Kerry Gilstrap/Courier

Easley’s Will Drawdy plows through Greenville defenders during the Green Wave’s win over the Red Raiders on Friday night.

By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter

brobinson@thepccourier.com

EASLEY — The Easley Green Wave finished the regular season on a high note Friday night on their home turf, giving first-year head coach John Windham and the Wave a winning season (6-5) and maybe even a playoff berth with a 34-15 victory over conference foe Greenville.

Easley’s Derrick Phillips runs past a Greenville defender during their game on Friday night.

The Wave dominated the line of scrimmage, whipping Greenville with their ground game and great offensive and defensive line play. Easley ran the ball 51 times for 263 yards, compared to the Raiders’ 30 rushes for only 114 yards.

The flooding across the state last month has put Windham’s squad in limbo until all games are made up this Friday night around the state. The games will determine if and where the Wave will land for the AAAA playoffs.

The game with Greenville started with the Wave defense quickly halting the Raiders and forcing them to punt without allowing a first down.

Windham had his offense ready to play.

Starting at their own 40-yard line, the Green machine went to work and produced an eight-play drive that saw hard running by Malaki Robinson, Ethan Myers and Zack Mode. The backs combined for 35 yards on seven carries. Easley quarterback Dalton Black capped the drive with a 30-yard pass to wide receiver Sean-Thomas Faulkner for the Wave’s first points of the night. Josh Hansen added the extra point to put Easley out front 7-0.

Easley defender Daniel Hine picked off Greenville quarterback Carson Spiers to end the Raiders’ next possession, but the Green Wave were forced to try a field goal that sailed wide left after reaching as far as the Greenville 5-yard line.

The Red Raiders went to work after the miss and mounted a 15-play, 80-yard drive that ate 6:25 from the clock. Spiers connected on an eight-yard scoring toss to John Krall, who then added a two-point conversion to give his team an 8-7 lead with 5:35 left in the half.

The teams swapped interceptions on their next two possessions, with Easley getting the ball last on a pick by Ta’von Hicks that give his team the ball at its own 20-yard line.

With their backs against the wall, the Wave produced an 80-yard drive highlighted by a 36 yard completion from Black to Carter Wiles that took the ball all the way down to the Greenville 36-yard line. From there it was all rushing yards, and Will Drawdy led the way, including the final four yards for the touchdown. Hansen nailed the point-after attempt, giving his team a 14-8 lead at the half.

The Wave continued to dominate in the second half, scoring first on a six-play, 74-yard series. Drawdy continued to be the workhorse, picking up 29 yards on four runs. The touchdown came though the air, as Black spied Tyrese Bradley open and the wide out went 44 yards for the score. Hansen hit the PAT, pushing the Easley lead to 21-8.

Greenville finally got back on the board to start the fourth quarter, but the touchdown seemed to ignite the Wave, and Windham’s team drove the final nails into the Raiders’ coffin with a pair of drives that ended in Easley touchdowns.

The first score came on a nine-yard run by Mode, and the second came on a three-yard run from Myers.

Now the Green Wave will play the waiting game, as the final AAAA games of the season are played this Friday night. Following those contests, points will be tallied and the Wave will find out their fate.