After having lost a blowout in their previous game against North Augusta, Strom Thurmond was happy to have turned things around on Friday. Everything went their way against the Emerald Vikings as they made off with a 35-13 victory. The Rebels might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by 22 points or more this season.
The critical scores for Strom Thurmond came from Deonte Phillips, Shaheed Williams, Zy Rouse, and Jakari Gordon.
Strom Thurmond didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Emerald to a completion percentage of just 40.9%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from six players: Gregory Moore Jr, Mason Johnson, Williams, Kobe Windless, Jalin Collins, and Rashaad Mathis, who each logged one passes deflected. Strom Thurmond wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 60%.
Grayson Smith
| 09/12/25 @ North Augusta | 1 |
| 08/22/25 vs McCormick | 4 |
| 08/29/25 vs Silver Bluff | 4 |
| 09/19/25 @ Emerald | 7 |
Strom Thurmond's defense didn't let Beau Hite., get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for five sacks. Grayson Smith was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two sacks himself. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with seven.
When it comes to explaining why Emerald lost, don't look at Christopher Dean. Despite the final result, he rushed for 160 yards and one touchdown while picking up 9.4 yards per carry. Dean is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 102 every time he's taken the field this season.
Strom Thurmond's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Emerald, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Strom Thurmond will head out to take on Lincoln County at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (the Rebels 14, the Red Devils 7.4) so any points scored will be well earned. As for Emerald, they will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Wren at 7:30 p.m. on October 3.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
