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3A Notebook
The Camden Bulldogs are looking like a team on a mission after destroying rival Lugoff-Elgin this past week. QB Grayson White continues to put up big numbers as this Bulldogs offense rolls through defenses. The take on a tough Hartsville team this week and this will be a test, for sure. The Red Foxes are 2-0 with blow out wins over Darlington and Conway, scoring a total of 109 points in those two games. Camden will certainly be a bigger test for the Foxes defense than they’ve seen thus far.
Gilbert opened their season with a win over a weaker Batesburg-Leesville team but looked very good in exectuing their game. They chewed through 339 yards on the ground with their running backs Alias Graham-Woodberry and Jaden Allen-Hendrix. Former QB Chance Jennings also added 71 yards rushing on 5 carries and two scores. It will be their defense that is tested this week, however, as South Aiken comes to town and they bring with them a quarterback who runs the zone read offense and looks more like an Olympic 100 meter man when he pulls the ball and runs.
Brookland-Cayce got in the winning column against rival Airport with a 31-20 win at home. I was at part of this game and can tell you the Bearcats are not in a state of synchronicity on offense. QB Tanner Staton must be being told where to throw the ball because there are receiver open elsewhere on the field while he’s running around in the backfield. They look a little chaotic and that works in games where you can out athlete your opponent but when you’re facing a good team, it can be chaotic disaster. Case in point, they take on a tough Northwestern team this week who has generated 1100 yards of offense in 2 games and put up 121 points over Rock Hill and Clover. The Bearcats will need long, slow drivs punctuated with a score at the end of them.
Crestwood got a solid win over Gray collegiate this past week and quarterback Javion Martin showed why he and Nigel Johnson are a dangerous tandem, going over 200 yards through the air. They face another good 2A team this week in Andrew Jackson, who gave Fairfield Central a good game this past week. Don’t be surprised if this Andrew Jackson team isn’t as deep as the third round of the playoffs this season. Crestwood will need to play good run defense against the Vols.
Lower Richland is 1-1 after a good win over Westwood this past week and take on a Ridge View team that is an interesting match up. Both of these schools have the potential to be explosive on offense but neither has capitolized on the talent they have at WR. In my opinion, both have under achieved on offense. This is a chance for both of these teams to seize the moment and show what they are capable of. I think Ridge View is playing the best defense right now so that could be the edge in this game. WR Nate Branch needs to have a big game fo the Diamdon Hornets to win.
Orangeburg-Wilkinson got a win over a bad Keenan team this past week and got good play from three of their running backs combining for 213 yards and 3 scores. Quarterback Anthony Mack had a good game with 130 yards passing but this team will need to be more proficient on offense against South Florence this week. South Flo beat the breaks off of Goose Creek in week one and this past week, beat a very good Oceanside Collegiate team. This will be a challenge for OW.
Dreher was beaten badly by rival AC Flora but I think this was an expected outcome for the rebuilding Blue Devils. There were not a lot of bright spots in this game other than teh fact that this team did not quit. Quarterback Colby Fuller played well and WR Caleb Timmons was a bright spot for the Devils. This week, they take on an 1-1 Lakewood team that is a lot better than their record indicates. They are playing young at QB, like Dreher, but their defense has some very talented players in key positions. This is actually a winable game for Dreher but their offense will need to be on point.
The Swansea Tigers took it on the chin against River Bluff and I think that outcome was expected. They struggled on both sides of the football and frankly were just outmatched. This week, they are off but next week they take on a 1-1 Wagener-Salley team who is not bad. They have a good OL and their quarterback is a very good athlete. But this is a winnable game of the Tigers and I think their offense will be too much for W-S.
Lakewood, as I mentioned, is 1-1 after a good win this past week over Fox Creek, shutting them out 30-0. This Gator defense is impressive with NC State commit Brandon Cisse in the secondary and junior LB Seneca Moore anchoring the linebacker group. They are young on offense but they have a good offensive line and this will be a good match up against Dreher.
THE IMPACT PLAYERS
QB Grayson White, Camden
DL Xavior McLeod, Camden
RB Jaden Allen-Hendrix, Gilbert
RB, Alias Graham-Woodberry, Gilbert
QB Tanner Staton, Brookland-Cayce
SB Naahzekiel Mays, Brookland-Cayce
QB Javion Martin, Crestwood
WR Nigel Johnson, Crestwood
WR Nate Branch, Lower Richland
QB Anthony Mack, Orangeburg-Wilkinson
QB Colby Fuller, Dreher
WR Caleb Timmons, Dreher
QB Jake Harper, Swansea
DB Brandon Cisse, Lakewood
LB Seneca Moore, Lakewood
