Crescent 0 6 0 7 -13

Palmetto 3 7 14 7 -31

P-Chris Jones FG 33

P-Stacey Mosley 3 run (Jones kick)

C-Bradley Mitchell 2 run (kick failed)

P-Mosley 24 run (Jones kick)

P-Chris Henry 22 run (Jones kick)

C-Anthony Wykle 16 run (Jess Sharpe kick)

P-Henry 3 run (Jones kick)

WILLIAMSTON – Nathan Martin admits he and his Palmetto High defensive teammates were embarrassed after surrendering 54 points to Wren in a season-opening loss to their Anderson District 1 archrivals.

“It made us feel kind of mad, too,” Martin said. “We knew we needed to step it up.”

The Mustangs did just that, particularly in the second half of Thursday night’s 31-13 victory over visiting Crescent in a game moved up a day due to weather concerns.

Stacey Mosley and Chris Henry scored two touchdowns each as the Mustangs (1-1) broke open a 10-6 game at halftime. In the third quarter, Crescent set up Palmetto with two fumbles deep in Tiger territory.

“We didn’t execute in the first half,” Palmetto coach Jody LeCroy said. “They came out and smacked us in the mouth. I guess we had an adjustment of heart at halftime. And they gave us a couple breaks in the second half.”

The injury-depleted Tigers (1-1) played the entire game without quarterback Chase Cleveland and running back Steven Madden.

Senior running back Bradley Mitchell, who scored a first-half touchdown, suffered a head injury and was transported by ambulance to a hospital in the fourth quarter. Earlier, standout lineman Brandon Bashaw left the game with an injury.

Crescent trailed only 10-6 early in the third quarter and was driving at midfield when Martin, a senior linebacker stopped a fourth-and-2 short of the first-down marker.

With 15 yards tacked on due to dead-ball penalty, the Mustangs needed only three plays to increase the lead to 17-6. Though Palmetto lost 15 yards for its own personal foul, Mosley ripped off consecutive runs of 24 yards, the second for a touchdown on the short drive.

Mosley rushed for 91 yards on only nine carries in the second half.

“They whipped us up front,” Crescent coach Troy Gamble said. “We were in much better shape in our first game (a victory over McCormick) when we could rotate people in. We’ve got to do a better job of getting people in shape.”

Palmetto had squandered a scoring chance early in the second half when fullback Henry fumbled into the end zone.

Henry bounced back with a 22-yard TD run to give Palmetto a comfortable cushion at 24-6. The Mustangs needed only three plays after recovering a Crescent fumble on the kickoff return.

Crescent’s second TD came on Anthony Wykle’s 16-yard run in the fourth quarter. Henry scored the game’s final TD on a 3-yard run.

The Mustangs grabbed a 10-0 lead and hung on for a 10-6 advantage at halftime.

Chris Jones’ 33-yard field goal provided the game’s first points in the first quarter. The Mustangs increased the lead to 10-0 in the second quarter on Stacey Mosley’s 3-yard touchdown run.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard before halftime on Mitchell’s 2-yard run after Evan Miller’s long run.

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