We’re just one week away from the start of the high school football playoffs, and the postseason picture has become nearly crystal clear. Three area teams have locked down region championships, and several others secured their spot in the dance this November. With another busy week behind us, here’s what we learned as our Lowco squads come down the stretch.
Jace Blackshear is human after all, but HHCA’s defense found a way.
Blackshear came into Friday night with just one interception on the season. But in just the first half, Beaufort Academy’s Jaxen Porter picked him off twice. It was a night that we also saw just the third HHCA punt of the year. But despite a tough early offensive showing, Ron Peduzzi’s defense lifted the Eagles to another Region 1-2A championship and the cusp of a second straight perfect regular season. With a Dylan Clark scoop-and-score to close out the first half and a Riley Shinn pick-6 on his birthday, the Junkyard Dogs made the difference, holding Beaufort Academy’s offense to no points. It wasn’t the prettiest performance from Blackshear, but the star quarterback shook off a tough opening half, guiding his Eagles down the field to begin the third quarter and adding to his long reel of highlights with a pair of spectacular touchdown runs. Every championship team deals with some form of adversity, and the Eagles showed their toughness and drive throughout the night to get the job done on their home field.
Mark Clifford is doing a tremendous job at Beaufort Academy.
With just a 25-man roster going up against a Hilton Head Christian Academy squad loaded with talent on both sides, the path to a Beaufort Academy victory was incredibly narrow. But Clifford and the Eagles nearly pulled it off. Sure, it was a 35-6 final score, but the contest was a lot closer that those numbers would indicate. Braydon Dineen and BA had to control the ball and build long, sustained drives to keep the Eagles in it, and the defense would have to find a way to force a mistake or two. They did both early on, and a Porter pick-6 brought them within a point of the defending state champs. But it unraveled quickly with a pair of HHCA defensive scores, and BA’s run-first offense couldn’t find a way to make up the large deficit. They may not have pulled off the upset, but the BA Eagles proved they could hang with SCISA’s top 2A team. With a potent trio of running backs and a defense led by a pair of playmakers in Porter and Ben Lubkin, Beaufort Academy has the potential to make some noise in the playoffs and could very well earn the right to see Peduzzi’s team again in a few weeks.
John Paul II has made some terrific strides in Chris Myers’ third year.
Nine weeks ago, the Golden Warriors couldn’t find a way to stop Loncelle Daley. But on Friday night, a dialed-in defense flipped the script. After Daley dashed past JPII for 237 yards in the season opener, the junior was held to just 79 yards in the rematch. Led by senior linebacker Michael Carbone’s 11-tackle night, the Golden Warriors shut down Tristan Bonomo, Daley, and a Hilton Head Prep offense that put up 38 points on them back in August. Chris Myers knew it would be difficult to replace linemen Hayden Jennings and Austin McIntosh this year, but Peter Hughes and Sebastian Slusne have emerged as terrific run-stoppers to anchor a defensive unit that is starting to find its groove. The Golden Warriors may be losing explosive playmaker Mark Knight along with Carbone, but this team is very young and should continue to improve alongside sophomore quarterback Christian Tilton. Just two years removed from a winless campaign, Myers’ squad is starting to turn the corner in his third year, and will have a massive opportunity next week at Beaufort Academy with the region’s No.2 seed in the line.
Joseph Hicks is putting together an unforgettable senior season at Whale Branch.
His Twitter handle is @J2Klutch_ ,and it’s been a perfect description of Hicks’ memorable fall. The senior standout has been clutch all year long when his number’s been called, and he found the end zone five times on Friday night to put the exclamation on a spectacular regular season. Averaging more than 11 yards per carry, Hicks has used his exceptional quickness, strength, and elusiveness to carve up defenses en route to 17 touchdowns in just seven games. Coupled with his excellent linebacking play in the heart of the defense, Hicks’ abilities will be essential to a deep Whale Branch postseason run.
It’s great to see positive news on Jaylen Sneed’s recovery.
It was a somber sight in James Island on Friday, as Hilton Head High superstar quarterback and Notre Dame commit Jaylen Sneed went down and was carted off in the fourth quarter. It’s a situation we never want to see during a game, and it sometimes just takes one unfortunate setback to derail a promising career. Fortunately, we received good news late Friday night that Sneed’s upper-body injury was not career-threatening, and the cart came in as a precautionary measure. Hilton Head’s star is expected to miss at least Friday’s Week 10 contest against May River, which will have minimal effect on the region standings. We hope to see him back on the field for the postseason, but if Friday night was the finale for Sneed’s Seahawk tenure, he’ll certainly go down as one of the most talented and successful players in the program’s history. And his football career is just getting started.
The region races may have all been decided, but there’s still a lot to look forward to in Week 10. From an intriguing battle for second place in SCISA 1-2A to a former crosstown rivalry renewed on the island, we should be in for a captivating final week in the 2021 regular season.
By Wes Kerr
