2022 All-Lowco Football Team & Superlatives (SCISA)

When I launched LowcoSports.com in 2017, I knew one of the things I wanted to carry on was the tradition of picking an all-area football team, a process both I and The Island News editor Mike McCombs participated in as staffers at The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.

It was always a way to honor the very best in this oft-forgotten corner of the state and shine a light on the successes of our kids, and that goes directly toward the mission of LowcoSports.

As I recall, my first all-area football meeting at the old Upper Crust Pizza in Moss Creek (or was it at the one on Lady’s Island that year?) involved the sports staff of the then-distinct newspapers picking an all-area team of players from just eight schools — four “South of the Broad” and four “North of the Broad,” which included Jasper County.

This year’s All-Lowco Football Teams honor players from four counties — Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton, and Hampton — and 18 schools, making it our most difficult task in picking the team yet, but also elevating the prestige of making the list.

Certainly, there are deserving players who were left off this list and picks you will want to quibble with, but remember that there is a high school kid on the other side of every argument. To move someone up, you have to take someone down. 

These guys gave their best effort all fall and provided one of the most thrilling high school football seasons we’ve seen in the Lowco. This is our best effort at recognizing them.

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SCISA SUPERLATIVES

Photo by Justin Jarrett

COACH OF THE YEAR

Greg Langdale | Colleton Prep

11-2, SCISA 2A Runner-Up

After posting losing records in back-to-back seasons and four of the previous five, Colleton Prep wasn’t expected by many to be much of a factor in the realigned SCISA 2A classification, but Langdale knew better. He knew he had a robust senior class with the leadership and determination to propel a massive turnaround. 

With Cole Davis adding a second dimension to the offense and leading a dynamic ground game behind a veteran offensive line, the War Hawks had enough firepower to outscore people, but their defense proved good enough that they rarely needed to win a shootout.

Building around senior leaders Gus Warren and Noah Catterton and breakout junior Raleigh Obenaus, Langdale and his staff did a terrific job of developing role players to round out a ragtag defense that put everyone on notice with a strong showing against eventual SCISA 3A runner-up Florence Christian.

The War Hawks came up short against a determined Williamsburg Academy team in the title game, but it didn’t take anything away from a masterful job turning around a once-proud program.

Photo by Justin Jarrett

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Christian Tilton | Jr. | John Paul II

1,750 rush yds, 19 TDs; 904 pass yds, 10 TDs, 10 INTs
63 tkls, 12 TFL, 2 INTs, FF, FR, DEF TD

The Golden Warriors only won four games this season, but they wouldn’t have won any without Tilton, and he kept them in a bunch they had no business being in.

It is not rare in SCISA football to find players who play both ways and contribute on special teams, but it is exceedingly rare to find a starting quarterback who does so, especially at the level Tilton did during his stellar junior campaign.

Tilton was the workhorse on offense, accounting for more than 70 percent of the team’s offensive production and 30 touchdowns — scoring 19 times on the ground, throwing 10 TD passes, and catching one — and he also took a kickoff and an interception to the house.

But despite handling 200 of the team’s 462 rushing attempts — and taking hits on many others just after making a pitch on the option — Tilton played nearly every snap on defense. And when he didn’t, the Golden Warriors were in trouble. He finished third on the team in tackles and led the team in tackles for loss (12), interceptions (2), and blocked kicks (2).

He was much more than a quarterback.

Photo by Justin Jarrett

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Cole Davis | Jr. | Colleton Prep

1,108 pass yds, 13 TDs, 5 INTs; 1,761 rush yds, 22 TDs

Davis waited for his turn under center by running behind previous quarterback Drew Murdaugh as a sophomore, so we knew he could do damage on the ground, but his development into a legitimate dual-threat propelled the War Hawks all the way to the SCISA 2A title game. 

A weight room junkie with a wicked work ethic, Davis is a handful to bring down for SCISA defenses, and he runs with a ferocity that belies his background as a tailback. Allowing Davis to go beast mode proved to be Colleton Prep’s most effective offensive strategy most of the time, but his ability to hit the deep ball to speedster Caden Crosby and find twin brother Caleb Davis out of the backfield added a missing element to the War Hawks’ scheme.

Davis won’t have the benefit of a veteran offensive line next season, but he went right to work after the season to try to ensure he’s prepared to carry even more of the load if necessary.

Photo by Justin Jarrett

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Anthony Fripp | Sr. | Thomas Heyward

91 tkls (38 solo), 9 TFL, 3 QBPs, INT, PBU, 3 FRs, DEF TD (863 rush yds, 15 TDs)

Fripp was one of several Thomas Heyward defensive standouts who helped the Rebels return to the SCISA 1A title game, but it became apparent that he was the most critical piece when the senior was injured in the first quarter of the championship game against Lee Academy and forced to watch the rest of the game, helplessly, from the sideline on crutches.

The Rebels looked listless without their leader, who had ceded more of the rushing load to Tony O’Banner down the stretch to allow both to play more on defense and form a dominant duo. 

Fripp was a rock in the middle, lurking behind the line to deliver punishing hits to ball carriers who penetrated the first level of the defense or using his quickness to dart into the backfield and cause havoc.

And he did it while also punishing opponents on offense. A hard-nosed runner with a low center of gravity, he piled up 863 rushing yards (7.8 per carry) and 15 touchdowns.


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ALL-LOWCO 1st TEAM (SCISA)

OFFENSE

QB: Dylan Clark | Jr. | HHCA

2,407 pass yds, 24 TDs, 9 INTs; 

RB: Devonte Green | Jr. | Beaufort Academy

1,396 rush yds, 18 TDs

RB: Jaxen Porter | Jr. | Beaufort Academy

1,029 rush yds, 12 TDs

WR: Gage Zatalokin | Jr. | HHCA

754 rec. yds, 5 TDs

WR: Tyshon Mansell | Jr. | Thomas Heyward

847 rec. yds, 10 TDs

OL: AJ Jarrell | Soph. | Patrick Henry

Could be hot prospect in ‘25 class

OL: Walker Nettles | Sr. | Colleton Prep

Anchor of dominant OL

OL: Brady Bagenstose | Sr. | HHCA

Senior leader on strong OL

OL: Alex Williams | Jr. | Beaufort Academy

Paved way for dominant run game

OL: Joshua Alfonso | Sr. | Thomas Heyward

Center anchored Rebels’ ground game

TE: Walker Bryan | Soph. | Colleton Prep

321 rec. yds, 4 TDs; 268 rush yds, 3 TDs

SPECIALISTS

K: Zeke Gonzalez | Jr. | Beaufort Academy

32 pts

P: Tucker Tevepaugh | Jr. | HHCA

21 punts, 37.4 avg, 61 long, 6 inside 20

ATH: Tony O’Banner | Fr. | Thomas Heyward

88 tkls (50 solo), 11 TFL, 4 sacks, 14 QBPs, INT, 6 PBU, 2 FFs, FR

DEFENSE

DL: Lawson Hewlett | Sr. | Thomas Heyward

120 tkls (54 solo), 8 TFL, 1 sack, 8 QBPs, 4 PBUs, FF, FR

DL: Raleigh Obenaus | Jr. | Colleton Prep

103 tkls (52 solo), 2 FRs

DL: Noah Catterton | Sr. | Colleton Prep

90 tkls (48 solo), FR

DL/LB: Sebastian Slusne | Fr. | John Paul II

87 tkls, 11 TFL, 3 sacks, 3 FFs, FR

LB: Zane Wilson | Jr. | HHCA

123 tkls (78 solo), 4 TFL, INT, FF

LB: Gus Warren | Sr. | Colleton Prep

80 tkls (44 solo)

LB: Braydon Dineen | Sr. | Beaufort Academy

88 tkls, 12 TFL, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 2 FFs, FR

LB: Sam Rembaugh | Sr. | John Paul II

87 tkls, 5 TFL, INT, FR

DB/LB: Nic Robinson | Soph. | Thomas Heyward

76 tkls (41 solo), 11 TFL, 4 sacks, 8 QBPs, INT, 3 PBUs, 4 FFs, FR

DB: Forest Fairey | Jr. | Patrick Henry

17 tkls (14 solo), 4 TFL, 6 INTs, 9 PBUs, 2 FRs

DB: Cutter Williams | Jr. | Thomas Heyward

33 tkls (22 solo), INT, 5 PBUs, 3 FRs

HHCA QB Dylan Clark
Photo by Justin Jarrett

ALL-LOWCO 2nd TEAM (SCISA)

OFFENSE

QB: Dietrich Shuford | Soph. | Thomas Heyward

1,686 pass yds, 18 TDs, 6 INTs; 

RB: Caleb Davis | Jr. | Colleton Prep

907 rush yds, 11 TDs

RB: Mikell Tucker Mathis | Soph. | Patrick Henry

861 rush yds, 9 TDs

WR: Caden Crosby | Sr. | Colleton Prep

652 rec. yds, 6 TDs

WR: Te’Shaun Heyward | Jr. | Beaufort Academy

470 rec. yds, 5 TDs; 167 rush yds

OL: Andy Searles | Jr. | Patrick Henry

Two-way standout in trenches

OL: Eddie Gonzalez | Soph. | Beaufort Academy

Key part of Eagles’ strong OL/DL

OL: Connor White | Jr. | HHCA

Hard-nosed center was key piece

OL: Joe Bennett | Sr. | Thomas Heyward

Part of strong senior core on OL/DL

OL: Kohl Woodham | Sr. | John Paul II

Veteran leader on both sides of line

TE: Tripp Gregory | Jr. | Beaufort Academy

72 rec. yds, 2 TDs

SPECIALISTS

K: Cole Lindstedt | Fr. | HHCA

30-34 PATs

P: Donovan Robinson | Soph. | Thomas Heyward

15 punts, 33.3 avg

ATH: Jackson Ogden | Sr. | John Paul II

365 rec. yds, 3 TDs; 234 rush yds, 4 TDs

DEFENSE

DL: Isaiah Anderson | Jr. | HHCA

48 tkls (29 solo), 9 TFL, 3 sacks

DL: Matt Scarpa | Sr. | HHCA

41 tkls (24 solo), 4 TFL, 1 sack, 2 FFs, FR

DL: Colton Freeman | 8th | Thomas Heyward

57 tkls (27 solo), 5 TFL, 3 sacks, 14 QBPs

DL/LB: Beau Pinckney | Soph. | Thomas Heyward

68 tkls (33 solo), 6 TFL, 3 QBPs

LB: James Crosby | Jr. | HHCA

79 tkls (37 solo), 4 TFLs, 3 sacks, 2 INTs, FF, 3 FRs

LB: Keene Reese | Jr. | HHCA

63 tkls (32 solo), 4 TFL, sack

LB: Cayson Warner | Soph. | Colleton Prep

83 tkls (35 solo)

LB: Drew Rushton | Sr. | Colleton Prep

75 tkls (35 solo), 5 PBUs, 2 FRs

DB/LB: Seth Garvin | Sr. | Patrick Henry

34 tkls (22 solo), TFL, INT, 11 PBUs, FR

DB: Wells Sharpe | Sr. | HHCA

43 tkls (31 solo), 2 INTs, 2 FFs

DB: AJ Barger | Jr. | Hilton Head Prep

Carried young Dolphins team on both sides of ball

THA QB Dietrich Shuford
Photo by Justin Jarrett

ALL-LOWCO HONORABLE MENTION (SCISA)

Morgan Bedenbaugh | DB/WR | Sr. | HHCA

Latham Brabham | TE/DE | Sr. | Patrick Henry

Loncelle Daley | RB/DE | Sr. | Hilton Head Prep

Tres Delaney | OL/DL | Fr. | Beaufort Academy

Hugh Fairey | QB/DB | Jr. | Patrick Henry

Cohen Freeman | OL/DL | Jr. | Patrick Henry

Jose David Garcia | OL/LB/K | Soph. | Cross

Josh Gibson | DB/WR | Fr. | Thomas Heyward

Sean Graham | DB/WR | Sr. | Hilton Head Prep

William Hazel | FB/LB | Sr. | Patrick Henry

Tony Hill | RB/DB | Sr. | John Paul II

Brandyn Horton | WR/DB | Jr. | John Paul II

AJ Houpt | WR/DB | Jr. | HHCA

Hampton Lane | OL | Sr. | Beaufort Academy

DJ Lewis | OL/DL | Fr. | John Paul II

Rivers Palmer | DB/WR | Jr. | Cross

Liam Peeples | TE/DB | Sr. | Patrick Henry

Eli Rowe | DB | Jr. | Colleton Prep

Jake Sheahan | LB | Soph. | Hilton Head Prep

Hayden Williams | DB/WR | Sr. | Colleton Prep

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