‘He’s a silent assassin’: James Oates pick-six helps Byrnes down Spartanburg
James Oates (right) made the play of the Rebels’ season against Spartanburg, returning an interception 78 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal Byrnes’ 21-9 win.
Byrnes head coach Reggie Shaw didn’t necessarily need to pump up his team after their 21-9 grind-out win over Spartanburg.
There was already plenty of high-fiving, chanting, and alma mater-belting amongst an excited group of Rebels. The energy was electric.
Shaw chose to hype them up a little more anyway.
“Listen, we knew coming in these guys [Spartanburg] had a good defense,” Shaw told his team in the postgame huddle. “But we’ve got the best defense in the entire freaking state!”
Shaw’s Rebels erupted into loud cheers, laughter, and a few coordinated dance moves.
Byrnes leaned heavily on that defense Friday to pull out the win. The Rebels forced four turnovers — two interceptions and two fumbles — and came away with two defensive touchdowns in the victory.
“The old adage is ‘offense sells tickets, defense wins championships,’” said Shaw. “We knew coming in [Spartanburg’s] defense was neck and neck with us. Two of the top defenses in the state. We knew it would be a slugfest.”
The game itself may not have been pretty, but to a gritty Byrnes squad, the result — and feeling afterward — was as beautiful as they come.
The win gave Byrnes (6-1, 1-0 Region) an inside lane to the 5-A Region 2 crown.
“Our defense stepped up major this week, not only stopping them but creating turnovers,” said Shaw. “And 14 points from them? That’s Baltimore Ravens, Ray Lewis type of stuff right there. That’s what comes to mind with these guys.”
THE BOMAR BOYS
Given the intensity of the Byrnes-Spartanburg rivalry, naturally, there was some digital trash talk taking place throughout the week.
“There was a bunch of crap on social media. I told our guys just to let our pads do the talking,” said Shaw. “Let our helmets do the talking. Let the scoreboard do the talking.”
Much of the online taunting was aimed at two of Byrnes’ most highly-touted athletes: Armoni Weaver and Chamarryus Bomar. Both star at defensive back and wide receiver for the Rebels.
Weaver and Bomar — brothers, both with multiple Division-1 offers — took their head coach’s advice. ‘The Bomar Boys’ let their play speak far louder than words.
In the second quarter, Weaver read a screen pass from Spartanburg quarterback Tamijai Johnson perfectly. He jumped the route, and just as the ball got to Vikings wide receiver Ra’el Senghor, Weaver laid a heavy hit and knocked the ball loose.
If that wasn’t enough, Weaver bounced right back to his feet and scooped the ball up, taking it back 60 yards to the endzone. Weaver’s touchdown gave Byrnes a 14-0 lead after Tre Segarra’s 68-yard rushing score in the first quarter.
On the opposite side of the defense, Bomar was tasked with covering Spartanburg’s star wideout, Justin Rice.
Aside from an impressive acrobatic diving catch at the end of the third quarter, Bomar kept Rice locked down for the entire game. He broke up four deep passes intended for Rice, two of which came deep in Rebel territory, with Spartanburg threatening to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
“I knew [Rice] was their number-one guy on offense, and I knew I was going to get a lot of deep balls thrown on me,” said Bomar. “So I was working all week preparing for that.
“I gave up one catch, but I really feel like I shouldn’t have given up any catches. I just went in, manned him up the whole game and did what I do.”
Shaw heaped praise on Bomar after the game.
“Chamarryus, that kid is one of the best corners in the nation,” he said. “When he’s on his game, nobody can get by him.”
‘SILENT ASSASSIN’
With under two minutes left in the game, the Rebels were on their heels.
The offense had stalled out, and Spartanburg was finally starting to move the ball. A Tamijai Johnson touchdown scramble at the beginning of the fourth quarter cut Byrnes’ lead to 14-9.
The Vikings again had the ball in Byrnes territory with the game winding down. The Rebels needed one big play.
They got it from senior linebacker James Oates.
Oates read Johnson’s eyes as he dropped back to pass. He bolted toward the line of scrimmage as Johnson went to make the throw, jumping on a short slant route to the right side of the field.
“The ball was snapped, and I saw their receiver breaking in,” said Oates. “I saw the ball come off and I just went to go get it.”
Oates picked off the throw and raced down the left sideline.
Seventy-eight yards later, he put the finishing touches on an unforgettable Byrnes victory. His pick-six sent Nixon Field into hysteria with just 1:20 remaining.
“It didn’t feel like it was even true,” said Oates of the play. “I don’t think I realized what was happening until I’d scored the touchdown.”
“You’re just really happy for a kid who’s worked his tail off and earned everything he’s got,” said Shaw. “He doesn’t say five words every two weeks, besides ‘yes, sir.’ He’s humble, kind, compassionate, and he’s a heck of a football player.”
While Oates may not always be as vocal as others, that doesn’t affect his play on Friday nights.
“He’s a silent assassin,” said Shaw. “He’ll hit you. He brings it every single play. Don’t let him fool you. They always say you’ve got to watch out for those quiet people. Those are the most dangerous.”
UP NEXT
Byrnes continues region play this Friday with a trip to Boiling Springs. The Bulldogs are 3-4 on the season and 0-1 in the region, having lost to Dorman 14-10 last week. The Rebels will aim to move to 7-1 and 2-0 in the region with a win.
They won’t be taking anything for granted, however.
“[Boiling Springs] runs an unorthodox offense with a dual-threat quarterback who’s a great athlete. Defensively, they’ve got a bunch of guys like us that can fly around to the football, very athletic,” said Shaw.
“They’re a very good team. And this one’s at their place, so it’s going to be tough.”
GAME SUMMARY
Spartanburg 0 0 2 7 9
Byrnes 7 7 0 7 21
BYRNES STAT LEADERS
Passing: Andrew Stevens 10/18/119yds/1 TD
Rushing: Tre Segarra 13/44 yds
Receiving: Tre Segarra 4/68 yds/ 1 TD | Ethan Morris 3/23 yds | Chamarryus Bomar 2/15 yds | Ta’lik Brooks 1/13 yds
trey@greercitizen.com | 877-2076