Second-Round Game Balls: The Pee Dee, Lowcountry and CSRA
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We’re getting to the point where we may just call these the Reggion Bennett Reggion Bennett 5'9" | 170 lbs | WR Trinity Collegiate School | 2022 State SC Weekly Honors. That’s because he’s had a pretty good season in…
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Continue ReadingWe’re getting to the point where we may just call these the Reggion Bennett Reggion Bennett 5'9" | 170 lbs | WR Trinity Collegiate School | 2022 State SC Weekly Honors.
That’s because he’s had a pretty good season in the last two weeks.
The Trinity Collegiate tailback went off for another six touchdowns and 291 yards in the SCISA Class 3A state semifinal victory against Augusta Christian. Did we mention he needed just 19 carries to do that?
But since we’ve been sliding Bennett into the award normally dictated by SCHSL players – 12 touchdowns in two weeks will do that – and he’s been stacking game balls on top of game balls from us all season, we’re going to give him a week off and consider just re-naming the darn things after him.
In the meantime, here were some other huge performers from the CSRA, Lowcountry and Pee Dee during last week’s second-round SCHSL playoff games.
Arthur Walker, Silver Bluff
Everyone knows the Bulldogs are going to be run heavy, with Traevon Dunbar Traevon Dunbar 5'10" | 205 lbs | RB Midland Valley | 2024 State SC rushing for just shy of 1,400 yards in the team’s first games. Walker, though, is the wildcard to an offense that doesn’t need a lot of help. In helping Silver Bluff to a 49-0 win over Central in the second round, the receiver caught three passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. Earth-shattering? No. Enough to open defensive coordinators’ minds the rest of the way to take the focus off Dunbar? You bet.
Carmello McDaniel Carmello McDaniel 5'8" | 175 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2024 State SC , Hartsville
The sophomore tailback made sure the Red Foxes weren’t sweating the final quarter against regular region foe North Myrtle Beach in their second-round game. His 142 yards equated to more than half of the team’s rushing tally in the game, and his third touchdown against the Chiefs – which came with more than four minutes left in the third quarter – gave Hartsville a 25-point lead.
Orlando Hudson, West Florence
In the season opener, against a Lexington team that eventually qualified for the third-round of the Class 5A playoffs, Hudson tore through the Wildcats for 139 rushing yards. The quarterback kept up the pressure for the next three weeks as West built their rushing attack. Between then and Friday’s 165-yard performance against South Aiken, though, Hudson’s running abilities seemed to be on the backburner. His rushing opportunities are where he thrives, and coach Jody Jenerette is ready to cut him loose alongside running back Terry McKithen Terry McKithen 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB West Florence | 2022 State SC .
Tyler Haley Tyler Haley 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Beaufort | 2022 State SC , Beaufort
The senior quarterback’s night against North Augusta wasn’t without it flaws. He was just 12-of-23 passing. But those completions went for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Hailey rushed for another 109 and two touchdowns in the 42-10 win at North Augusta. His 57-yard run in the third quarter all put the game away. The most impressive part was that he produced so far away from home. The long bus ride from the Lowcountry to North Augusta clearly didn’t slow him down.
Cam Ward Cam Ward 5'4" | 170 lbs | LB Myrtle Beach | 2023 State SC , Myrtle Beach
Ward can say he made a successful return the field after missing several games with a broken right arm. In the 68-0 win over Aiken, the Seahawks linebacker had three solo tackles and two assists in the game. But where he hit the Hornets the hardest was with 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, an interception returned for a touchdown and a 1.5 sacks. Ward’s return was influential in that it allows all the pieces of the Myrtle Beach defense to stay in their original spots.