Central Gwinnett no match for nationally-ranked Byrnes (S.C.)

By Steve Shelnutt

For the AJC

The good for Central Gwinnett on Saturday was a 66-yard touchdown run by Al Mayes that gave the Black Knights a 7-0 lead over Byrnes High School of Duncan, S.C., with 2:07 left in the first quarter.

The bad was the fact that Mayes’ score would be Central’s only points of the night. The ugly came as the Rebels rolled up 477 yards of offense in a 43-7 dismantling of the Black Knights at the Progressive Football Challenge at North Gwinnett.

Byrnes, the two-time defending South Carolina champions, reeled off 22 consecutive points in the second quarter then slammed the door on Central with three third-quarter scores.

Marcus Lattimore made the score 7-7 on an 8-yard run with 10:40 to play in the second quarter. The Rebels took the lead for good two minutes later when Mayes mishandled a snap on a punt attempt and threw the ball out of the end zone for a safety.

Lattimore added a 1-yard run with 3:49 left in the half. Then Lee Weick hauled in a 9-yard scoring pass from Chas Dodd with 1:36 left in the half. Lattimore added a score on a 3-yard run early in the third quarter, then Dodd threw for two more touchdowns, a 26-yarder to Tony Hillman and a 12-yarder to Weick.

The Rebels led 43-7 at the end of three quarters. There was a running clock in the fourth quarter.

Dodd was 15-for-22 passing for 260 yards and three scores, and Lattimore carried 26 times for 133 yards and three touchdowns.

Mayes led Central with five carries for 49 yards, while Jordan Adams was 2-for-5 passing for 26 yards.