CAPSHAW – The defense did not rest last night at Cavnar Field.

The Indians swarmed Cherokee County the entire game en route to a 6-0 victory in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.

“They were a very, very good offensive team, ” Indians coach Jeff Pugh said. “But our defense played excellent all night and rose to the occasion every single time. We played with the heart of a champion.”

It was the defense that led to the only touchdown of the game for either team. With Cherokee County driving late in the first quarter, Indian defensive back Lagarious Mayberry read the pass and picked it off, racing to the 19-yard line.

“The receiver was just sitting there and it was a wide open play for me to make,” Mayberry said.

Three plays later, Chad Dewitt rushed a quarterback keeper up the middle for a 9-yard touchdown. The PAT failed, giving East Limestone a 6-0 lead it would never relinquish. Dewitt ran for 87 yards on the night while throwing for 42 yards. He was every bit the leader, encouraging his team members even when they dropped some well-thrown passes.

“Coach told us to stay focused and good things would happen,” Dewitt said.

Jonathan Pinque was a force on both sides of the ball. He made several tackles and recorded two sacks. He also rushed for 107 yards on 16 carries.

“I want to thank my O-line, Chad and the coaches for the game I had tonight,” Pinque said.

“We really wanted it more.”

The greatest test for the defense was late in the fourth quarter. Cherokee County capitalized on one of the few Indian mistakes, driving to the 6-yard line after a fumble recovery. Marvin Baker broke up a sure touchdown pass from Coty Blanchard to Gabriel Chambers and the Indians got the ball back on downs. East Limestone held Cherokee County to 140 yards of total offense for the night while gaining 269 yards.

“Defensive Coach Stiles had a great game plan and our kids played exceptional tonight,” Pugh said. “You can measure how fast a kid is, but you can’t measure the heart of a champion.”

The Indians travel to third-ranked Tarrant next week in the second round of the playoffs.