Realignment Breakdown: Region I-A

Jed Blackwell April 23, 2022 @ 04:00 PM

<em>Realignment will affect nearly every region in the Upstate with teams moving in 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-A.</em> The state’s smallest classification will feature one of the biggest regions. Not only will Region I-A have eight football-playing schools, up from six, the region is also DEEP with talent. McCormick’s [player_tooltip player_id="91145" first="A’Chean" last="Durant"] is near the top of that list. Durant’s got all you want from an all-purpose back: speed, elusiveness, explosiveness, and athleticism. He led the Chiefs with more than 1,800 all-purpose yards a year ago, and looks to be ready for a similar contribution in his senior season. Southside Christian has a bunch of talent back from another state championship run, with QB [player_tooltip player_id="89349" first="Ja’Corey" last="Martin"] leading the way. Martin is a true dual-threat guy, and is deadly with his legs as well as his arm. Want some numbers? How about nearly 2,300 passing yards and 32 touchdowns to go with 921 yards on the ground and 22 more scores. He can drop back, he can throw on the run, he can make you miss and take off, and he can convert on designed runs. Oh, and last week he set the school record in the 100 meters. Matchup. Nightmare. St. Joseph’s did it with defense last season, and one of the leaders on that side of the ball is back in MLB Johnny Jaraczewski. The rising junior has a nose for the ball, and has the ability to shuck defenders and chase down backs. He’s especially effective when he’s got the opportunity to rush the quarterback. Christ Church has quite a few guys to watch. One is [player_tooltip player_id="262681" first="BJ" last="Atkins"], a WR/DB who shines on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he has the speed to run past you and the ability to go up and claim 50/50 balls, and he’s fantastic when he gets the ball in space with an opportunity to make defenders miss. On defense, his ability to find the ball in the air and react sets him apart, and he closes the gap well in run support. [player_tooltip player_id="267466" first="Dashun" last="Reeder"] is another intriguing name for the Cavaliers. The rising junior put up almost 700 yards and 8 touchdowns despite playing behind all-everything RB [player_tooltip player_id="104595" first="Grayson" last="Klue"] a year ago. With the bulk of the carries for Christ Church now firmly in Reeder’s grasp, the upside for the talented back is huge.