Lucas Vance
Staff Writer
WINNSBORO — The Fairfield Central Griffins football team held their annual spring game this past Friday at E.K. Mclendon stadium.
The spring game is essentially an intra-squad scrimmage that pits the offense against the defense. A special scoring system was used to allow the defense to accumulate points in competition with the offense.
A touchdown was worth six points, a field goal was worth three points, and an extra point was worth one point. The defense was given three points for causing a turnover, two points for a three-and-out and one point for a defensive stop.
Scoring aside, the most important part coming out of the Griffins spring game was that they are injury free. Generally, the defense tends to be ahead during a spring game and it is seldom that an offense ever even scores because of the two sides’ familiarity with one another.
That was not the case Friday night. Fairfield Central’s offense used a trick play and a second half surge to escape with a 23-16 victory over their counterparts, although the defense did jump out to a 13-0 lead.
Through the first seven drives the defense forced four three-and-outs, two defensive stops and one turnover. However, on the eighth drive the offense finally broke through. Facing a third and five, Kewan Squirewell caught a 29-yard pass and then with 11 seconds left in the half Deandre Belton threw a strike to Javarius Cook for a touchdown to cut the defense’s lead to 13-7 at the half.
The offense went on to outscore the defense 16-3 in the second half. Highlights included a 36-yard field goal by Compton Walker and a 14-yard touchdown pass from Walker to Hopkins. An estimated 300 people showed up to get their first look at the 2013 Fairfield Central football team. Head coach Demetrius Davis was proud to see the large turnout.
“Football in Fairfield County is big,” Davis stated. “I don’t know if there is a school or county in the state that has more pride than Fairfield County does.”
Fairfield Central is coming off a state title appearance and Davis has been looking forward to the spring game and the opportunity to give the fans a show.
“We wanted to do something to get the crowd excited,” Davis noted. “At the end of the day it’s a spring game, it’s free admission and it’s for the fans. We see each other every day but we wanted to give the fans a chance to come out and see what the 2013 Griffins are going to be like.”
The Griffins will now focus on their academics with final exams approaching next week. After the spring semester, the next important date for the football team is June 3 when they will begin meetings, weightlifting, conditioning and practice to prepare for their run back to the state championship game.
Overall Davis was pleased with the Griffins performance in the spring game but still knows there is work to do.
“I think as far as the spring is concerned we got a little better,” Davis said. “The real difference in our season is going to come from June until August.”
Contact Lucas Vance at 635-4016 ext.15 or email him at lvance@civitasmedia.com
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