LAURINBURG, N.C. — Scotland’s first win of the season was a roller coaster of emotions.

The Fighting Scots led 21-0 through the opening quarter, but had to hold on with a two-point conversion stop to escape with a 42-41 victory over Terry Sanford.

DaJuan Gibson’s three touchdowns led the way for Scotland. Trailing 42-35 in the final six minutes of the fourth, Terry Sanford’s quarterback Jacob Moore ran in his third touchdown of the day. The Bulldogs rolled the dice and elected to go for two to claim the lead, but the attempt was unsuccessful and kept the score in Scotland’s favor.

Halfway through the opening period, Samier Pate broke the ice with a 1-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead.

Ji’San McPhatter and Gibson hooked up for 93 yards worth of touchdowns in the final four minutes of the first. McPhatter first found his fellow senior Gibson for a 64-yard strike, then the duo inflated the score to 21-0 with a 29-yard touchdown pass that Gibson hauled in over his right shoulder as he glided across the goal line.

Moore started the second by orchestrating a lengthy drive that ended in a Bulldog touchdown. The Terry Sanford signal caller kept it himself from 22 yards out and darted to the right through a hole in the line to escape and make it a 21-7 game.

With 1:46 left on the first half clock, Moore’s offensive line moved the pile at the goal line allowing him to power in from a yard out to make it a one-score game.

Scotland had an immediate answer to enter the half with a 28-14 lead in hand.

On the Fighting Scots’ first offensive play following the Terry Sanford touchdown, Gibson took off 54 yards for a momentum-shifting score.

Terry Sanford was able to get right back within striking distance three minutes into the third. Freshman running back Sebastian O’Keefe won a race to the pylon from 10-yards away to make it a 28-20 game following an unsuccessful extra point attempt.

Pate’s second rushing touchdown of the game gave Scotland a 35-20 lead, but Terry Sanford responded to spark a tug-of-war between the two offenses.

Moore rolled to his left and located Jourdan Browning for a 23-yard Bulldog touchdown with under two minutes left in the quarter. Kylee Thames grabbed the ensuing two-point conversion to make it 35-28 game.

McPhatter used the final seconds of the quarter to put six more on the board. His 27-yard keeper helped push the score to 42-28 through three.

Less than two minutes into the fourth, the Terry Sanford deficit was back down to seven. Izaiah Williams tip-toed down the Bulldogs’ sideline on a toss from Moore, and housed it from 15-yards out.

From 13-yards away, Moore put the Bulldogs in a position to tie or take the lead but the failed two-point try would be the difference.

The Fighting Scots were able to hold on the in the final minutes to improve to 1-1 on the season. After falling on the road at Dillon (SC) in week one, the Fighting Scots welcome in an opponent from across the border in week three. Marlboro (SC), who is 2-0 this year, brings a host of familiar faces back to the Old North State.

Terry Sanford has another big non-conference game ahead of it next week when Cape Fear travels to play the Bulldogs in their home opener.

Source: highschoolot.com