‘Focused’ Rebels blast Red Raiders 37-14

Byrnes bounced back.

After a stunning Week One loss to Chapman, the Rebels put together their best performance of the season so far, thumping 4A No. 5 Greenville 37-14. Byrnes led 21-0 at the half and pulled away in the second half for the win.

“We just talked about focusing, and finishing, and being smart and disciplined,” Byrnes coach Reggie Shaw said. “Last week was a wake-up call, and sometimes you need that. It humbles you, it re-focuses you. They always say a set-back is a set-up for a comeback. This week our players and our coaches responded well, we were focused and ready to play tonight, and you saw what Byrnes is capable of when we’re focused and ready to play.”

The Rebels’ Andrew Stevens threw for 286 yards, including TDs to Armoni Weaver, Chamarryus Bomar, and Caleb Williams. The TD to Weaver, which came with Byrnes leading 14-0, set the tone for the rest of the game. Two plays after Weaver dropped what would have been a long gain down the sideline, he took a screen pass and darted 56 yards right through the center of the Red Raiders’ defense to push Byrnes’ lead to three scores.

“I was trying to make up for it (the drop),” Weaver said. “My coaches called a good play, my teammates executed on their blocks, and I scored.”

That was just one of the impactful plays Weaver turned in. He had seven catches for 113 yards to go with his score, while Bomar caught six for 95 to accompany his touchdown. Weaver, Bomar, Knai Cook, RJ Livingston, and a couple others are instrumental for the Rebels on both sides of the ball, and Shaw said he has to find a balance for how to use them most effectively.

“They’re special, man,” Shaw said. “We’re just trying to limit them because you want to play four quarters with them. You have to be strategic throughout the week and then during the game as well.”

While Byrnes’ early success relied mostly on the passing attack thanks to Greenville’s outstanding defensive line, the Rebels’ eventually turned to the run to grind out yards and wear down the clock, and Tre Segarra didn’t disappoint. He finished with 16 carries for 148 yards, with a third of that on a 53-yard scoring dash up the middle in the fourth quarter that proved to be the backbreaker.

“We put in a tempo (offense) this week because we felt like we could take advantage of that,” Shaw said. “We moved some guys around, we made some changes, and we really focused on everything we were doing, how we were doing, who we’re doing it with, and our coaches did an excellent job this week of getting our guys ready.”