Class 5A Upper State Second Round Preview

Jed Blackwell November 9, 2021 @ 08:00 AM

The second round of the 5A Upper State bracket features four outstanding matchups, including a pair on the bottom half of the bracket that are worthy or third round - or later - hype. Here's a look at all four 5A games in the Upper State bracket.   No. 3 Ridge View (5-4) at No. 1 Hillcrest (8-2) The Blazers have had a bit of a weird season, opening with two wins, dropping their middle four, and closing with two wins. When they’ve played well, senior QB [player_tooltip player_id="153263" first="Andre" last="Washington"] has been the catalyst. Washington has thrown for 1,700 yards and rushed for nearly 500 more, accounting for 25 total touchdowns. Marcus Kelly, [player_tooltip player_id="202775" first="Zion" last="Agnew"], and Chris Lawson Jr have been among the offensive standouts for Ridge View. Hillcrest’s success has been engineered by senior QB Bennett Judy. Judy has thrown for almost 2,500 yards, rushed for 330 more, and has compiled 39 touchdowns for the Rams. [player_tooltip player_id="156630" first="Logan" last="Coldren"] leads the way on the ground with nearly 1,000 yards rushing, and the receiving corps has three players with more than 440 yards receiving. Avery McFadden leads that category with 881 yards and 11 scores, and he’s electric in the return game, with more than 600 combined return yards.   No. 2 Spring Valley (7-2) at No 1 Spartanburg (7-3) Spartanburg has been a different team since the return of [player_tooltip player_id="89339" first="Raheim" last="Jeter"] from an early-season injury. The highly-recruited junior provides poise and a big-play threat for the Vikings, and can make every throw on the field. Andrew Dantin is Spartanburg’s biggest target, wioth the physicality to serve as a possession receiver and the speed to break open a game - or even win one, as was the case in the Region II-4A title matchup against Dorman. Drek Carter is back from a nagging injury as well, and provides a different dynamic for Spartanburg’s running game when he’s health. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id="89301" first="Judah" last="McJimpsey"] sets the tone for Spartanburg. Spring Valley has an unquestioned leader in [player_tooltip player_id="59480" first="DeQuandre" last="Smith"]. The Vikings’ QB rushed for four touchdowns in a first-round win over Nation Ford, on a night that saw him throw for 119 yards and rush for 175. KJ Jefferson and [player_tooltip player_id="146359" first="Evan" last="Javis"] also provide some offensive punch for Spring Valley, whose only losses this season have come against an out-of-state program and to Northwestern.   No. 2 T.L. Hanna (10-1) at No. 1 Gaffney (11-0) Now it gets real in this half of the bracket. After the top four seeds advanced out of the first round, the most brutal stretch in the 5A playoffs begins. This is a rematch of a second round game last year, a game that Hanna won 34-33 on the way to the Upper State title. Gaffney has gotten it done on the ground for the most part this year. A rushing attack spearheaded by [player_tooltip player_id="31310" first="Tyler" last="Smith"] and Ken Littlejohn accounts for 213 yards per game, as the Indians grind out 38 points per contest. The key, though, might be QB [player_tooltip player_id="89340" first="Grayson" last="Loftis"]. The highly-touted signal-caller simply hasn’t had to take over a game yet for Gaffney, but he’s shown flashes of being able to do just that. Defensively, Landon Bullock and [player_tooltip player_id="59498" first="Jesus" last="Dowdle"] spearhead a ball-hawking defense that allows 14.8 points per game and has 23 takeaways. Grinding it out suits T.L. Hanna just fine. The Yellow Jackets’ option-based attack chews up yardage in chunks and features a stable of backs that make it hard for a defense to take anyone away. [player_tooltip player_id="91225" first="Kamren" last="Johnson"] is the "name", but Hanna truly does spread the wealth. In a first-round win over Dorman, 11 Yellow Jackets carried the ball, with Walt Smith’s 116 yards leading the way. However, eight of the 11 rushed for more than 20 yards as the Jackets piled up 347. Defensively, Najee Williams and Kabrail Morrison help set the tone for the Yellow Jackets.   No. 2 Byrnes (6-5) at No. 1 Northwestern (10-1) This one has all the looks of the offensive shootouts these teams put up a decade ago. Simply put, two of the state’s top quarterbacks will be on display in District III stadium. For the Rebels, it starts with Gabe Rogers. To say the senior benefitted from a full summer of work would be an obvious understatement. He’s exploded for 3,300 passing yards, averaging 300 per game. His main targets are [player_tooltip player_id="194225" first="Thomas" last="Gregory"] and Collin Imhoff, who each have more than 800 receiving yards. But it’s not just an air show for Byrnes. Arkansas commit [player_tooltip player_id="59465" first="Eli" last="Henderson"] leads a talented offensive line, and while the Rebels have been decimated by injury in the offensive backfield, Kanai Cook has stepped in to lead the rushing attack, averaging 4.7 yards per carry with 10 touchdowns. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id="89309" first="Dakota" last="Quinonez"] has converted to that side of the ball, and has played well for Byrnes. Northwestern’s [player_tooltip player_id="89316" first="Will" last="Mattison"], a North All-Star, is what makes it go for the Trojans. Mattison is a dual-threat guy, but does the most damage with his arm. He’s thrown for nearly 2,500 yards, and has 43 total touchdowns on the season. [player_tooltip player_id="146372" first="Elijah" last="Caldwell"] is the big-play threat, with more than 1,000 receiving yards and a dozen scores. In the backfield, the Trojans feature a guy with nearly 700 yards, a 5.4 yards per carry average, and THE best name in the sport in sophomore Turbo Richard.