Blue Devils, Cavaliers set for rematch

Dalton Mundy will be leading the Blue Devil offense tonight. Staff photo by Mike Adams.

When two football teams meet in the playoffs three times in a four-year stretch, it's safe to assume there's a good deal of consistency within the programs. While that was the case for Williston-Elko and Christ Church the past few seasons, this year has been a different story.

Both teams lost a large number of players to graduation after last season, when the Blue Devils beat the Cavaliers in the Class A, Division II Upper State championship game. Gone are 15 Williston-Elko seniors, who guided the team to three consecutive state championship game appearances. Christ Church will be without 19 players whose final game was the 27-21 loss to Williston-Elko in last year's playoffs.

In spite of the massive turnover in personnel, both teams have posted tremendous records and will face each tonight with the Upper State championship on the line again. The Blue Devils (10-2) will travel to Greenville for the second year in a row to face the Cavaliers (11-1).

"It's like looking into a mirror," Christ Church coach Don Frost said of the similarities between the revamped teams. "This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for us. It's great for these kids to have stepped up."

In spite of all of the new faces, the Cavaliers enter tonight's game on a 10-game winning streak, good enough to earn the top seed in the Upper State playoff bracket. While they lost a 1,000-yard rusher and a talented group of receivers, the Cavs have been boosted by the return of senior quarterback Hunter Townes.

"They've got their quarterback back, so their game's not a whole lot different from last year," said Williston-Elko coach Dwayne Garrick, who has guided the Blue Devils to their own 10-game winning streak and the No. 2 seed in the playoff draw. "They're still in the spread and they still throw the ball."

Townes has been the triggerman for Christ Church, passing for more than 3,000 yards this season. He was selected to play in the South Carolina North/South All-Star Football Game and has gotten the most out of a new group of receivers. That group includes Bennett Nalley, Davis Einstein and Rudy Johnstone, each of whom caught a touchdown pass from Townes in last week's 56-13 win over Fox Creek.

Although Townes leads a potent passing attack, the Cavaliers aren't a one-dimensional team. Senior running back Blake Navarro has more than capably replaced Cameron Jones this season. Navarro ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns last week, and Garrick said Williston-Elko will have to mix up its looks on defense to rein in a Christ Church offense that's averaging more than 46 points per game in its 11 wins.

"We've got to pick and choose what we do," Garrick said of his defense which has been staunch during the winning streak, allowing opponents an average of less than four points per game, including a 38-0 win over Fox Creek. "Sometimes we'll be in man-to-man and bring pressure. Other times, we'll sit back in zone. It's going to be a cat and mouse game. ... We can't allow them to make big plays."

While Townes has maintained the Cavaliers' spread attack, the Blue Devils were counting on Kendric Salley to spearhead their power running game this season. He did just that until suffering a torn ACL.

Salley only missed four games because of the injury, but has been limited in the past two weeks. In two playoff wins, the South Carolina commitment has run for 91 yards and three touchdowns - elevating his season totals to 1,198 yards and 21 scores.

Garrick said he's not counting on Salley to regain his old form before this season is over. But any contributions the senior - who ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns in last year's win over Christ Church - provides will be a boost to Williston-Elko running game that hasn't missed a beat without Salley. If anything, the Blue Devils have been even tougher to stop in recent weeks with Jarius Jenkins leading the way.

"We're as close to as good in the wishbone this year as we were last year," Garrick said. "We might be better."

The freshman has run for 1,163 yards and 16 touchdowns this season and is the lead back in Williston-Elko's wishbone offense. In addition to sharing carries with Salley, in recent weeks, Jenkins' power running has been complemented by the fleet feet of receiver turned running back, Rokeem Williams.

In last week's 35-7 trouncing of McCormick, the Miami of Ohio commitment had 13 carries for 108 yards. Garrick said to expect the ball in Williams' hands as much as possible tonight. He'll serve as a running back, the top target of quarterback Dalton Mundy and may serve as a Wildcat quarterback himself from time to time if the Blue Devils go to the spread.

"We've got to stop the run; that's their bread and butter," Frost said. "But we've got to be aware of the pass. We've got a young, young defense that's gelling. How we do depends on how focused we are."

Both Frost and Garrick agree that mistakes could make the difference in the outcome. Protecting the ball will be of the utmost importance, as will executing and avoiding penalties. Both coaches also expect a great game from the teams that have combined for 21 wins this season.

"It's going to be a good football game," said Frost, whose goal at the start of the was to win the region. "To be at this point is really nice."

Garrick said it has been a great season for the Blue Devils and he expects tonight to be, "a heck of a game." He added the prospect of advancing to a fourth consecutive state title game is more than he expected this season.

"If we get by, I'll be in awe. I'm not doubting the kids; it's the fact of what we had to rebuild on and the start we had," Garrick said, referencing Williston-Elko losing its first two games this season. "A lot of teams would have packed it in after that start, but these kids were not going to accept being average. I'm proud of the kids and proud of the coaches."

Noah Feit is a reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been a professional journalist for more than a decade.

TONIGHT'S GAME

Who: No. 2 Williston-Elko (10-2) at No. 3 Christ Church (11-1)

What: Class A, Division II Upper State championship game

When: 7:30 p.m.

Common opponent: Fox Creek

* Williston-Elko won 38-0 on Oct. 20

* Christ Church won 56-13 on Nov. 11

Series History

Williston-Elko leads all-time series 2-1

* 2010: Williston-Elko beat Christ Church 27-21 in the Class A, Division II Upper State championship game

* 2008: Williston-Elko beat Christ Church 21-14 in the second round of the Class A state playoffs

* 1977: Christ Church beat Williston-Elko 20-6 in the Class A state semifinals