SALUDA, S.C. — Saluda waited until the final minute to finish off the biggest win of its season. Quarterback Avery Coyle hit Darryl Hill on a 24-yard scoring pass with 45 seconds to play Friday night, and the Tigers held on to beat Strom Thurmond 31-27 and take the Region 4-2A championship.
It is the first region title for Saluda since 2017. The Rebels came in at 8-0, ranked No. 1 by every voter in the Class 2A state media poll and carrying the state championship from last fall. The loss ended an 18-game winning streak for Strom Thurmond, which beat Saluda 20-14 a year ago.
The result also gives the Tigers, now 7-2, a first-round bye in the Class 2A Lower State bracket and a shot at the No. 1 seed.
Hill was the difference. He opened the scoring by turning a deep ball from Coyle into a 78-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, then took the second-half kickoff 84 yards to the end zone for a 17-14 lead. He finished with 144 receiving yards and two scoring catches to go with the return.
Strom Thurmond had pulled ahead 14-7 with two touchdowns before Levi Berry kicked a 28-yard field goal to cut it to 14-10 near halftime. After the Hill return, Saluda forced and recovered a fumble on a long Rebels return, but a fourth-down throw from the Tigers was picked off in the end zone late in the third quarter. Strom Thurmond went back in front 21-17 early in the fourth.
Tristan Daniels answered with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Saluda led 24-21 with 5:13 left. Kaden Wigfall scored for the Rebels with 2:43 to go, but their extra point was blocked, leaving the margin at three.
Saluda took over at its own 35. Ceddion Springs and Hill made catches to move the ball into Rebels territory before the winning throw, and the Tigers defense came up with an interception on Strom Thurmond’s last possession.
Coyle completed 10 passes in 18 tries, good for 218 yards, two scores and one pick. Daniels ran 23 times for 149 yards, and Saluda piled up 432 yards and kept the ball for more than 28 minutes. On the other side, Zy Rouse gained 116 yards on the ground and scored twice. Strom Thurmond still leads the all-time series 44-15-3.
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