Region II-5A Loaded With Difference-Making Depth
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The band is officially back together. Region II-5A, regarded in most years as the toughest big-school region in the state, and returns to its usual makeup with Boiling Springs and Gaffney rejoining the ranks. There are a ton of ranked…
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Continue ReadingThe band is officially back together. Region II-5A, regarded in most years as the toughest big-school region in the state, and returns to its usual makeup with Boiling Springs and Gaffney rejoining the ranks. There are a ton of ranked players in the region, but some who are climbing the rankings and more who are yet unranked are expected to play huge rules for the region contenders.
Boiling Springs moves back into the Spartanburg County-heavy region from Region III-5A, and brings along a couple of really interesting players. Rising senior Kam Williams had 149 carries for 743 yards and five touchdowns last season, adding 21 catches for 185 yards. He’ll be a big part of the Bulldogs’ offensive plan.
Defensively, rising junior Calvin Jackson Jr. was a bright spot at defensive end. He contributed 29 tackles for the Bulldogs, and had 11 tackles for loss in just 10 games.
For the Cook brothers from Byrnes, it’s all about speed. Rising senior Kyai Cook Kyai Cook 5'11" | 180 lbs | WR Byrnes | 2023 State SC is a legit game-breaker at WR, using pure speed to often just run by defenders. He recently finished in the top 3 in Region II-5A in both the 100 meters and 200 meters, and he’s a matchup nightmare both downfield and on the edge in space. Rising junior Knai Cook Knai Cook 5'11" | 180 lbs | RB Byrnes | 2024 State SC is listed as a defensive back, but did a little bit of everything for the Rebels last year. He was pressed into service at RB after a slew of injuries, and used his speed to notch 1,072 all-purpose yards and 13 TDs.
Dorman has a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, and a couple of players who have been a bit off the radar will be crucial to the Cavaliers’ success. DJ Geth DJ Geth 6'4" | 300 lbs | OL Dorman | 2023 State SC has been rocketing up the rankings after an eye-opening junior season. He’s got a slew of D1 offers and is more than living up to the hype. Geth is big, physical, and a little bit nasty in the best sense of the word. He seems to love finishing off plays downfield, and has a knack for putting defenders on their backs.
DJ Porter is a multi-position burner for the Cavaliers. The Region II-5A champion in the 100 meters, Porter is a speedy receiver who can go up and get it, or run past defenders. He also plays defensive back where his speed and size work to his advantage.
Gaffney is the region’s other newcomer, and the defending 5A champions are loaded. One player who might be overlooked for the Indians is WR DeShun Corry. Corry put up a solid season last year despite the Indians’ being run-heavy on offense. He had 445 receiving yards, a pair of touchdowns, and a 16.5 yards per catch average. He seems to have a great rapport with QB Grayson Loftis Grayson Loftis 6'2" | 175 lbs | QB Gaffney | 2023 State SC , and the two will look to lead Gaffney while a leader emerges on the ground.
Brayshawn Littlejohn Brayshawn Littlejohn 6'3" | 220 lbs | LB Gaffney | 2023 State SC (pictured) is the prototypical Gaffney LB – big and fast, and both to scary levels. Littlejohn is 6-3 and 220 pounds, and absolutely flies to the ball. He finished last year with 87 tackles 20 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries
Andrew Dantin just gets open. Nicknamed “All Day” by Vikings’ QB Raheim Jeter Raheim Jeter 6'3" | 220 lbs | QB Spartanburg | 2023 State SC , the Spartanburg standout is a tough, hard-nosed player who runs great routes, makes difficult grabs look ordinary, and just never stops in the run game, stepping up to make big blocks to spring plays way downfield. His game-winning TD catch against Dorman will go down in City Rivalry history.
Cameron Jackson is an enormous presence on the defensive line for the Vikings. He’s 6-3, 298 pounds, and Vikings’ head coach Mark Hodge said he’s getting even bigger and stronger. Hodge equates him to a former player now in the NFL, DJ Jones. “Cam has the same potential, with a slightly larger frame,” Hodge said.