Six Lowco area players were named to the South Carolina Football Coaches Association’s inaugural All-State first team released Monday, and six more players from area teams received honorable mention.
Hilton Head High’s Cole DeMarzo and Christian Miller, Beaufort High’s James Dagin, Bluffton’s Evan Hayes, May River’s Terry Fields, and Whale Branch’s JacQuez Frazier were all named to the All-State teams in their classifications. Bluffton’s Rakim White, Lee Kirkland, and Luke Bond earned honorable mention, along with Battery Creek’s Kyseem Jabar and Brandon Wilson and Whale Branch’s De’Arius Hazel.
DeMarzo was the Seahawks’ leading receiver (663 yards on 36 catches) but he made his biggest mark on defense and was one of six defensive backs on the Class 4A team. The Michigan State commit racked up 102 tackles (8 for loss) with three sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and 10 pass breakups.
He was only one half of HHIHS’ dynamic secondary duo, as highly-touted cornerback Miller also earned one of six DB spots on the 4A team and joined DeMarzo on the South Carolina Shrine Bowl roster. Teams rarely threw Miller’s way, but he still ended up with 47 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and three picks.
The Seahawk duo was joined on the Class 4A team by Dagin and Hayes, a pair of North-South All-Star Game picks who both used their legs to propel their teams — in different ways. Dagin was a 1,000-yard rusher for the Eagles and led their second-half resurgence to win the Region 7-4A title following an 0-5 start.
Hayes boasted one of the biggest legs in the state, making 4-of-7 field goals with a long of 42 yards and connecting on 21-of-24 PATs.
May River’s Terry Fields was one of six defensive backs selected for the Class 3A All-State team after collecting 90 tackles along with eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions. The Middle Tennessee commit also had a team-high five touchdown catches and took one kickoff return and one punt return back for scores.
Frazier was one of six linebackers named to the Class 2A team after anchoring the Warriors’ stout defense. The senior compiled 116 tackles (6 for loss) along with two sacks and two forced fumbles.
