High School Football: ‘What ifs’ cost No. 2 Hough in loss to SC power Byrnes
Hough cost itself with penalties, failed to convert big plays and fell victim to some bad luck Saturday night, losing 24-9 to South Carolina power Byrnes in the final game of the Turf Kings Classic tripleheader at Memorial Stadium.
The debut for Hough coach David Baker was a collection of near-misses that prevented the Huskies from digging themselves out of an early hole.
Byrnes took a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game on a 12-yard run by Trey Signara. Jake Coleman converted a short field goal late in the first half for a 10-0 advantage.
Some of Hough’s first-half problems:
▪ Standout kicker Nolan Houser shanked a punt after a bad snap on Hough’s first series. That gave Byrnes possession deep in Huskies territory.
▪ On the first play of the second quarter, Houser completed a pass on a fake punt, taking the ball deep into Byrnes territory. But the play was called back on an ineligible-receiver-downfield penalty.
▪ The Huskies were whistled four times for offsides penalties.
Hough’s defense played well for most of the night and finally got the Huskies on the scoreboard in the closing minute of the first half by tackling a Byrnes runner in the end zone for a safety.
Bad luck cost Hough in the third quarter. Junior quarterback Trey Blakeney’s pass to a Huskie receiver was bobbed into the air by players of both teams – only to land in the hands of a Byrnes defender who returned it 72 yards for a touchdown.
“Our defense played well enough to carry us, but we made mistakes elsewhere,” Baker said. “That’s on me. We’ll do better.”
Scoring summary
Byrnes 7 3 7 7 – 24
Hough 0 2 0 7 – 9
B – Trey Signara 12 run (Jake Coleman kick)
B – FG Coleman 20
H – Safety; Talik Dawkins tackled in end zone
B – James Oates 72 interception return (Coleman kick)
H – Syir Fraser-Sutton 35 pass from Trey Blakeney (Nolan Houser kick)
B – Signara 60 pass from Andrew Stephens (Coleman kick)
