ORANGEBURG — The bright lights of Thursday's state championship match weren't unfamiliar to Abbeville. Neither was the result. In familiar fashion, the Abbeville Panthers (13-1) won Class A, manhandling the Cross Trojans 58-20.
They end their season with an 11-game win streak. The Panthers' new trophy won't be lonely in its case. The title is Abbeville's third Class A, and ninth overall, since 2010.
They controlled the game from start to finish, showcasing their poised mindset in these settings. After going down 6-0 early, junior running back Darrius Riley rushed for a 16 yard touchdown which kicked off a 30-0 run, lasting until the final minutes of the first half. The Trojans attempted to muster some sort of momentum, but the Panthers' kept their foot on the gas.
Senior quarterback Damarcus Leach, one of the South Carolina's newest signees, had a field day with Cross's defense. He rushed for two touchdowns, slipping and sliding his way from any Trojan defender that dared to tackle him. This was the first championship appearance for Cross (12-3) since 2012.
Of course, that result turned out better than the 2024 version for the Trojans. Cross's Karmello Jones was held in check by the Panthers defense. The star senior running back came in with 1,881 rushing yards and 31 TDs.
But after scoring the first points of the game on a 16-yard run, he couldn't create any real results the rest of the way. Cross's offense looked good on paper, averaging almost five yards per play. The Tr.
