The James F. Byrnes Rebels will head out on the road to face off against the Gaffney Indians at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with James F. Byrnes sitting on seven straight wins and Gaffney on four.
Two weeks ago, James F. Byrnes' game was all tied up 14-14 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 28-26 victory over Dorman. Given James F. Byrnes' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina football rankings (they are ranked fourth, while Dorman is ranked 46th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
James F. Byrnes found their leader in underclassman Tre Segarra, who rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries.
Meanwhile, Gaffney strolled past Dorman with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 29-14.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Gaffney to victory, but perhaps none more so than Riley Staton, who threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Jaiden Mcdowell and his 155 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Gaffney's victory.
James F. Byrnes' win was their seventh straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 8-1. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 35.7 points per game. As for Gaffney, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: James F. Byrnes has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 150 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Gaffney, though, as they've been averaging only 74.4 per game. How will Gaffney fare against such a dominant running game?
James F. Byrnes came up short against Gaffney when the teams last played back in November of 2022, falling 34-28. Can James F. Byrnes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
