LAURENS, S.C. — Laurens Academy settled its SCISA 8-man playoff opener well before the break Friday night, carrying a 36-0 lead into halftime on the way to a 42-8 home win over Wardlaw Academy.
Senior Caleb Hardy had a hand in four Crusaders touchdowns and piled up over 100 yards from scrimmage. He was just as busy on defense in the first half, with an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Quarterback Ethan Collins threw two touchdown passes and went over 150 yards through the air. Riley Whitaker caught a scoring pass and Jensen Tarver ran for another score. Sophomore defensive back Elias Littleton picked off three passes.
Wardlaw kept the shutout off the board with 7:26 left in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown and adding the two-point try.
Coach Jolly Doolittle said after the game that his team did a much better job avoiding penalties, a problem that had cost the Crusaders in the last game of the regular season, a loss to Richard Winn Academy.
The win moves Laurens Academy to 9-1. Wardlaw finishes at 2-8.
The Crusaders now face unbeaten Jefferson Davis Academy, 12-0, in the semifinals on Nov. 13. One more win would send Laurens Academy to the 8-man championship game for a third season in a row, with the title game set for Nov. 20 at a neutral site.
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