3A Playoff Preview: Aynor at Oceanside Collegiate
The Class 3A playoffs are going to be fast and furious, thanks to the South Carolina High School League shaving off one round and reducing the number of teams. It also heightens the match-ups for the opening round. One in…
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Continue ReadingThe Class 3A playoffs are going to be fast and furious, thanks to the South Carolina High School League shaving off one round and reducing the number of teams.
It also heightens the match-ups for the opening round.
One in particular we’re going to be keeping a close eye on is Aynor (second place in Region VII-3A) at Oceanside Collegiate (first, Region VIII-3A). The Blue Jackets and Landsharks have been recent risers in the class and either one of them could push the second-round opponent (Camden or Brookland-Cayce), for a spot in the Lower State finals.
Here are four players from Oceanside and Aynor who could have a big impact in their first-round tilt.
NOAH JONES, QB, AYNOR
Jones is coming off one of the best individual performances – regardless of classification – the state has seen all season. In the Blue Jackets’s regular-season finale victory over Green Sea Floyds, Jones rushed for 318 yards and seven touchdowns. Much like his predecessor at the position, Andrew Brown (now at Coastal Carolina), Jones is proving himself to be ultra-durable from week to week. He enters the postseason with 824 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2020.
AHMAD GERALD, RB, AYNOR
Jones is often the first and second choice for this offense, and Aynor coach Jason Allen tends to spread it around from there. However, Gerald is the most likely to burst off huge runs. In the first six games this fall, Gerald put up 447 yards while rushing for 7.84 yards per carry. One-third of his carries have gone for 10 yards or more, with an average of three such carries over the final four regular-season games.
MONROE FREELING, OL, OCA
When you see Freeling duck getting off the bus, you instantly know what the likes of Georgia, South Carolina and Arkansas have already offered the imposing lineman. At 6-foot-8 and 285 pounds, he’s already playing with grown-man size despite being a sophomore. He has plenty of room for football growth, but his reel is already full of the highlights that prove he’s not simply taking up space.
CARSON ARNOLD, LB, OCA
When first-year coach Joe Call referred to Arnold as the best defensive player he’s ever coached, it should perk up your ears. Call, previously the head coach at nearby Summerville after working under legendary coach John McKissick, has seen scores of players move on to the next level. In Arnold, he’s got one who with 65 tackles and eight tackles for loss and five sacks is making use of his 6-foot-3 and 220-pound frame.