Each week throughout the high school football season, we’ll chase down the stats, check out the highlights, and round up our Players of the Week from around the Lowco, as well as an area Team of the Week and a preview of the upcoming Game of the Week in the Lowco Football Spotlight.
We picked the top Players of the Week, handed out a few Helmet Stickers for strong performances, and picked a Team of the Week for the second round of the playoffs and a Game of the Week we’re looking forward to in the third round of the postseason. It’s everything you need to know to get ready for another week of high school football in the Lowco.
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ROUND 1 PLAYOFF RESULTS
SCHSL Class 4A
Beaufort High 42, North Augusta 10
SCHSL Class 1A
Whale Branch 27, Lake View 12
SCISA Class 2A
Hilton Head Christian 52, Pee Dee Academy 23
Williamsburg Academy 28, Beaufort Academy 7
SCISA Class 1A
Thomas Heyward 49, Thomas Sumter 9
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
• Xavier Chaplin, WB: Chaplin is the anchor of an offensive line that has paved the way for a powerful ground game all season, and the Virginia Tech commit also was a monster on defense Friday. He racked up eight tackles (four for loss) with a sack and helped clear the way for 205 rushing yards and three TDs on 38 rushes to propel the Warriors into the Lower State semifinals.
• Keith Chisholm, WB: In Seabrook, they’re already invoking NFL cornerback Dee Delaney’s name when they talk about Chisholm, who has stepped up his game in the playoffs. Opposing defenses have focused on trying to take the sophomore out of the passing game — he averages 29.6 yards per catch and has taken four of his seven grabs to the house — but he caught one pass for 21 yards, made five tackles, and tallied three picks for the second straight game on Friday.
• Tyler Haley, BHS: Perhaps Haley has been saving his legs for the playoffs, because he racked up 109 yards and two TDs on nine carries Friday at North Augusta, his highest rushing output since Week 1 at Effingham County. The senior also went 12-of-21 passing for 191 yards as the Eagles topped 40 points for the third time in four games.
• Jackson Lanier, HHCA: The Bulldog was a beast on both sides of the ball in Friday’s win over Pee Dee Academy. The senior led the Eagles with 128 rushing yards and a TD on seven carries, caught three passes for 76 yards and a score, and racked up an incredible 19 tackles and two forced fumbles in a phenomenal iron man effort to send the Eagles to the state championship game.
• James Townsend, THA: The statistics don’t tell the whole story of Townsend’s performance on Friday against Thomas Sumter. “Turbo” was terrific, making three tackles, breaking up four passes, and picking off another that he nearly took to the house. He also had a 55-yard punt return touchdown to spark the Rebels in the first half.
HELMET STICKERS
• Jace Blackshear, HHCA: 18-31 passing, 271 yards, 4 TDs; 7-33 rushing
• Darrell Cummings, WB: 10-83, TD rushing
• James Dennison, BHS: 6 tackles
• Braydon Dineen, BA: 3-9 passing, 47 yards; 4-12 rushing; 5 tackles, blocked punt
• Devonte Green, BA: 8-75 rushing; 3 tackles, INT, sack
• Preston Hamilton, THA: 5 tackles, 2 TFL, sack
• Joseph Hicks, WB: 9-53, TD rushing; 1-10, TD receiving
• Brandon Howard, THA: 10 tackles, TFL, sack; 32-yard TD reception
• Tyshon Mansell, THA: 3-6 passing, 115 yards, 3 TDs; 2-12 rushing
• Amariee Morris, BHS: 13-85, 3 TDs rushing
• Tony Obanner, THA: 7-57, TD rushing; 3 tackles, TFL, sack, 2 QB pressures; 65-yard kick return
• Cody Parker, THA: 55-yard TD reception; 4 tackles, TFL, INT
• D’Ante Parker, WB: 8 tackles, 2 TFL
• Colton Phares, BHS: 3 tackles, TFL, forced fumble, fumble recovery, pass breakup
• Jalin Porter, BHS: INT-TD, PBU
• Jaxen Porter, BA: 10-43 rushing; 3-47, TD receiving; 5 tackles
• Ray Pryor, WB: 5 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks
• McLeod Reichel, BHS: 7-118 receiving
• Speedy Robinson, HHCA: 6-50, 2 TDs rushing; 5-47, TD receiving; 9 tackles, TFL, forced fumble
• Riley Shinn, HHCA: 5-59, TD receiving; 7 tackles, fumble recovery
• Eamon Smalls, BHS: 6 tackles
• Bradford Thompson, WB: 8 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery
• Quillan White, THA: 6 tackles, 3 TFL, sack
• Alvin Wilson, BHS: 5 tackles, TFL, QB pressure
• Zane Wilson, THA: 10 tackles, TFL, sack, QB pressure
TEAM OF THE WEEK
Whale Branch Warriors (8-1)
The Warriors weren’t exactly firing on all cylinders in their playoff opener, but they kicked it into gear in time to dispatch a scrappy East Clarendon squad. A different Whale Branch team showed up Friday at Lake View, dominating a strong Wild Gators squad to reach the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Warriors’ stingy defense was relentless, racking up 18 tackles for loss — including five players with two or more — and five sacks and forcing five turnovers. The ground game led by Joseph Hicks, Darrell Cummings, and Jakhi Pusha rolled up 205 yards on 38 carries, and senior quarterback Kai’Shawn Jenkins returned to form after struggling in the rain against the Wolverines, completing 5 of 11 passes for 106 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Sustained drives on offense and more of the same on defense are the key to the Warriors taking this run all the way to Columbia.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Williamsburg Academy (10-0) vs. Hilton Head Christian (12-0)
At this point in the postseason, every matchup is Game of the Week worthy, but it is exceedingly rare to see two undefeated teams square off for a state championship, and that’s exactly what we’ll get in the SCISA 2A title game Saturday at Charleston Southern. In this corner, the champions from HHCA, a juggernaut that hasn’t lost since an epic 2019 title game and is 35-2 over the past three seasons. And the challenger, an upstart Stallions squad that hadn’t had a winning season since 2016 but is staring an 11-0 campaign in the face just four years after going 0-11. Several quality teams have given the Eagles their best shot this season, but none has kept the final margin closer than four touchdowns, but the Stallions have been nearly as dominant with nine of their 10 wins coming by 21 points or more.
THIS WEEK’S PLAYOFF SLATE
SCHSL Class 4A Lower State semifinals
Beaufort High (10-2) at Myrtle Beach (9-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday
SCHSL Class 1A Lower State semifinals
Whale Branch (8-1) at C.E. Murray (6-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday
SCISA Class 2A Championship
Williamsburg Academy (10-0) vs. Hilton Head Christian (10-0), at Charleston Southern, 5 p.m. Saturday
SCISA Class 1A Championship (Charleston Southern)
Lee Academy (7-5) vs. Thomas Heyward (11-1), at Charleston Southern, Noon Saturday
