Class A Upper State Final Preview

The 1A Upper State championship will pit a traditional power against the hottest team in the classification, and offers one of the most intriguing matchups left in the playoffs. Lamar (9-3) will host Southside Christian (12-0) in what, on paper, seems destined to be a slugfest. The Silver Foxes’ stout defense allows just 16 points per game on the year, led by <strong>Jamiek Dukes’</strong> 110 tackles, with <strong>Gabriel McCallister</strong> adding 105 stops. Southside Christian’s defense, though, allows a near-unbelievable 4.5 points per contest. Talented DT [player_tooltip player_id="91186" first="Michael" last="Kennedy"] leads the way up front for the Sabres. Offensively, <strong>Patrick Anderson</strong> has handled much of the load for Lamar, including in the third round victory over Ridge Spring-Monetta, rushing for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns. QB <strong>Tyler McManus</strong> has also looked good for the Foxes. [player_tooltip player_id="89349" first="Ja’Corey" last="Martin"] makes it go for Southside Christian, as the dual-threat QB has led the Sabres all season, including in last week’s 28-6 win over Calhoun County. Martin rushed for a pair of TDs in the game, with <strong>Jayvion Sherman</strong> and <strong>Kylar Zimmerman</strong> adding touchdown runs for Southside Christian.