HILTON HEAD — David Sims’ first attempted pass wound up in the hands of Hilton Head Island High School defensive back Ahmad Aiken.

The Calhoun County quarterback’s first four carries gained only 13 yards.

“Guess I’m just a slow starter,” Sims said.

His finish, however, left nothing in doubt.

Sims rushed 23 times for 159 and three scores and added another touchdown through the air, leading Class 1-A Calhoun County past Hilton Head 24-13 Friday night.

But it wasn’t Sims’ performance that will sting the Seahawks the most moving forward, Rather, it was their own missed opportunities. Hilton Head High drove the ball into the Saints’ red zone five times in the first three quarters. And yet they had just six points to show for it, thanks to four turnovers.

“We went backwards too often and we put the ball on the ground too often,” Hilton Head coach Tim Singleton said. “We didn’t take care of our responsibility, and that all falls on my shoulders.”

Hilton Head raced out to a 6-0 lead, scoring on a Dominique Driessen pass to Clifford Morrow after Aiken’s interception.

Meanwhile, it took the Saints (3-0) four drives just to move the ball past midfield. But once they did, Hilton Head (1-2) couldn’t keep them out of the endzone. Sims scored on runs of 13, 10 and 21 yards and threw a six-yard touchdown to Marquel Davenport to give the Saints a 12-6 halftime lead.

That was as close as the score would get after the break.

“My team didn’t respond,” Singleton said. “We let this ball club come in and win a ball game that were supposed to win. We were definitely the better team, but they won the ball game tonight. They beat us up and down the field because they made more plays.”

And they made them at the right times.

Dante Stewart picked off Driessen twice — both interceptions came inside the Saints’ 30-yard line. Driessen also fumbled just 18 yards from a score.

But Alshon Jeffery — better known for the offensive skills at wide receiver that have earned him an offer from Southern California — came up with the game’s biggest defensive stop. With Hilton Head High’s Marcus Green running for a big gain down the left sideline, Jeffery stripped the ball from Green’s hands 54 yards from the line of scrimmage. He also picked the ball up to end the threat midway through the fourth quarter.

“We made big plays all game,” Simms said. “Our coaches tell us we’re going to have a little bit of adversity every game. That’s what it was tonight.”

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