We’re entering the home stretch of the 2021 high school football season, and we’ve been treated to some phenomenal action so far across the Lowco. It’s that point in the year when every snap starts to mean that much more as the playoff picture begins to take shape. With just a few weeks left to go before the postseason, here are some things that I’ve learned from following the action on the field.
All pages are FREE through Week 0, then pages without sponsors will be EXCLUSIVE for our Patreon members!
The Beaufort High Eagles are a complete football team.
A week ago, Bryce Lybrand’s Eagles used their high-powered offense to blitz past Hilton Head High. But on Friday night at James Island, it was the defense that stole the show. Led by monster defensive lineman Eamon Smalls alongside reliable veteran Alvin Wilson, Beaufort High completed an impressive shutout win over the Trojans. This team can beat you in so many different ways with elite talent across both sides of the ball, and that’s a scary proposition for any opponent that comes their way in the postseason. New stars have stepped up on each end, including dynamic deep-play threat Zyrin Odom and terrific tight end Michael Dennison alongside linebacker Carter Bowersox. For the Eagles to make a deep run, Tyler Haley and company will need to take care of the football. They’ve been careless on the offensive side several times this year, and avoiding self-inflicted mistakes will determine how far into November the Eagles will play. With a near-unbeatable defensive line and a wide array of offensive weapons captained by a veteran senior quarterback, Beaufort’s talent on the field can go toe-to-toe with any 4A challenger, giving the Eagles a shot for a special playoff run.
Garvin Douglas is a stud.
Following up a legendary talent at quarterback is a near-impossible task. But Garvin Douglas has answered the challenge for the May River Sharks. We’ve seen shades of former Shark star Ahmad Green all season long with Douglas blazing past the competition with his legs. He’s got the ability to take it to the house on any play, and his quick feet and agility make it a daunting task to bring him down. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he’s got the strength to break tackles and power past defenders for explosive plays down the field. Thanks to a tremendous job from a new-look Shark offensive line, Douglas has put up some astronomical numbers, rushing for over 200 yards in back-to-back games. He’s picked up right where Green left off a year ago, and has quickly catapulted the Sharks to 4A contenders once again.
The Junkyard Dogs are back at Hilton Head Christian Academy.
With a dangerous Pinewood Prep offense coming to town last Friday, we were skeptical about the Eagles’ ability to shut down the Panthers’ terrific passing game. But Matt Smith and his dialed-in defense quickly erased all doubts. Not only did the Junkyard Dogs stymie Pinewood’s aerial attack, they posted a first-half shutout and picked off three passes. It was an absolutely dominant performance against a strong SCISA 3A unit, cementing Hilton Head Christian Academy as the state title favorite once again in SCISA 2A. Extraordinary senior linebacker Jackson “Bulldog” Lanier was flying all over the field to lead the way, and the secondary of Riley Shinn and Speedy Robinson shut down traffic through the air all night long. Despite losing several key impact players from last year on the defensive line, a new core stepped in and created havoc for the Panthers to set the tone for a dominant 48-14 win. The Junkyard Dogs are back, and they could very well carry the Eagles to another SCISA 2A crown.
The battle for second place in SCISA Region 1-2A is heating up.
Hilton Head Christian Academy should roll through the rest of its region schedule, but the race for the second seed and a home playoff game could get very interesting. We all thought this team would be Orangeburg Prep, but OP is well on the outside looking in after an 0-3 region start. With another disappointing season from Northwood Academy, we nearly know for certain who the other three playoff teams will be. But the order in which they finish has yet to be decided. The frontrunner may be Beaufort Academy, who has used a potent run game and a terrific defense to roll to a 2-0 start. But John Paul II is also unbeaten in region play and showed off some style points in a 56-0 thumping of the Northwood Academy Chargers. And after a shutout win for Hilton Head Prep in Orangeburg this past Friday, you can’t count out the Dolphins, who beat JPII in a non-region game earlier this year. The rematch just two weeks from now in Hardeeville — which will count toward the region standings — will be a fantastic battle. With the possibility of a three-team tiebreaker at the end, we should be in store for an exciting finish between a trio of entertaining SCISA squads.
We’ve certainly turned the corner for the better in our battle against COVID-19.
Just a few weeks ago, we were seeing games all over the schedule getting postponed and canceled due to COVID exposure. But things have taken a positive turn over the past few weeks as we’ve made the jump into region play. With case numbers falling and more individuals receiving the vaccine, things are looking a lot brighter as we get closer to the postseason. It’s also been fantastic to see Ridgeland-Hardeeville back on the field this fall after taking the 2020 season off due to virus concerns. But just because the virus is receding doesn’t mean we should be done staying vigilant. Last year, we saw several teams that were forced to halt their postseason runs due to virus protocols. We cannot afford to let our guard down, and we must continue to do our part by wearing masks in crowded spaces and taking other necessary measures to slow down the spread and ensure that all of our Lowco teams have the opportunity to play out their seasons.
This fall has flown by, and we’re now starting to prep for what should be a fantastic postseason in the Lowco. With key region showdowns looming between Beaufort and May River alongside Hilton Head Christian and John Paul II — not to mention a Bridge Bowl battle with playoff implications — we’re already counting down the days until next Friday night.
By Wes Kerr
Some local sports content that is not sponsored is now available only to LowcoSports.com’s Patreon supporters. Pledge your monthly support here for as little as $1 per month to ensure you have access to all of our grassroots LOCAL sports coverage!