Class 3A Upper State Second Round Preview

The second round of the playoffs in the 2A Upper State bracket is LOADED. Both defending champion Daniel and upstart Powdersville are undefeated. Chapman has won multiple titles in the past five years, and Chester’s won another. Wren is explosive, Clinton can make you play their way, and Lower Richland has athletes all over the place. Woodruff, the only "upset" winner in the first round, scored 55 points and has perhaps the most dynamic running back left in the Upper State. In short, Friday’s gonna be fun. Here’s a look at the matchups. &nbsp; <strong>No. 2 Chester (7-4) at No. 1 Chapman (8-2)</strong> These teams have hooked up a few times over the past several years in their runs of success, with the early matchups favoring Chester and the latter going to Chapman. This one has the hallmarks of a classic. The Cyclones are led by QB/LB [player_tooltip player_id="59469" first="Zan" last="Dunham"], who started the year on defense but who has seen his workload under center increase as the year’s played out. Shydem McCullough started the year at TE/H-Back for the Cyclones, but made so many big plays that he took the starting RB job. Andre Evans and Ju’Quan Carter are the biggest threats on the outside for Chester, while DeMarrion Carter is solid on both sides of the ball up front. Chapman is loaded on offense. [player_tooltip player_id="153248" first="Drew" last="Settle"] has been outstanding all year, throwing for more than 3,000 yards and setting school records for touchdowns and yards in a season. [player_tooltip player_id="153245" first="DJ" last="Black"] has the school mark for receiving yards in a game, <strong>Derrick Miller</strong> set the standard for rushing yards in a game, and the Panthers have a deep and talented offensive line. Oh, and [player_tooltip player_id="153247" first="Tim" last="McClurkin"] is healthy after an early injury, wreaking havoc on both sides of the ball. &nbsp; <strong>No. 2 Wren (6-5) at No. 1 Powdersville (11-0)</strong> This is a rematch of a regular-season contest that was Powdersville’s narrowest win in an undefeated regular season: a 10-9 victory in Week 3. It’s the only time the Patriots were held below 34 points this season, and by far their most competitive game until last week’s thriller over Broome. Wren’s early-season struggles were a bit misleading. The Hurricanes’ five losses came to teams with a collective three losses between them. They’re capable of scoring points in bunches, with <strong>Gavin Owens</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id="202753" first="Trey" last="Horne"] both seeing time at QB. Owens is the guy most of the time, giving Horne the ability to make plays at RB and WR. He did just that in the first round, with three TDs including a 55-yard reception and a 66-yard run. [player_tooltip player_id="91218" first="Malachi" last="Hill"] is the Hurricanes’ offensive backbone, rushing for 1,041 yards and 11 scores. Powdersville has a stout defense featuring Prep Redzone’s No. 1 player in the 2023 class, [player_tooltip player_id="89333" first="Jalen" last="Rambert"]. Rambert pitched in offensively when he was desperately needed last week, scoring twice and providing a two-point conversion in a 45-44 win over Broome. <strong>Eli Hudgins</strong> is effective operating the Patriots’ offense, with <strong>Drake Sloan</strong> as his main weapon. [player_tooltip player_id="91152" first="Thomas" last="Williams"] is a legit bruiser out of the backfield. &nbsp; <strong>No. 3 Woodruff (5-4) at No. 1 Daniel (10-0)</strong> The Wolverines are the outlier, the only third-place team to survive the first round. But Woodruff was third in one of the best regions in the state, and they’ve discovered a gamebreaker. Everybody knows about [player_tooltip player_id="89306" first="Jailen" last="Tribble"] on the defensive side of the ball, and <strong>Carson Tucker</strong> at QB is becoming a well-known name. Nobody, though, knew what <strong>Damarian Elmore</strong> was capable of. He’s put up 981 yards and 16 touchdowns on 130 carries, just since region play began. He topped 200 yards against Union County, Clinton, and Broome, including a high of 248 against the Centurions. Daniel, meanwhile, has no secret weapons. They’re just GOOD. The Lions have been the wire-to-wire No. 1 team in the classification. Reigning Gatorade Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id="153264" first="Trent" last="Pearman"] leads the way with more than 2,700 yards of offense and 38 TDs, and he’s got a ton of weapons. <strong>Chris Edge</strong> has rushed for nearly 900 yards for the Lions, while [player_tooltip player_id="91140" first="Eli" last="Merck"] and [player_tooltip player_id="204866" first="Jaylen" last="Brown-Wallace"] each have more than 680 receiving yards. &nbsp; <strong>No. 2 Clinton (10-1) at No. 1 Lower Richland (8-1)</strong> The Red Devils have returned to old-school Clinton football under Corey Fountain: they feature a rugged rushing attack and lights-out defense. Several backs see time in the Red Devils’ option-based attack, including [player_tooltip player_id="91249" first="Jykorie" last="Gary"],<strong> Bryson James</strong>, and <strong>Jayden Robinson</strong>. Brothers <strong>Jishun Copeland</strong> and <strong>Justin Copeland</strong> both stand out, with Jishun at RB and Justin at WR, while both also play defense. QB <strong>Davis Wilson</strong> directs the offense well, and is ridiculously efficient when Clinton elects to pass. Lower Richland won a rugged Region IV 3A, and the Diamond Hornets are fast and athletic. <strong>Robert Adams</strong> is a 1,500-yard dual-threat player at QB, with backs <strong>Jeremy Barney</strong> and <strong>Lamarion Pearson</strong> both hovering around the 800-yard mark. Barney is a senior and the workhorse, with 132 carries and 14 touchdowns, while Pearson provides the big-play threat. [player_tooltip player_id="202736" first="Nate" last="Branch"] is Adams’ main target in the receiving game.