JOHNSTON, S.C. --- Heading into the crucial first week of region play and in need of a big win to gather much-needed momentum for the stretch run, the Strom Thurmond Rebels and Silver Bluff Bulldogs now appear to be teams headed in opposite directions.
The two squads passed each other somewhere late in the third quarter.
After falling behind 12-0 and shooting themselves in the foot with turnovers and penalties, the Rebels gathered themselves after the first quarter and scored 28 unanswered points to pull away from a worn and weary Silver Bluff squad on homecoming, 28-12.
The series between the two Class AA powers has been close historically (Thurmond now holds a 7-5 advantage overall), but Friday's game would take a drastic turn toward dominance for the Rebels (3-2), who rolled up 317 rushing yards while holding Silver Bluff (3-2) to just 95 rushing yards and 130 total yards.
And when Strom Thurmond stepped on the gas in the second half, the Bulldogs had no answer. But early on, it appeared as if mistakes would stymie the Rebels.
The first Bulldog score was set up by a muffed punt mishandled by senior Martinez Gallman and a fumble and interception by sophomore quarterback Raleigh Yeldell snuffed out impressive drives. But head coach Lee Sawyer asked his team for patience, something he himself admits to possessing little of.
"We just felt like if we were patient, and that's something that I'm not, and held our composure that we could come back in the second half and take the lead and put them away and that's what we did," said Sawyer. "The team responded and stayed focused. We knew that if we could keep leaning on them and keep their best players on the field we could start wearing them down."
Sawyer also felt that fans may have witnessed a coming out party, of sorts, for Yeldell, who rushed for 183 yards in the game and scored a pair of touchdowns on long runs.
Silver Bluff head coach Al Lown said his team was just handled physically by the Rebels.
"They just wore us down physically tonight and there in the second half we were pretty much spent," Lown said.
"They leaned on us a lot tonight and Strom Thurmond is a good football team. They were big and strong and they were pretty physical with us tonight."
The second consecutive loss for the Bulldogs marked the first time Silver Bluff has dropped back-to-back games since the 2005 season, when the Bulldogs had two region losses in a row to Barnwell and Wade Hampton.
STROM THURMOND 28, SILVER BLUFF 12
PLAY OF THE GAME: On fourth-and-inches late in the third quarter at the Strom Thurmond 46-yard line, the Rebel defense stuffed Silver Bluff senior running back Robert Green for no gain to halt what could have been a swing in momentum for the Bulldogs. Instead, the Rebels took over and Strom Thurmond sophomore quarterback Raleigh Yeldell broke free for a 53-yard touchdown two plays later to help seal the come-from-behind victory on homecoming.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Strom Thurmond's Yeldell rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns -- most of that in the second half -- to overcome an interception and fumble that killed promising drives.
WHY STROM THURMOND WON: Patience and composure -- and dominance at the point of attack.
WHY SILVER BLUFF LOST: After winning a huge five overtime game with Class AAAA Aiken, the Bulldogs just haven't been the same, barely squeaking by South Aiken and now dropping two consecutive games. The Bulldogs have looked great early in games and that held true Friday as they jumped out on Strom Thurmond 12-0, but the team will have to start finding some offensive answers before the playoffs.
NEXT: Strom Thurmond at Mid-Carolina, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Silver Bluff at Ridgeland, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
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