Lugoff-Elgin Tops Westwood 30-20: 6 Takeaways From Region 4-4A Football Opener

Lugoff-Elgin needed a response after suffering its first loss of the season.

The No. 19 Demons got one Thursday night, although winless Westwood made them work for it.

Lugoff-Elgin opened Region 4-4A play with a 30-20 victory, improving to 6-1 after last week's 33-20 loss to Wren. The Demons jumped ahead 13-0 in the first quarter, but the Redhawks stayed within striking distance into the second half.

Senior running back Tiyon Fanning scored two touchdowns and wide receiver Eric Richardson added another for Lugoff-Elgin, just days after both were selected to represent South Carolina in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.

Kicker Wyatt Rabon also played a major role, making three field goals in the first half as the Demons struggled to finish drives.

Here are six takeaways from Lugoff-Elgin's 30-20 victory over Westwood.

1. Injuries Have Forced Both Teams to Adjust

Neither Lugoff-Elgin coach Jarvis Littlejohn nor Westwood coach Stephen Burris has been working with an ideal lineup.

Those changes appeared to affect Lugoff-Elgin most noticeably in the first half.

The Demons moved the ball into the red zone four times but repeatedly settled for field goals rather than touchdowns. Rabon converted three kicks to help Lugoff-Elgin build its lead despite the missed opportunities.

@ShrineBowlNCSC selection Eric Richardson with the leaping catch to put @LE_FB1 up 30-14 over @WestwoodFB with 6:12 left in game. @SCSportsNow @fourquarterSC @MovinChains @huffstersports pic.twitter.com/jMH5hlL9i6
— Thomas Grant Jr. (@junebugnewyork) October 2, 2026

2. Lugoff-Elgin's Shrine Bowl Selections Deliver

Littlejohn wasn't surprised when Fanning and Richardson were selected for South Carolina's roster for the 90th Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas on Dec. 19.

“They deserve it,” Littlejohn said. “Those are the two premier back and wide receivers in the state. They worked hard for it, and I'm glad they're on our team.”

Both seniors showed why Thursday.

Lugoff-Elgin leaned on Fanning's power running, while he also provided quarterback Zach Williams with another option in the passing game alongside Richardson and Tyree Lindsey.

Fanning and Richardson accounted for the Demons' two second-half touchdowns.

Lugoff-Elgin also received a boost on defense from the return of senior linebacker Logan Hinton, who had been away competing in wrestling.

“He was in Ohio wrestling,” Littlejohn said. “He went 7-2, so we might be losing him in a little while too. He might be leaving again to wrestle. But hopefully, we can keep him the rest of the season.”

3. Demons Finally Get Past Westwood

Thursday's victory ended two years of frustration for Littlejohn against the Redhawks.

Lugoff-Elgin had lost its previous two meetings with Westwood, including a 34-28 double-overtime defeat last season.

That game was particularly painful for the Demons. Westwood used an 89-yard hook-and-lateral touchdown at the end of regulation to force overtime before eventually winning.

Littlejohn said victories over Camden earlier this season and Westwood on Thursday helped get “the monkeys off their back” and showed the direction in which the program is moving.

At 6-1, the Demons have already surpassed their five-win total from last season.

Jovan Howard with 7-yard TD run for @WestwoodFB. The 2-point conversion is intercepted by @LE_FB1 who lead 30-20 with 5:17 left in game. pic.twitter.com/jfKx2ooMFC
— Thomas Grant Jr. (@junebugnewyork) October 2, 2026

4. Lugoff-Elgin Gets an Early Jump in Region 4-4A

The Demons couldn't have asked for a better start to region play.

Lugoff-Elgin is 1-0 in Region 4-4A and now turns its attention to A.C. Flora, another opponent that has given the Demons trouble.

The Falcons have won the past four meetings in the series.

Another important region game awaits Oct. 16 against Dreher. The Blue Devils are off to a 4-1 start, their best since 2016, with games against Richland Northeast and Westwood coming first.

There is plenty of region football still to play, but Lugoff-Elgin has given itself an early advantage by winning on the road Thursday.

5. Westwood's Young Offense Shows Signs of Progress

Westwood fell to 0-6, but Burris saw reasons for encouragement from an offense that has been forced to continually adjust its lineup.

Junior running back Jovan Howard scored two touchdowns behind an offensive line featuring several sophomores.

Sophomore quarterback Kylen Dopson also flashed his dual-threat ability despite facing consistent pressure from Lugoff-Elgin's defensive front.

On Westwood's opening possession of the second half, Dopson escaped a potential sack on fourth down and found Angelo Rios for a 54-yard touchdown.

Mistakes ultimately hurt the Redhawks' comeback attempt. Dopson was intercepted on a two-point conversion attempt and again on Westwood's final possession.

“He's taking some lumps early and just trying to get him to trust what we do every day,” Burris said. “Sometimes, when you've gotten away with some bad habits and had some success, that's hard for a quarterback to trust the other way.

“He's gotten his nose bloodied, lip busted up. He continues to get off the mat, and that's the same for all of us.”

Burris was encouraged by what he saw from his offense in the second half and believes reducing turnovers will give Westwood a better chance over its final four games.

“We're a process-oriented program,” Burris said. “Every coach wants to be playing their best ball in October, and that's where we're heading.”

6. East Carolina Gets a Look at Westwood's Defensive Line

An East Carolina assistant coach was on the Westwood sideline Thursday with his attention on senior defensive end A.J. Veal.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Veal is committed to East Carolina and spent much of the night applying pressure to Lugoff-Elgin quarterback Zach Williams.

Another Westwood defensive lineman worth watching is Kylen Johnson.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder was active up front against the Demons, and Burris believes Johnson has room to continue developing into a college prospect.

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