McCORMICK -- Lincoln County kicked off its 2016 varsity football season here last Friday nightwith a 41-0 whipping of the McCormick Chiefs. Quay Hartfield and Javon Reid each ran for two touchdowns and over 100 yards to lead the Devil offense to 330 yards.
The Devil Defense had a strong outing by limiting the home team to only 33 yards. Only once did McCormick venture into Red Devil territory.
Lincoln County got off to a good start with Hartfield taking the opening handoff and scampering 28 yards for a first down at the Chief 39. Reid then called his own number and rambled for 24 yards to the 15. Hartfield gained four more before Reid ran the pigskin in from the 11 with just over two minutes gone in the season. William LeRoy booted the PAT for a 7-0 LC lead.
The Devil Defense kept the Chiefs behind the line-to-gain and forced a punt. A penalty nullified a good return by Tydarius Elam, putting the ball at the LC 31.
Jamal Norman ran 20 yards before Reid rushed for 24 to the Chief 25. Elam ran for 18 for first-and-goal at the 7. Hartfield rushed for three before scoring from the four on the next play. With LeRoy's kick, the Devils led 14-0 midway the first quarter.
With the help of a penalty on the Devil Defense, McCormick picked up two first downs and moved to the LC 39 before losing the handle on the football. Quindarious Wright recovered for the Devils at the Chief 45.
Reid passed 6 yards to Midarious Roberts, followed by a four-yard run by Norman. Hartfield's five-yard run setup a third-and-six at the 21. Reid found Roberts open on a slant route over the middle, and Roberts cruised into the endzone for the 21-yard score. LeRoy made it three straight PATs for a 21-0 lead with 9:28 left before the bands hit the field.
The Chiefs managed two first downs before the Devils stymied the drive and forced a punt. On one of the best runs of his career, Quay Hartfield took the handoff, broke the grasp of a defender at the line of scrimmage, and made two great cuts across the field to reach the endzone 68 yards later. Unfortunately a holding flag at the 50 nullified the fantastic effort.
With Norman running, the Devils gained two first downs before fumbling the ball to McCormick at the Chief 40. Mistakes pushed McCormick back to their 11 where they faced fourth-and-39. McCormick was able to get possession when the punt didn't cross the line of scrimmage, but was unable to reach the first down. The Devils took over at the Chief 35.
Five plays later Reid scored on a 17-yard QB keeper up the middle. The kick failed, but the Devils led 27-0 going into the break.
McCormick was unable to make a first down on its initial second-half possession, and the Devils took over at their 43. Two runs by Hartfield and an offsides penalty put the Devils at the Chief 35. Reid ran for 12 before Hartfield scampered the last 23 with 7:57 left in the third. LeRoy made the kick for a 34-0 advantage.
The teams exchanged punts. McCormick then attempted another punt but a bad snap led to the Devils getting the ball on downs at the Chief 30.
The younger Devils got to see some playing time with the clock running. Freshman Jalen Jackson took over as QB and sprinted for 18 yards to the 17. Tres Kelly ran for 13 to the 5. Jackson then scored from there with 4:46 to go. LeRoy's kick gave the Devils their final 41-0 margin.
The Chiefs played without two offensive stars and their biggest lineman. This included their great running back and starting QB that were sidelined by injuries from their previous game.
The competition gets much tougher starting this Friday as the Devils welcome Grovetown High to Larry Campbell Stadium at Buddy Bufford Field for the first time. Grovetown is the newest Columbia County high school, and the Warriors are 1-1 after a 20-9 win over North Oconee. The pigskin will get booted at 7:30 for the Devils' home opener!