Three in a row! Thomas Heyward rolls to another football state championship
Thomas Heyward put an exclamation point on the best three-year stretch in school history.
The Rebels defeated Lee Academy 46-14 on Saturday in a game played at Charleston Southern University. It was Thomas Heyward’s third-straight SCISA Class A championship.
Before this three-year run, the Rebels hadn’t won a state title since 1981. Thomas Heyward is 36-3 over the past three seasons, including a 12-1 mark this year.
“They are all special. Every one is special, especially this year for the group of seniors,” Thomas Heyward coach Nic Shuford said. “They have a grit, man. When they walk on the field they think they are the best team. They play with a swagger that not a lot of teams have.”
The Rebels’ lone blemish this season was a loss to 3A First Baptist in the opener. Thomas Heyward had a pair of close games in the middle of season with Beaufort Academy and John Paul II before winning their final seven games by 28 points or more.
“You got to go out with a bang, and this is as good as it gets.. … It feels good to go out on top,” Thomas Heyward quarterback Peyton Bennett said. “We played our hearts out and got the outcome we wanted.”
Bennett has been the quarterback for the past two seasons, although he didn’t play much in last year’s title win over Bethesda. Against the Cavaliers on Saturday, he was 11-of-17 passing for 191 yards in the air and also ran for a touchdown.
Bruzza Pusha, the team’s quarterback in last year’s title game, caught five passes for 99 yards Saturday and also had a TD run for the Rebels’ first score of the game.
JR Patterson rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns. Brandon Howard also had a TD run.
Thomas Heyward scored on its first five possessions against the Cavaliers with four different players scoring in the first half. The Rebels gained 350 of their 470 yards in the first two quarters and built a 34-6 halftime lead.
“It is hard to stop us,” Bennett said. “We have playmakers everywhere, a great offensive line and the best coaching staff around. … We got four receivers, running backs, tight ends who can all make plays. It is just easy and I could just read the field and throw it where it needs to be.”
The win was the second championship for the Lowcountry on Saturday. Hilton Head Christian defeated Carolina Academy for the 2A title earlier in the day.
This story was originally published November 21, 2020 at 9:11 PM.
