nesbitt’s 71-yard scoring run on Greer’s first offensive play every subsequent touchdown – 12 total and 5 in the fourth quarter – were recorded by teams on alternate possessions.
“We had a good game plan,” Nesbitt said. “I followed my blockers and all the credit goes to the offensive line. We knew it was going to be a fourth quarter game.”
When Nesbitt sees the film he will see himself slithering through narrow holes and then sprinting to the end zone –for 71, 65 50 and 27-yards scoring runs. “I wouldn’t swap our running back for anybody,” Young said.
Brown, meanwhile, ran virtually at will through Greer’s defense. His scoring runs of 1, 32, 22, 6, and 30-yards were shorter than Nesbitt’s but he carried the ball 46 times.
Kelly used his strength and bruising running style to bull his way into the end zone on a two-point conversion, extending the ball over the goal line at the end of the run, to bring back to a 7-point lead, 28-21 with 1:18 left in the third quarter.
As Westwood was committed to stop Nesbitt, it was Kelly that crushed the Redhawks’ strategy. He scored on an 18-yard run with 8:01 left in the fourth for a 35-28 lead. His 31-yard scoring run with 5:07 left helped Greer to its 42-35 advantage.
Hakeem Hoke and Marquis Lyles recovered Westwood fumbles within the 30-yard line but Greer couldn’t produce points on those possessions.
The teams combined for 843 yards of total offense – 472 for Greer, 401 for Westwood. It’s the most points scored or given up by Westwood, in its first year in the playoffs. Westwood has only played football for two years.
• A Westwood player reportedly had a broken leg and was removed from the field on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital.
• CORRECTION: The fourth paragraph clarifies head coach Will Young mother's ailment.
Upstate 3A scores
Greer 45, Westwood 42
Daniel 31, Clinton 7
Chapman 35, Wren 7
Belton-Honea Path 42, Broome 12
Next week’s games
Clinton at Greer
Chapman at Belton-Honea Path
SCORING SUMMARY
|
|
1ST QUARTER |
2ND QUARTER |
3RD QUARTER |
4TH QUARTER |
Total |
|
Westwood |
7 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
42 |
|
Greer |
14 |
0 |
14 |
17 |
45 |
First Quarter
Greer: Quez Nesbitt 71 yard run (Nick Roberson kick). 11:33. 0-7.
Westwood: Christian Brown 1 run (Brandon Howard kick). 3:33. 7-7.
Greer: Nesbitt 65 yard run (Roberson kick). 7-14. 1:14.
Second Quarter
Westwood: Brown 32 run (Howard kick) 3:39. 14-14.
Third Quarter
Greer: Nesbitt 50 run (Roberson kick blocked). 14-20.
Westwood: Brown 22 run. (Howard kick). 8:52. 21-20.
Greer: Nesbitt 27 run (Emanuel Kelly run). 1:18. 21-28.
Fourth Quarter
Westwood: Brown 6 run (Howard kick). 10:30. 28-28.
Greer: Kelly 18 run (Roberson kick). 8:01. 28-35.
Westwood: Brown 34 run (Howard kick. (5:50). 35-35.
Greer: Kelly 31 run (Roberson kick). 5:07. 35-42.
Westwood: Patterson 4 run (Howard kick). 2:41. 42-42.
Greer: Roberson 37 field goal. : 2.7. 42-45.