Class 5A Upper State Final Preview

Ian Guerin November 26, 2020 @ 05:50 AM

If you want a couple of teams with a chip on their shoulder, look no further than the T.L. Hanna-Northwestern Class 5A Upper State final. In beating Gaffney and Dorman, respectively, both the Yellow Jackets and Trojans dispelled the carry over from disappointing 2019 seasons and some of the early season nods those other two teams were getting among the talking heads as shoo-ins to reach this game. And T.L. Hanna and Northwestern both did it by sticking true to themselves. These teams couldn’t look much different when the ball is in their hands. But they know what they have and know what they love to do. ABOUT THE YELLOW JACKETS What T.L. Hanna (7-0) does is often reserved for the lower levels of high school football these days. Amid spread offenses (ahem, look no further than the air raid system Northwestern installed more than a decade ago) running amok in South Carolina, Hanna’s wing-style approach is a run-first, run-second, run-third look. The team’s leading rusher, J.J. Hudson, pumped in 182 yards and a score in the win over Gaffney. Kamren Johnson went for 105 and a touchdown of his own. But those are the only two constant forces. If you don’t believe us, take a look at what Fletcher Cothran did in that game. After rushing for about 40 yards in his first three appearances this year, he ripped off a 107-yard night and got into the end zone twice. That’s sort of the issue when you play the Yellow Jackets; there’s no telling where those extra pieces will fit. It’s why Hanna has rushed for 30 scores this COVID-19-shortened seasons. ABOUT THE TROJANS The best defense in Region IV-5A and among the top groups in the entire class gave the Trojans’ offense time to gel and find new ways frustrate opposing teams. That happened last week against Dorman, when quarterback Will Mattison threw for 230 yards and a score and led his team down the field to scoring drives on each of its four possessions en route to a three-touchdown lead minutes into the second quarter. Mattison’s 1,400 passing yards and 14 touchdowns this year are mostly going to Gerell Watkins (527 yards, six scores) and Elijah Caldwell (313, three), but three other Trojans (7-0) have touchdown grabs and another six players have caught at least one pass. That spread-the-wealth mentality after the initial tiers of the receiving core allowed this team to mix in the run when it wanted and gave it some flexibility - again, thanks to a stout defense. PREP RED ZONE’S PICK This current four-year cycle has included 40 T.L. Hanna football victories and a state title appearance in 2018. This isn’t some fluke team that is just happy to be here. The Yellow Jackets expect to win, and we think they will, too.