How Byrnes football's backup QB Zy Landrum sparked region win against Dorman
DUNCAN — The trickiest aspect about being a backup quarterback is that you have to prepare like the starter while knowing that if all goes according to plan, you won't be playing. That self-motivating factor is especially difficult when you're a junior in high school.
For Byrnes' Zy Landrum, though, his approach is best summed up by this lyric from a song by rapper Suga Free: "If you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready."
From the 4:36 mark in the second quarter to 6:11 in the fourth, Dorman and Byrnes were in a 14-14 stalemate.
That's when Byrnes coach Reggie Shaw decided to make a change, and Landrum responded, leading Byrnes to a 28-26 victory against archrival Dorman.
"When Coach called my number, I knew the standard wasn't going to change ... he told me that my job is just to execute and that's what we did," Landrum said. "At first, I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous looking at the defense, but one of my teammates told me I had to go score. So, I looked at him and told him I would."
After five straight handoffs to his running backs, Landrum did exactly what he said he would and ran 37 yards for Byrnes' first offensive touchdown of the game.
"He's a dynamic runner. His passing game is still coming along, but he's a dynamic runner," Shaw said. "Anytime he touches the ball, he has the chance to do something special with it."
That play was the first of a three-play, 14 game-second sequence that shifted the momentum in favor of the Rebels (8-1, 3-0). On the ensuing kickoff, Byrnes' Knai Cook recovered a fumble on the Dorman 28-yard line. Freshman running back David Segarra III broke a 28-yard run for a TD the next play.
Byrnes 28, Dorman 14 with 5:57 left to play.
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Dorman (3-5, 1-1) didn't quit, though. After gaining just 63 yards in the first three quarters, the Cavaliers' offense clicked in the fourth.
Quarterback Brice O'Neal found his go-to receiver, KD Hainsworth, twice for touchdowns, but after Dorman failed on an extra point and then a two-point conversion attempt, Byrnes held on to win 28-26.
"Our kids never quit, they kept fighting. I'm extremely proud of them and tonight just shows their heart and where we're headed with this program," said Dorman first-year coach Jake Morris. "Obviously, it's upsetting to lose the game, but we saw a lot that we can build off of and I couldn't be more proud of our team and of how well our defense played all night."
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SC high school football: Byrnes backup Zy Landrum keys win vs. Dorman
