Class 2A 2nd Round Preview: Defenses Standing Strong

Class 2A 2nd Round Preview: Defenses Standing Strong The first round of the Class 2A playoffs were a great indication of what’s to come in the second round and beyond. Of the 16 teams who made the playoffs, seven of them were held to 14 points or less - and that included three winners. With the eight who advanced, there’s little reason to believe that the low-scoring trend will mostly continue. These teams have been fluent in defense all season, led by Abbeville - which has an amazing six shutouts in its first seven games of 2020. But it’s not just about the Panthers’ overwhelming show of defensive force. The Class 2A bracket is full of players who can shut down an opposing offense in a hurry. <strong>FRANKLIN GRANT</strong>, LB, ANDREWS Grant is the epitome of a small-school linebacker: Undersized, gritty, versatile, dependable. He’s tied for the team lead tackles (35), has 5.5 TFL, intercepted three passes, broke up another and recovered a fumble. Oh, and at just 5-foot-7, he’s also rushed for four touchdowns on the other side of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="59322" first="Deshontez" last="Gray"], DL, PELION Gray does some moonlighting on the other side of the ball, but the biggest role he plays for Pelion is certainly on defense. He can shift from the line to linebacker and back again from one play to the next. Even at 6-foot-3, he moves well from side to side and is seemingly always in pursuit of ball carriers. [player_tooltip player_id="59297" first="T.J." last="Sanders"], DE, MARION Sanders followed a recent line of the state’s best defensive linemen committing to South Carolina, and he’s going to find the type of company so rarely seen as the Class 2A level. Where he’s at now, he’s a match-up problem for any team he’s going to face for the rest of the season. [player_tooltip player_id="59319" first="Cruz" last="Temple"], SS/LB, ABBEVILLE The East Carolina commit is often listed as a defensive back - and that’s probably where he ends up in college. For now, though, he’s typically parked smack dab in the middle of the defense. From there, he’s able to attack the run and cover inside pass routes. He’s a huge part of this dominant Panthers’ defense. <strong>CLASS 2A SCHEDULE</strong> (Home team listed second) <em>Upper State</em> Chesnee-Abbeville Christ Church-Gray Collegiate <em>Lower State</em> Andrews-Pelion Barnwell-Marion