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CHESNEE—In a game that was postponed due to a tragic traffic accident that took the lives of three Chesnee High School students, the Chesnee Eagles football team delivered a hard-fought win on an emotional Monday night. The Eagles defeated the Landrum Cardinals 40-21 in their opening game of Region play for both teams in front of a packed stadium. 

Before the game, both teams paid tribute to the students who lost their lives. Every player on the Chesnee team wore a helmet sticker saying “Chesnee Strong” in honor of the lives lost in the accident. The school principals and student body presidents opened the game together with  Landrum, presenting them a “Chesnee Strong” banner signed by the Landrum students and faculty. 

Chesnee went up 6-0 early in the first quarter. Landrum responded with an AJ Lindsey 64-yard interception for a touchdown, giving the Cardinals a 7-6 lead. Chesnee quarterback Kjay Proctor made an incredible throw for a touchdown pass to put the home team back in front 12-7 with just under four minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

Chesnee would score again to build their lead to 19-7, but Landrum answered back with an 80-yard touchdown run by Colton Link to bring them within five points, 14-19. However, the Eagles responded with another touchdown pass for a halftime Chesnee lead of 26-14. 

In the second half, the Eagles scored twice more to give them a commanding 40-14 lead. Although the Cardinals would score one more Titus Poore touchdown, they could not catch up, resulting in a 40-21 loss. 

The Chesnee football team (4-2, 0-1) deserves praise for their win on a difficult evening. The Eagles will be in the thoughts of their community and ours this Friday as they travel to Abbeville. 

The Cardinals (4-2, 0-1) will be on the road next week to play the Ninety-Six Wildcats (5-1) on Friday, October 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats are coming off a 33-20 win versus Blacksburg, and the weather for the game is expected to be clear and in the high sixties.