The Lugoff-Elgin Demons got back in the win column Thursday night, going on the road to Blythewood and knocking off the Westwood Redhawks 30-20 in their Region 4-4A opener. The victory improved Lugoff-Elgin to 6-1 on the season and helped the Demons rebound from their first loss of the year, a 33-20 setback against Wren.
Lugoff-Elgin got off to a fast start, building a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Westwood refused to go away, however, and kept the game within reach into the second half before the Demons were able to pull away.
Senior running back Tiyon Fanning once again played a major role for the Demons, scoring two touchdowns, while senior wide receiver Eric Richardson added another score. Both Fanning and Richardson were recently selected to represent South Carolina in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
Kicker Wyatt Rabon also came up big for Lugoff-Elgin. The Demons moved the football into scoring position several times during the first half but had trouble finishing drives in the end zone. Rabon made Westwood pay by connecting on three first-half field goals to help Lugoff-Elgin maintain control of the game.
The Demons finished the night with a balanced offensive attack, recording 270 passing yards and 201 rushing yards, giving Lugoff-Elgin 471 yards of offense in the victory.
Thursday’s win also carried a little extra meaning for Lugoff-Elgin. The Demons had dropped their previous two meetings against Westwood, including a heartbreaking 34-28 double-overtime loss last season. This time around, Lugoff-Elgin finished the job and came away with the 30-20 victory.
Most importantly, the Demons start region play 1-0 and continue what has been an impressive season. Lugoff-Elgin will now turn its attention to another big region matchup when the Demons return home to face A.C. Flora Friday night at 7:30.
