The Dixie Hornets football program has won their last two contests in exhilarating fashion. Both times they were down late in the fourth quarter and called on their star running back to finish the job.
Against the McCormick Chiefs, down by five points with less than a minute left, Dixie put the ball in the hands of sophomore Brandon Nance. He scored the game-winning touchdown.
Ware Shoals had Dixie with their backs against the wall. The Purple Hornets were up by two points as time was ticking away. A win seemed almost impossible for Dixie. Until they put the ball in the hands of Brandon Nance. Green Hornets QB, Staylon Johnson, uncorked a pass to Nance down the right sideline, he caught it through traffic. The next play: a game-winning field goal drilled by John Suddeth.
Just being a sophomore, Nance already has an entire catalog of clutch moments and plays. Hornets head coach, Mark Sorrow, has full trust in his underclassmen to show up big when it matters the most.
“He’s proved that he can make the big play,” coach Sorrow said. “We’ve been fortunate to have him and we look to continue that.”
For Nance, being “clutch” is nothing new.
“It has always been in me, being clutch,” Nance stated. “Anytime the team needs me, I am going to be there every time. That’s just what I have to do.”
Nance has already asserted himself as one of the team leaders on and off the field. He possesses the poise to play at a high level while keeping his composure when the lights are the brightest.
“He’s has great character.” coach Sorrow said. “He’s a leader in the locker room and a leader on the field. Not too many people are voted as a team captain as a 10th grader. I think the kids see him as a high character person, and when the chips are down, he’s going to keep fighting.”
No moment has been too big for Dixie and Brandon Nance thus far. Opening up region play, playing two rivals, they knew they had no time to waste getting in the win column. Nance lives for games with great importance.
“As a captain of the team, as a leader of the team, I feel like these are my moments when I have to step up,” said Nance. “Those are my moments where I’ve got to do what I do best.”
This type of success did not happen overnight for the young tailback. Nance gets after it in the weightroom and that caught the eye of Mark Sorrow when he took the job at Dixie this spring.
“When I got hired, I told them to meet me in the weight room on Monday, and [Brandon] was the first face I saw,” coach Sorrow stated. “He was there everyday.”
It’s no secret Nance has a great rapport with his teammates and coaches. The connection he has with this quarterback is unmatched. The pass he caught late in the fourth quarter against Ware Shoals will live in Dixie lure for an eternity.
“I knew I was going to catch it before he even threw the ball,” Nance remarked.
Dixie will have their biggest test yet coming up this Friday as they host Southside Christian. Both teams are undefeated in 1-A Region 1 play.