Story by Shannon Allen Shannon@southerntorch.com
FYFFE — In 2001, Fyffe suffered a bitter 15-13 loss at Gordo in the third round of the Class 2A state playoffs. The Red Devils had to wait 23 years for another chance against the Green Wave, and this time they dominated the matchup from start to finish Friday night at Paul Benefield Stadium/Long-Ridgeway Field.
Sophomore running back Ryder Gipson was unstoppable, rushing 29 times for 259 yards and five touchdowns, and No. 5 Fyffe’s defense applied constant pressure on Gordo quarterback Jase Neel in a 42-14 victory in the second round of the 3A state playoffs.
Neel completed 18-of-39 passes for 269 yards and one touchdown, but the Red Devils sacked him eight times, led by Tucker Wilks and Anthony Mil with three each. Simon Hicks had two.
Fyffe (9-2) played its first game without star senior running back Logan Anderson, a Clemson signee, who suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in the first quarter of the Red Devils’ first-round whipping of Ohatchee.
Anderson, who underwent surgery Monday, served as his team’s biggest cheerleader Friday night while on crutches from the sideline.
The Red Devils built a 13-0 advantage in the first quarter on a pair of Gipson touchdown runs. Hunter Lathum’s fourth-down sack set up Fyffe’s second scoring drive.
Sixth-ranked Gordo, who finished 10-2, mounted a 17-play drive that reached a first-and-goal at the Fyffe 8-yard line. The Green Wave came up empty, turning it over on downs at the 3 after Neal’s fourth-and-goal pass fell incomplete in the end zone.
Fyffe responded with a 12-play, 97-yard scoring drive that featured 10 carries by Gipson. The biggest gain in the drive was a 33-yard carry by Everett DeBoard. Blake Dobbins capped the series with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Harrison with 10.4 seconds left in the second quarter.
DeBoard ran for two points, making it 21-0.
Fyffe stretched its advantage to 28-0 on Gipson’s 23-yard TD dash at the 7:40 mark of the third period.
Neel scrambled 16 yards for Gordo’s first TD with 4:21 left, trimming it to 28-7.
The Red Devils answered with Gipson’s 9-yard scoring run with 1:45 remaining in the quarter.
Neel fired a 21-yard TD pass to CJ Lark on a fourth-and-two play with 11:03 to go in the fourth
period.
Fyffe then drove 60 yards for its final points of the night. Dobbins threw a 27-yard pass to Harrison, giving the Red Devils a first-and-goal at the 8. Gipson ran 6 yards for his fifth TD with 6:28 on the clock.
Penalties plagued the Green Wave, as they were flagged 13 times for 100 yards.
Fyffe head coach Paul Benefield picked up his 70th career playoff win, becoming the third coach in AHSAA history to reach that plateau. The others are UMS-Wright’s Terry Curtis and Clay Central’s Danny Horn.
Overall, the victory was the 360th of Benefield’s incredible career. He is 360-58.
The Red Devils travel to unbeaten and second-ranked Piedmont (12-0) in the quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 22.
