AIKEN SOUTH 26, AIKEN 14

The streak was almost over.

Not even – the traces were almost finished.

Streaks of seven games in a row and 23, to rival South Aiken in total, were just feet away from finally ending Friday night for the Aiken High football team.

The Hornets had the ball, had the momentum, had time remaining with 2:05 on the clock and the ball at the South Aiken 9. The only thing they didn’t have was the lead, and they were down 20- 14. the threshold of having it too.

Then the T-Breds broke their hearts again.

Nick Starlings stepped in front of a Tanner Padgett pass, picking it off at the 4, a sophomore making his first big mark on the rivalry at the expense of another. On the next snap, it was senior running back Jevon Edwards, who tormented Aiken one last time with a 96-yard touchdown run, his fourth of the night, for a 26-14 lead with just 1:21 to play .

That ended the game, which ended literally one play later after a scuffle near the Aiken sideline on the ensuing kickoff. Aiken athletic director Phillip Blacha called to stop the game at that point, taking the last minute, changing the clock and sending the T-Breds onto the bus waving to the home crowd.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m proud of them for (the win),” said frustrated South Aiken head coach Chris Hamilton. “I’m not happy with the nonsense. We’re better than that. I know the emotions of this game. That’s what it is. We have to do better than that, and we have to go out and play like the group we were before the hurricane. I’m still struggling with it and I need to understand it.

“As the head coach, it’s on me. It’s on me to make them play every day, and I’m not doing a very good job right now. I’m going to go back to work. It’s the only thing. I know what we have to do is go back to work and figure this out, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Edwards, who had the best rushing performance in school history last year against Aiken with 442 yards and six touchdowns, the last of which came with 23 seconds left for a 42-41 victory.