CHESTERFIELD — Steve Taneyhill’s days as the bad boy quarterback of the South Carolina Gamecocks will forever be a part of his legacy, but Friday night on the field in Chesterfield it was clear those days are long behind him.

As parents, coaches and fans gathered around him following his Chesterfield Golden Rams’ 35-21 win over Calhoun County in the Class A Upper State Division I title game, it was clear Taneyhill’s reputation as a great high school football coach may be what he is remembered for most. Gamecocks’ fans may argue the point, but folks in Chesterfield and, for that matter, the coaching community would likely agree because, after defeating the Saints, Taneyhill’s Golden Rams are headed to their fourth consecutive Class A state title game. They are the two-time defending state champions.

“It never gets old,” Taneyhill said with a smile on his face. “I just have a great group of kids, and we had to fight tonight against a great football team. We made some big plays when we needed to, but going to the state championship game never gets old.”

Taneyhill’s team started off fast against Calhoun County. On the first drive of the game, Chesterfield took a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by tailback Sergio Johnson, who finished with 157 total yards of offense. After a quick Calhoun County three-and-out, Johnson put Chesterfield up 14-0 at the 7:32 mark of the first quarter when he returned a punt by Saints All-American tackle Eric Mack 65 yards for a touchdown.

“I just knew we had to calm down,” Calhoun County head coach Walt Wilson said. “What I saw wasn’t dominating, but we were like deer in the headlights. That happened in just the first six minutes, and I told them to calm down, just calm down.”

The “Sergio Show” continued in the first when Johnson picked off Saints’ quarterback Shamier Jeffery, who finished the night 7 of 21 passing for 91 yards and three interceptions, and returned it back to the Calhoun County 14-yard line. Two plays later, Jeffery got the ball back for the Saints, picking off a pass from Chesterfield quarterback Seth Truesdale intended for Johnson in the end zone.

“It was 14-0, we intercept a pass and run it down there,” Taneyhill said. “We had a chance to be up 21-0, and then you are feeling really good, but we threw the pick in the end zone and let them fight back.”

Settling down, the Saints put together an 11-play drive, highlighted by a 25-yard pass from Jeffery to Brandon Golson on third-and-11, and capped by a 7-yard touchdown run by Jeffery at the 9:04 mark of the second quarter. Javontae Brown booted the extra point to cut the Chesterfield lead to 14-7 heading into the half.

Calhoun County began the second half with the ball, and managed one first down, a 17-yard pass from Jeffery to Brandon Thomas, before being forced to punt. Fortunately for the Saints, Johnson muffed Mack’s punt and Calhoun County’s David Watson recovered to set Calhoun County up at the Chesterfield 20. After an incompletion by Jeffery, Calhoun County tailback Dante Stewart, who finished with 18 carries for 83 yards, took a handoff off the left side of the Calhoun line and went 20 yards for a touchdown. Brown missed the extra point but the Saints trailed just 14-13 with 9:28 to go in the third.

The Rams responded with a nine-play drive that ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Truesdale to Johnson on first-and-22 to give Chesterfield a 21-13 lead. A fumble by Saints’ tailback Lawrence Mitchum on the ensuing Calhoun County drive set the Golden Rams up at the Calhoun County 37. The Golden Rams quickly moved the ball to the Calhoun County 18, but two consecutive penalties gave Chesterfield a second-and-24 situation from the 44-yard line. Again, Truesdale, who was 7 of 15 passing in the game for 151 yards, found a soft spot in the middle of the Saints’ defense, connecting with receiver Jonathan Murvin for a 44-yard score to make it 28-13.

“We saw it,” Taneyhill said of the first-and-long and second-and-long scoring passes. “There ain’t no question, we didn’t practice those plays. We saw it and we checked to it. That goes back to 7-on-7s.”

Still, the Saints were not done, responding with a 14-play, 65-yard drive that concluded with a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Jeffery for a touchdown. Jeffery then passed to Mark Irick on the 2-point conversion to cut the lead to 28-21 with 9:29 to play in the game. The Golden Rams came right back with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Murvin hauling in a pass behind Jeffery in the end zone with 4:15 to go.

“The experience was the difference,” said Wilson. “You look at it and say we couldn’t match up. That was a (darn) lie. That isn’t what killed us. We killed ourselves. What killed us is we made mistakes when we couldn’t make mistakes. I think we blocked up front pretty good. We ran the ball. We did what we wanted to do, but their experience in this situation is what beat us.”

Wilson’s Saints made one last, desperation drive, but on fourth-and-3 from the Chesterfield 35, Jeffery’s pass intended for Golson was picked off. The Rams then moved the ball out near midfield with tailback Derrick McQueen, who rushed for 134 yards on 19 carries, before the game came to an end.

“It’s been a good season,” Calhoun County senior guard Javen Jamison. “Every year, like coach Wilson said, we got better. We lost in the first round my first year to Allendale. Last year, we lost in the second round to Bamberg and this year to Chesterfield. I feel like ... they are going to make it over the hurdle. They will be back next year.”

Calhoun County closes out its season 11-2 overall. Chesterfield (13-0) advances to the Class A Divsion I state title game, scheduled to be played at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg Friday.

Scoring

First

CH — Johnson 5 run (Cutchin kick) 8:52

CH — Johnson 65 punt return (Cutchin kick) 7:32

Second

CC — Jeffery 7 run (Brown kick) 9:04

Third

CC — Stewart 20 run (Kick failed) 9:28

CH — Johnson 27 pass from Truesdale (Cutchin kick) 6:13 CH — Murvin 44 pass from Truesdale (Cutchin kick) 2:33

Fourth

CC — Jeffery 1 run (Irick pass from Jeffery) 9:29 CH — Murvin 25 pass from Truesdale (Cutchin kick) 4:15

T&D Sports Editor Brian Linder can be reached via e-mail at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553.

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