Class 4A Upper State Final Preview

Brandon Stockdale November 24, 2021 @ 12:05 PM

Friday’s 4A Upper State Semifinal matchup between South Pointe (10-1) and Greenville (10-2) is a game that many people saw coming before the season kicked off. Both teams have a combined record of 21-3 and average around 40 points per game offensively, while only allowing around 17 points per game defensively. Greenville has been rolling since the loss to Greenwood in the regular season and so have the Stallions, since a home loss to Spring Valley. Something has to give on Friday night. For South Pointe’s offense, the duo of seniors [player_tooltip player_id="200727" first="Zay" last="McCrorey"] and Waymond Jenerette has been a force that has not been stopped so far this year. If Greenville is going to advance to next week’s state title, they’re going to have to find a way to contain the trio. Georgia Southern commit [player_tooltip player_id="59492" first="Ashton" last="Whitner"] is a thumper on defense for the Red Raiders. Look for him to have an impact. Look for junior Caleb Sims to be a factor in the run game for the Stallions as well. Prometheus Franklin is one of the top quarterbacks in the state and has several weapons at his disposal, including sophomore star Mazeo Bennett, [player_tooltip player_id="91149" first="Tyler" last="Brown"] and Josh Sapp. One of the things to watch will be if Greenville can slow the game down with the run game with [player_tooltip player_id="59474" first="Khalique" last="Holland"] (pictured) and keep the Stallion offense on the sideline. DJ Barksdale had an interception and a fumble recovery in last week’s third round 30-20 win over Greenwood. He’ll need to have a similar performance on Friday night. Greenville’s [player_tooltip player_id="146378" first="Rush" last="Sheppard"] is one of the top punters in the state and could be a huge factor on Friday night in being able to flip the field.