Class 2A Championship Preview

Run the ball. Then run it some more. When you’re done with that? Yeah, run it again. Abbeville and Marion have different approaches to their running games heading into the Class 2A state title game. Still, their commitment to the run or their effectiveness with it isn’t up for debate. These are two teams who go ground-and-pound one more time this fall. <strong>ON ABBEVILLE</strong> When Abbeville got dumped by Saluda in the 2019 playoffs, it ended the Panthers’ chance at would could have been one of the better dynasty runs in SCHSL history after having won a title in the three previous seasons. Needless to say, it served as motivation for this year. “It definitely left a horrible taste in our mouth,” senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59319" first="Cruz" last="Temple"]</strong> said. “We definitely didn’t want to feel that feeling again. All offseason, we’ve been preparing for this moment. I feel like we’ve been doing what we were supposed to do to be here.” And that means running the football. Abbeville has ripped of 3,165 rushing yards in 10 games this year. <strong>Tyrell Haddon</strong>, <strong>J’Marion Burton</strong>, <strong>Martico Jackson</strong> and <strong>Navi Marshall</strong> have chewed up the bulk of those yards - with each of them chiming in with at least 540 yards. They’ve also punched in their share of touchdowns, too. They’ve combined for 35 scores, with teammates adding another 14 to the Panthers’ total. Basically, if they get going, watch out. <strong>ON MARION</strong> Randall State didn’t need long to know what kind of running back he was going to have at his disposal.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>Qualiek Crawford</strong> was developed early and only continued to improve. “I saw him as a young sophomore. I realized right then that he was showing abilities that usually a senior has,” State said. “From his sophomore year, I really realized what we had in him. I just wanted to push him harder and harder to get him to this point.” Crawford has developed into one of the top running backs in the state, and it was only further proven in the Lower State championship win over Andrews. In that game, he went for 200 yards and five touchdowns, boosting to nearly 1,150 and 12 for the season.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> All told, Crawford has put up roughly 60 percent of the Swamp Foxes’ rushing total and about 53 percent of the team’s offense has a whole. To do that in a game or two is one thing. But Crawford’s durability has allowed the team to rely upon him, even as the stage gets bigger and bigger.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>PREP RED ZONE’S PICK</strong> The Abbeville freight train is very real. It took an ultra-special senior class from Saluda (that went on to win the 2019 title) to put some dynamite on the tracks. With the debris cleared, the Panthers are heavy favorites to bring home another championship.