It wasn’t a playoff game, but it might as well have been.
That’s what the energy was like, almost as soon as the gates opened at 5:30 p.m. Friday night when North Augusta paid a visit to Midland Valley in a game that was a de-facto Region 4-AAAA (South Carolina) championship matchup.
Midland Valley used a late defensive stand on a 2-point conversion and shook off a recovered onside kick by blocking a last-second 41-yard field goal attempt to defeat North Augusta 49-48 Friday night, claiming an undefeated regular season and region championship.
The first half fireworks on the field matched the buzz in the atmosphere around it. Midland Valley struck the first blow when Preston McNair found the end zone from 14 yards out to give the Mustangs an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
From there, both teams traded scores through most of the first half, duking it out like the region heavyweights they’ve proven to be for the entire regular season.
After McNair’s scoring jaunt, Corey Tillman and Beans Hunt combined for a touchdown run and 2-point conversion, respectively, to put the Yellow Jackets ahead 8-7 in the first quarter.
That’s when Mustangs tailback Traevon Dunbar did what he’s been doing all season. He broke loose for an 80-yard score that thrust Valley back in front.
North Augusta’s Michael Doe contributed to the first quarter fireworks, first by snagging a pass from Tillman and taking it 29 yards to the house. Later, he shook off Valley’s defense for a 46-yard scamper to the end zone. The pair of touchdowns gave North Augusta a 22-14 lead at the end of a first quarter that produced a total of 36 points.
Defenses began to settle in the second quarter. Dunbar added a short touchdown run, and North Augusta a field goal, while also stopping a late 2nd quarter scoring threat to secure a 25-20 halftime lead.
Jack Stevens came out in the 3rd quarter and extended North Augusta’s lead with a 21-yard field goal, and that’s when fireworks ensued once more.
Dunbar capped off a long touchdown drive with a 3-yard score that was set up by Preston’s clutch 9-yard run on 4th and 7. Dunbar then dived at the pylon on a 2-point conversion run that tied things at 28 midway through the third quarter.
On North Augusta’s next offensive possession, tailback Beans Hunt tried to cap off a long run by fighting for extra yards only to be stripped by Midland Valley’s Mason Gomillion. Gomillion galloped 45 yards with the football to the end zone to put the Mustangs back on top, 35-28 with a little more than three minutes left in the third.
The back-and-forth continued when Dunbar broke around left end, and darted down the sideline for his second 80-yard touchdown run of the game making it 42-35 with 1:42 left in the third. Then, of course, on the next offensive possession, North Augusta’s Corey Tillman used a 55-yard touchdown run as the equalizer.
It took a little longer than the typical pace of this game, but Butler would answer back with a 1-yard score that gave Valley another 7-point lead.
North Augusta’s defense bowed up to force Valley to punt it back for a chance at a game tying score.
Check in with theaugustapress.com for more coverage on Midland Valley’s region title win.
