Fans of local private schools sure love their football teams.
After voters from the northern part of our coverage area dominated the online voting last week, this time around it was the private school fans who stepped up, as the top three vote-getters in this week’s fan voting for the RBC Heritage Player of the Week are SCISA standouts.
Thomas Heyward’s John Clark Tilton won a tight race for the fan vote this week, garnering 25.2% after rushing for 206 yards on 15 carries and adding two tackles (one for loss) and a pass breakup in a 36-14 win at Spartanburg Christian.
Tilton narrowly edged Hilton Head Christian Academy’s JP Peduzzi (22.6%) and John Paul II’s Reco Anderson (18.8%) to pick up the fan vote, but did he catch the attention of our media panelists?
Beaufort High quarterback Daniel Phares did, picking up one vote after rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns and throwing a TD pass to lead the Eagles to their first win of the season. And so did Thomas Heyward’s Bruzza Pusha, whose 168 yards from scrimmage with four touchdowns and a two-point conversion helped fuel the Rebels’ region road win.
But two of us — myself included — were once again wowed by a member of Hilton Head Christian Academy’s offensive juggernaut. Peduzzi just missed out on the fan vote, but his eight receptions for 179 yards and two TDs, his four tackles and a pass breakup on defense, and his big leg, which booted 6-of-7 extra points and sent six of nine kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks were enough to attract two votes from our panel, making him the RBC Heritage Player of the Week for Week 7.
Congrats to John Clark Tilton and JP Peduzzi — as well as the rest of the nominees — and thanks for voting!
The Heritage Classic Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization, enhances the quality of life and economic vitality of our region by hosting the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, South Carolina’s only PGA TOUR golf tournament.