Diamonds shine once again
Story and photos by Mike Maddock Mike@TheColumbiaStar.com

Travis Sabb (#1) and other Diamond Hornets give Head Coach J.W. Montgomery the ceremonial Gatorade shower after Lower Richland's first victory in three years.

After losing 32 times in a row, the Lower Richland Diamond Hornets and their fans had to start wondering if they would ever win again. On August 23, the Diamond Hornets not only won, they dominated the Dreher Blue Devils at Memorial Stadium.
Lower Richland 35
Dreher 21

Lower Richland led by as much as three touchdowns twice in the game eventually defeating Dreher 35- 21. The Blue Devils were the last team the Diamond Hornets beat on opening night three years ago.

An ecstatic Lower Richland Head Coach J.W. Montgomery, fresh from a Gatorade shower, said, "Oh man! This is unbelievable! It's been a long time coming for the community, for the school, and for the kids most of all. I'm just very proud of them!"

The losing streak looked like it may have been in tact early on. After Lower Richland's opening drive netted negative five yards, Blue Devil quarterback Jacob Gindman found Marquel Goodman behind the Diamond Hornet defense on a third- and - eleven play from the Dreher three yard line. Goodman scampered the remaining 80 yards for the 97- yard touchdown reception.

Lower Richland's Lewis Gunter closes in on Dreher's Leonard Kennedy. Gunter returned a block punt and an interception for touchdowns. Kennedy led Dreher with 53 yards rushing.

On Lower Richland's next possession, Harold Poole fumbled the ball over to Dreher, but the Blue Devils could not convert nearly turning the ball over themselves on a fake punt attempt.

The Lower Richland offense was then forced into a three- and- out leaving some fans to say, "Here we go again." But Diamond Hornet linebacker Lewis Gunter changed the course of the game and, possibly, the course of Lower Richland football with two monumental scores. First he returned a blocked punt 30 yards for a touchdown. Then on Dreher's next possession, he intercepted a Gindman pass and scampered 56- yards for another touchdown to put Lower Richland up 14- 7 one minute into the second quarter. The Diamond Hornets would never look back.

Running back Joseph Morgan did the bulk of the work on a 48- yard, four minute drive scoring on a two- yard dive at the 4:37 mark of the second quarter to put Lower Richland up 21- 7.

Montgomery inserted back- up quarterback Takeem Thompson into the game to start the second half. Thompson dazzled players and fans with several phenomenal fakes and hard- nosed runs that left the Diamond Hornet fans screaming for more. Thompson engineered a 1:27 minute, 44- yard drive that culminated in an 18- yard touchdown pass to George Bonaparte to put the Diamond Hornets up 28- 7.

The Blue Devils did not give up. They returned to the misdirection running game and timely passing that has served them well in the past. Using running plays to five different backs, a reverse to a wide- receiver, and some quarterback sneaks, along with two pass plays, the Devils closed the gap to 28- 14 on a Gindman pass to Jamie Chappell with 1:02 remaining in the third.

The Diamond Hornets answered with a Harold Poole four- yard run seven minutes later.

The Blue Devils would again close the gap to 14 with 1:59 remaining in the game on a Matt Martin one- yard quarterback sneak.

Dreher's on- side kick attempt fell short of the required 10- yards allowing the Diamond Hornets to maintain possession and run out the clock.