Sawyers 5 TDs Leads Swain Past Andrews

ANDREWS — Swain County picked up its first win of the season Friday night, jumping out in front of Andrews and never looking back in a 56-34 win.

The final score was closer than the game played out, as Andrews did much of its scoring late in the fourth quarter after Swain had built a comfortable lead.

Kaden Sawyer led the way for the Maroon Devils with a huge night on the ground. The senior carried the ball 17 times for 245 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught a 33-yard touchdown pass to finish with five scores on the night.

Swain rushed for 446 yards as a team and finished with 571 yards of total offense. Mason Littlejohn added 67 yards and a touchdown on three carries, while Cameron Green rushed for 69 yards and a score. Ayden Kirkland added 39 yards and a touchdown and was a perfect 6-for-6 passing for 92 yards.

Andrews struggled to keep pace early, but the Wildcats were able to get the offense moving late in the game.

Senior quarterback Brady McLelland completed 6-of-12 passes for 129 yards and added 39 yards on the ground.

Kelby Waldroup provided a couple of big plays, rushing seven times for 79 yards, including a 57-yard run. He also caught a 41-yard pass to finish with 120 yards from scrimmage.

Junior AJ Johnson caught three passes for 61 yards and a touchdown and added 35 yards rushing. Johnson was also busy in the return game, finishing with 171 kickoff return yards.

Chris Jones added two catches for 27 yards, while sophomore Alex Garrett came away with an interception on defense.

The Wildcats’ late scores pushed their final total to 34, but by then Swain had already done the damage.

For the Maroon Devils, it was a much-needed win after an 0-4 start and puts them at 1-0 in Smoky Mountain Conference play. Andrews drops to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Andrews will be back at home Friday night when Robbinsville comes to town, while Swain gets a week off before hosting the Black Knights on Oct. 2.