CREST HANGS ON FOR A TOUGH 13-7 WIN OVER SOUTH POINT

By: Anthony
Perkins

Boiling Springs – The Crest Chargers opened the 2019 football season at home against cross-conference rival South Point and hung on for a hard-fought 13-7 win.

The visiting Red Raiders posted the
first score with only twenty-six seconds left in the first quarter on a
nine-yard run by senior fullback Naseem Jones. 
The South Point score capped off a 10-play drive that had started at the
Crest 48. 

It was almost half-way through the second quarter before the Chargers knotted the score at 7-7.   The tie occurred when quarterback DJ Fuller hooked up with a wide-open Timothy Ruff streaking down the middle of the field on a 57-yard toss, catch and run play.  The Chargers had an opportunity to go into the half with a lead but South Point defensive back Will Rhinehart stepped in front of Michael Greene in the end zone for an interception on the last play of the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, the final stanza opened with South Point at the Crest 25 and lining up to attempt a very makeable field goal from the twenty-five. Arguably the biggest play of the game for the Chargers took place on the next South Point snap when Keyez Jefferies came flying in from the right side of the defense and blocked the Red Raider field goal attempt that gave the Chargers possession near midfield after a scramble to recover the blocked kick.  The Chargers went on to take a 13-7 lead less than two minutes into the fourth quarter on a 13-yard run by fullback Jalin Graham.  The point after sailed wide right and the Charger defense still had over ten minutes to hold off a hungry Red Raider offense.

South Point started their final drive
at their own 42 following a 33-yard kick-off return and steadily marched down
the field until they came face to face with an awful memory of last years final
game.  A routine exchange between the
quarterback and fullback resulted in a fumble inside the Crest five-yard line with
less than five minutes left on the clock. 
The Crest defense gathered in the loose pigskin to preserve the victory
and South Point ended another game with a bitter taste in their mouth.

When you consider that it was the
first game of the year both teams played rather well until about half-way
through the third quarter.  That was when
the penalty flags started to fly, against both teams, and when both teams
started to get sloppy with handling the ball. 

Next week Crest will travel to TC
Roberson to take on the Rams and South Point will travel to Lincolnton to face
the Wolves.