All Landrum needed was maybe five minutes, but the Cardinals had to watch the clock run out on the Chesnee football field, shortly after the hosts had scored a touchdown, to go ahead, 26-21, which became the final score on Friday, Sept. 30.

Cardinal head coach Jason Farmer did not overstate matters when he later described the contest as “a fantastic high school football game.”

Farmer added, “Their players executed when they needed to.”

He also emphasized, “My kids responded tonight. We got better tonight. I’m proud of the way our team is playing.”

Farmer noted that while the Cardinals’ record is now 2-4 (this was their first region game), they are a much better team than their record would indicate.

The Cardinals won the initial coin toss, and elected to kick off to the Eagles. That did not seem like a wise move when Chesnee’s Isaiah returned the kick to the Landrum 38. However, the Cardinal defense, tireless all night, forced a fumble on a short pass completion, and recovered the ball at the Landrum 37.

A few plays later, a personal foul against Chesnee put the ball at the Cardinal 48, but the Cardinals eventually punted.

From their own 20, the Eagles reached the Landrum 49 on a pass completion, before running back Josh Russell broke at least one tackle on his way to the Landrum 30. A touchdown pass to Kaleb Taylor put the Eagles up, 13-0, to end the first quarter. A Landrum defender blocked the extra point try, and the score remained, 13-0.

Landrum was forced to punt on its next possession, but got the ball back quickly, when Easton Jenkins tipped, and then intercepted, a Chesnee pass, taking the ball to the Chesnee nine.

From there, Dalton Kuykendall ran the ball in. Jesus Alviar added the extra point.

For the most part, both teams seemed to have read the other’s running plays well, including quarterback sacks by both teams.

With just under five minutes left in the half, the Eagles’ Brandon Alexander caught a long pass, and made it a longer play by taking the ball into the Cardinals’ end zone. At the half, the Eagles led, 20-7.

If one play put the Cardinals in trouble, that might have been it.

In the second half, Landrum quarterback Turner Ussery, who also ran the ball well, hit teammate Rashaun Brown, who made it to the Eagle 37. Wrenn Pierce gained three to the Chesnee 34. From there, Ussery dashed 34 yards for a TD on a keeper.

Another good PAT cut the Eagle lead to 20-14.

In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals’ defense made possibly the play of the night, when they turned back Chesnee on a fourth and one-inch play, to give the guests the ball. From the Chesnee 37, Kuykendall ran the ball for 12 yards and a first down.

Several plays later, Ussery scored on another keeper from four yards out, and the straight and solid PAT kick put the Cardinals up, 21-20.

Chesnee proved to be down but very much alive. The Eagles’ advanced downfield, setting up Bo Walker’s 17-yard TD run, with just 1:58 left in the game. When the Eagles tried for two points, the Cardinal defense shoved them back nearly a car length.

After kicking off to Landrum, Chesnee got the ball back on downs. With just 14 seconds to go, the Eagles ran out the clock, and walked off with a 26-21 win in a game that could have gone either way.

This Friday (Oct. 7), the Cardinals host St. Joseph’s Catholic, whose Knights are also 2-4, and 0-1 in the region.