Realignment Breakdown: Who’s New In Region I-3A
Realignment will affect nearly every region in the Upstate with teams moving into and out of classifications and regions. Here’s our second in a series of looks at some of the top players moving into new regions, focusing on Region…
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Continue ReadingRealignment will affect nearly every region in the Upstate with teams moving into and out of classifications and regions. Here’s our second in a series of looks at some of the top players moving into new regions, focusing on Region I-3A.
The entire Upstate was affected by 3A realignment, with changes in regions I through IV. Region I is probably the most straightforward, with Wren and Belton-Honea Path moving out and Walhalla and Crescent moving in. Here’s a look at what those two teams will bring to the region.
Walhalla is moving down from Class 4A, and the Razorbacks are building something. They return a pair of All-Region seniors in QB Bryce Payne and OL/DL John Ezell. Ezell’s selection came on the offensive side of the ball, where he graded out at 86 percent. Payne accounted for more than 2,800 offensive yards, throwing for 2,026, and racked up 30 total touchdowns in just eight games. Oh, and he was the team’s defensive MVP at MLB in his sophomore season before moving to QB full time last year.
The Razorbacks will also turn to a pair of rising sophomores who showed huge upside last year. Silas Parish was a second-team All-Region player in his freshman year, notching 51 tackles, seven pass break-ups and an interception. Connor Talley showed he can be a big, physical force on the offensive line. He’s massive, at 6-4 and 310 pounds, and will only get stronger and more consistent with time and reps.
Crescent moves up from Class 2A, and the Tigers bring back a solid core on both sides of the ball. Chief among the offensive weapons is rising sophomore RB Darius Latimer. Latimer quietly put together a freshman season in which he led the team in rushing. He piled up 769 yards on 105 carries, rushing for eight touchdowns and a 7.3 yards per carry average. Latimer contributed 316 reception yards and six more scores, and notched 61 tackles on the defensive side of the ball. He’s joined in the backfield by Reece Benninger, who was third on the team in both carries and yards, with 47 carries for 258 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Kamarun Gentle led the way for the Tigers with 134 tackles, 12 TFL, eight sacks, three fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles, and one pass break-up. Steele Sears also returns for Crescent, bringing back 112 tackles, nine TFL, a sack, a pass break-up, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.