COLUMBIA, S.C. — The A.C. Flora athletics program has seen state championship trophies adorn its property from sports such as baseball, basketball, golf, soccer and tennis. Now football has its moment on that big stage.
The Falcons defeated North Myrtle Beach 42-7 Saturday at Benedict's Charlie W. Johnson Stadium. That game marked A.C. Flora's first appearance in the finals for football and the victory was also the first state championship in football for Richland One since 1070.
After the visitors from the Grand Strand took a 7-0 lead on their opening drive, A.C. Flora would respond with a pair of touchdown passes from Ethan Beamish to Eriq Rice. A Matthew Pack touchdown gave the Falcons a 20-7 halftime lead.
Pack and Markel Townsend would find their way into the end zone as the Falcons running game was able to impose its will on the NMB defense.
For A.C. Flora head coach Dustin Curtis, this was an emotional win as he is a former Falcon assistant who spent three years as the head coach at Westwood before returning to take over the Falcon program in 2019.
Two years later, Curtis was lifted on the shoulders of his players with the highly coveted state championship trophy in his possession.
