COLUMBIA – The Griffins, coming off a 12-2 season in which they played for the 2A upper state championship, had a rude awakening to the 2025 season Friday night at 5A Ridge View.
Griffins quarterback Kaden Diggs was 5-for-12 in passing for 45 yards. Dre Walker had four catches for 49 yards. One Diggs pass went for minus-four yards. Fairfield Central had three net rushing yards and just three first downs.
Senior Chantz Hemphill led the Griffin defense with 14 solo tackles. Dre Walker, also a senior, had six.
Blazers quarterback Tre Howard threw two touchdown passes, one to Carter Coleman and another to Omari Johnson, and ran for a third as the Blazers shut out Fairfield Central 40-0.
Ashton Chapman threw a touchdown pass to Jourdain Mack, and Davon Toney recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown.
Fairfield Central, which played for the 2A upper state championship last year, plays host to Union County on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Yellow Jackets lost 62-14 to Newberry Friday.