Let me tell you why I love the readers of LowcoSports.com — other than the fact that you read this website. It’s because we share a common set of values, or at least one value.
See, unlike the rest of our RBC Heritage Player of the Week voting panel, you and I respect the W.
Although plenty of area players put up big numbers in losing efforts — including Bluffton quarterback Lee Kirkland and receiver Rakim White — I felt compelled to throw my support behind a player who helped his team get a big win, and so did you.
Kirkland picked up two of the four votes from our panel after passing for 326 yards and four touchdowns and adding a rushing TD in a 44-41 overtime loss to Screven County (Ga.). And his favorite target, White, snagged a vote with his 10 receptions for 153 yards and two TDs, along with an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown.
I went a different direction, casting my vote for Thomas Heyward’s JR Patterson, who was a monster on both sides of the ball in the Rebels’ 46-22 win over Hilton Head Christian Academy, rushing for 165 yards on 14 carries, throwing a touchdown pass, and collecting five tackles and an interception on defense.
And you agreed.
Patterson picked up 28.3 percent of the fan vote, narrowly edging Beaufort High’s Kendrick Williams (23.8%) and Hilton Head Prep’s Tommy Stauffer (18.1%) for the all-important fifth vote, which forged a tie between Patterson and Kirkland.
Because the fan vote is the tiebreaker, your votes swung the decision in Patterson’s favor, making the Thomas Heyward junior the first RBC Heritage Player of the Week for 2019.
Congrats to Patterson, and thanks for voting. We’ll do it again next week.