Self-inflicted wounds brought an end to Marlboro County High's hopes in the Class AAAA state playoffs.    Lower Richland defeated the Bulldogs 20-14 Friday night in Columbia in the first round to eliminate them from the postseason.
The loss ended a season of missed opportunities as the Bulldogs finish with a 2-9 overall record.
"It all came down to holding on to the football.  We played right with them but turnovers will kill you and that was the case here," said Bobby Collins, Marlboro County head coach.
"It was a case of guys just trying to make plays but getting the ball knocked out but it was the difference between winning and losing," he said.
In a preview of things to come, Marlboro County suffered a fumble on their first snap of the game.  The turnover gave the Diamond Hornets the ball at midfield.
Lower Richland drove deep into Marlboro County territory, only to turn it over themselves.  Skishaun Palmer picked off a LR pass, his sixth interception of the season, near the endzone.

Several local tennis players participated in the S.C. 65+ 3.5 state championship matches held in Hilton Head the weekend of Nov. 1 thru Nov. 4. The team won the state championship. Members of the team have been state runners-up and won six Pee Dee League Championships in various leagues, but this is their first state championship. Team members from Bennettsville are: Bogen Berry, Harry Blackmon, Otis Harrison, John McLaurin, and Jay Owens. From Rockingham, NC.: Mike Rainwater and Gene Stewart: From Chesterfield - Nicky Cohen; and Team Captain Steve Quick from Florence. The team enjoys practicing Wednesdays and Sundays at Quick’s court, supported by their families and friends. 

While the odds are long, the Bulldogs are in the playoffs.
"It's a new season and anything can happen," said MCHS head coach Bobby Collins.
If nothing else, it gives the youthful Bulldogs one more week of full-pad practice to get ready for a rebound year in 2020.
"If we could eliminate the penalties and turnovers that have killed us all year, we can still be a good team.  We can't get behind the chains - our team just isn't built for that.  If we could ever have a clean game, I still think we could be pretty solid," said Collins.
He said that the coaching staff has worked to remove as many of the hurdles to success as they can identify.
"We have tried to simplify everything.  Many of these are errors of youthfulness, so trying to fix it right now means making it easier to understand," he said.
"We had a really good practice on Monday and the kids are still engaged, so we'll just keep working," said Collins.

A new buzz word among college football analysts is "complementary football."  It refers to the offense and defense of a team assisting the other - the offense not putting the defense in bad positions and the defense giving the offense scoring opportunities.
Last Friday night, the Marlboro County football team played complementary football for the first time since opening night.  The result was a convincing win.
"That is definitely what we are aiming for - a ball-hogging offense that doesn't turn it over and a defense that gets the opponent to punt or turn it over quickly," said head coach Bobby Collins.
"If you can do that, it surely puts you in a position to win.  We still have lots of work to do, but that's what it is supposed to be like," he said.
While playing Darlington was just what the doctor ordered, this week's opponent will be a stern test.

The Marlboro Academy girls' tennis team recently wrapped up their season.  It was a rebuilding and learning season for the Lady Dragons.
"We had a very inexperienced team and didn't have any seniors on the squad.  The girls had fun learning the basics of tennis," said Phyllis Hubbard, who coached the squad this fall.
"The progress that the girls made was obvious and our matches became much more competitive as the season went on," she said.
One of the most helpful tools that the Dragons now have is a new hitting machine to use in practice which was purchased by two of the families.