Class 5A Upper State Final Preview

Jed Blackwell November 22, 2021 @ 05:29 PM

The last game in the Upper State in the 5A classification will look exactly like one of the first ones. Rivals Gaffney and Spartanburg will hook up for the 105th time, and this time they’ll meet with the Upper State championship on the line. The teams met way back in Week Zero, in a game won by Gaffney 31-12. That game, though, was closer than the score indicated, and Spartanburg played without starting QB [player_tooltip player_id="89339" first="Raheim" last="Jeter"]. This time, both teams are at full strength. For the Vikings, that includes Jeter at QB, riding a hot streak that dates back to a late September loss to Dutch Fork. Since then, Spartanburg has won 7 in a row, including a heart-stopper against Ridge View in the third round that saw the lead change hands three times in the fourth quarter alone. Jeter has been a standout, throwing for more than 2,500 yards and 24 touchdowns, and provides a spark for the Vikings every time he takes the field. Andrew Dantin and Tiheim Richardson provide Jeter’s biggest targets, along with Jay Staggs and Que Moore. The difference lately for Spartanburg, though, has been the re-emergence of Drek Carter. Returning from an injury, Carter has been a beast out of the backfield in the playoff run, including a monster game against Ridge View with 101 yards rushing, 42 receiving, and a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns that gave the Vikings the lead each time. That performance bodes well for the matchup with Gaffney, as Carter rushed for 148 yards in the first contest between the two. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id="89301" first="Judah" last="McJimpsey"] continues to be a game-breaker for Spartanburg. He picked up his ninth and 10th sacks of the year in the third round, is well over 100 tackles, and has two dozen tackles for loss. The Indians couldn’t have arrived in the Upper State title game under much different circumstances than the Vikings. Gaffney survived a slugfest with Northwestern, scoring late in the game, forcing a field goal on the Trojans’ first overtime possession, and putting away a 16-13 win on their own overtime drive. [player_tooltip player_id="31310" first="Tyler" last="Smith"] didn’t have his typical big game on the ground, but every yard mattered, as he scored both of Gaffney’s touchdowns. He and backfield mate Ken Littlejohn are a big reason the Indians remain undefeated on the season, their deepest run without a loss since 2011’s state final trip. [player_tooltip player_id="89340" first="Grayson" last="Loftis"] hasn’t been called upon to win a game at QB, but the junior has the talent to do it. His play could prove pivotal on Friday. On defense, [player_tooltip player_id="59498" first="Jesus" last="Dowdle"], Brayshawn Littlejohn, Kaliber Hoey, and Landon Bullock set the tone for a ball-hawking squad that’s come up with 27 takeaways, leading the Indians to a plus-19 turnover margin. Bullock has been the catalyst with nine total takeaways, and he and Hoey have 4 interceptions each. If that’s not enough for a battle, the game also boasts two of the most consistent kickers in the state in Gaffney’s A.J. Hames and Spartanburg’s John Love.