Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
It is always good to get that first win of the season. It is a little bit nicer to get that first win on the first game of the season. It is an indescribable feeling to get that first win after going almost two years without tasting victory. That was the case for the Williston-Elko Blue Devils beating a larger Pelion Panther team by an impressive 27-6 score Friday, August 23 on the road.
Before the game, the atmosphere seemed a little different for some of the Blue Devil players, coaches, and fans. The rest of the state may not have known how hard this team has been working and how well they have been playing in scrimmages. They may not have known how improved this team really is, but they will now. After the first half ended with Williston-Elko up by a 7-6 slim margin, the game turned into an all Blue Devil second half, with the Blue Devils from Williston-Elko pulling away for the 27-6 victory and an end to that dreaded streak.
“Friday night's game was a culmination of all the hard work and effort that these kids and coaches have put in since the summer. We had a great summer and a great preseason heading up to Friday night's game. Watching the final seconds tick off the clock and knowing that we had secured the win was a breath of fresh air. These kids have endured so much heartbreak from the previous season, and to finally come out on top of the scoreboard was the icing on the cake,” said Williston-Elko head coach Kenny Lipsey.
Several players stood out to Coach Lipsey, including senior running backs JocQuise Washington and Markel Brown, who combined to carry the ball 25 times for 164 yards and three touchdowns. “Senior Quaide Overton also had five receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, it was a collection of Blue Devils that played well starting with sophomore Joshua Epps, junior Kadin Wright, and senior Justice Israel leading the attack. The defensive unit held Pelion to 115 total yards of offense on the night,” said Coach Lipsey.
Williston’s defense seemed undersized compared to the much larger Pelion offense, but there was a lot of heart and more speed on the side of the blue last Friday night. The Blue Devils were flying to the ball in groups to halt the Panther advances. As the second half progressed, you could feel the energy from the stands, the sidelines, and from the field, as this group was not going to let this game get away from them.
During his post-game talk with his team, Coach Lipsey said that they were “going to enjoy the heck out of this one tonight and tomorrow...but after tomorrow, we’ve got to squash it. We’ve got to get ready for Barnwell.”
When asked about the upcoming Thursday night game at Barnwell, Coach Lipsey said, “It will be a big challenge for us on Thursday. Barnwell returns a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. We will practice hard this week and clean up our mistakes from this past Friday and see if we can go into Mac Wier Field and execute our game plan. Barnwell will be ready and are well coached, but we will be up for the challenge. We have to lay all of our chips on the table and see what happens. It should be a big atmosphere over there on Thursday. We are looking forward to it.”
These players, coaches, and fans have been waiting for this win. There are certainly more to come for this team. Facing the top five ranked AA powerhouse, Barnwell, at their home stadium will be tough, but this group will give it everything they have and “see what happens” as Coach Lipsey said.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. this Thursday, August 29. Come out and support your Blue Devils!
