SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — Effingham County needed a spark Friday night in its rivalry game with South Effingham. Senior Kris Swinney took matters into his own hands.
Swinney returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to lead the Rebels to a hard-fought 21-18 victory over the Mustangs and extend their winning streak against their cross-county rivals.
Effingham County won its seventh straight game in a series that began in 1996, when the formation of South Effingham split the county’s two high schools.
But it wasn’t easy. The Rebels trailed by 11 points late in the first half before Swinney’s return helped turn the momentum.
“I told my teammates if I get the ball I’m taking it to the house,” Swinney said. “I saw that gap. It was a big swing and gave the team the energy we needed.”
Effingham County (5-2, 4-0 Region 1-6A) won its fifth straight game after an 0-2 start.
South dropped to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in region play.
“We did our best but it wasn’t enough,” Mustangs running back Khyran White said. “The thing that killed us was that kickoff return. Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve. They made a good play.”
Swinney sparks the comeback
A capacity crowd of about 5,000 watched South control play in the first half, but Swinney’s touchdown return fueled a second-half turnaround. The Rebels scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter and held on for the win.
Jordan Mydell put Effingham County ahead 14-11 just three minutes into the third quarter.
White answered with a 56-yard touchdown run just 16 seconds later to put the Mustangs back in front, 18-14.
But the Rebels had an answer of their own when quarterback Matthew Dillon scored the game-winning touchdown on a 6-yard run.
Dillon, not known for his running skills, carried the ball eight times for 61 yards. He also threw for 173 yards, with 167 coming in the second half. Overall, Dillon completed 20 of 25 passes.
“We all started playing together in the second half. We were a little shocked at first but we came back and won it,” Dillon said.
Mustangs control the first half
South dominated the first half. A 20-yard touchdown pass from Liam Coburn and a two-point conversion pass from Kiran Boggess to George Bushatz gave the Mustangs an 8-0 lead midway through the first half.
South coach Loren Purvis scoffed at some media outlets picking the Rebels to win big. A year ago, Effingham County won 49-21.
“We told our kids all week people think we’re going to lose by four touchdowns,” Purvis said. “No one respects them. All that’s on paper. Games aren’t won on paper. We fought over and over. We stayed in the fight the entire game.”
South looked even better after Ethan Webb’s 23-yard field goal made it 11-0 with just 3:27 left in the half.
The Rebels couldn’t do much right. Two lost fumbles ended possessions, and they committed 15 penalties for 155 yards in the game.
But Swinney’s kickoff return provided a much-needed spark.
“It was huge. It kept the margin down and helped us get going,” Effingham County coach John Ford said.
Rebels find their footing
Both teams’ offenses picked up in the second half. White finished with a game-high 95 yards on 15 carries.
Mydell led the Rebels with 65 yards on 14 carries.
Effingham County had 341 yards of total offense, compared with 206 for South.
“It was tougher than we expected. We came out slow but we executed better in the second half. We had a better mentality,” Rebels running back Jmere Doe-Davis said.
