WHAT WE SAW: Lexington County Sportsarama
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Lightning and weather might have been the ultimate winner at the Lexington County Sportsarama but before that happened, we saw 2.5 enough to identify players that will make huge impacts on their respective teams this season. Here is a breakdown…
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Continue ReadingLightning and weather might have been the ultimate winner at the Lexington County Sportsarama but before that happened, we saw 2.5 enough to identify players that will make huge impacts on their respective teams this season.
Here is a breakdown of what we saw and some of the standouts from Friday night.
Game 1: Airport 21, Pelion 0
Airport made a statement under first-year coach Andre Cook. The Eagles first-team offense scored on three straight possessions and looked impressive in doing so.
Duke commitment and senior WR Apollos Cook Apollos Cook 6'2" | 205 lbs | WR Aiport | 2023 State SC scored on a 7-yard swing pass from senior Kyle Chavis. The second score was also a touchdown pass from Chavis – this one an 18-yarder to Logan Crawford. The final score was a 50-yard sprint from Marcus Dwyer where he broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and another downfield.
Chavis looked comfortable in the pocket, and he had a quick release in getting the ball to his playmakers. Cook played as expected, doing as he pleased from the wide receiver position and being the quarterback of the defense from his safety spot.
Other standouts for Airport included senior DL DJ McFadden (6’5”, 320), sophomore DL Ethan Raysor (6’0”, 210), junior OL Dylan Barbery (6’6”, 275) and sophomore OL Cooper Langford (5’11”, 225).
Pelion had a couple of standouts. Senior Lucas New played quarterback and defensive back while senior Dalton Blackburn manned a defensive end spot. New is a raw athlete that fits well in the secondary. Blackburn has good size but he’s still learning his trade. He had a couple of penalties but can be a force with his size.
Game 2: Lexington 14, Batesburg-Leesville 7
Lexington jumped to a quick two score lead to defeat Batesburg-Leesville. Senior Jonah Norris scored on a 3-yard run on the opening possession before junior Montrell Byrd Montrell Byrd 6'1" | 185 lbs | LB Lexington | 2024 State SC had a scoop and score from 18 yards out.
Korey Williams scored on a 7-yard run with about two minutes remaining in the half for the Panthers.
Norris missed the majority of last season with an injury so having him back on the field was a positive for the Wildcats. He ran hard and fought for tough yards. Byrd made several plays in the backfield and was a force on the defensive front.
Junior QB Taiden Mines Taiden Mines 5'11" | 180 lbs | QB Lexington | 2024 State SC , senior WR Kamadi Maxwell, and junior DE Cameron Sutton all played well for Lexington.
Batesburg-Leesville has a potential star in DE/TE Patrick Swygert. He’s 6’6” and hardly came off the field for the Panthers.
Game 3: River Bluff 13, Ridge View 0
Two names to get familiar with are a pair of sophomores from River Bluff – QB Parker Murray and WR/DB Stephen Collier (pictured). They connected on a 13-yard scoring pass to open things up for the Gators.
Senior RB Cooper Johns added a 10-yard run on the final play before the horns sounded signaling lightning in the area.
Murray looks more polished than a typical sophomore. Collier, who has early interest from South Carolina and Vanderbilt, is a 6’3”, 210-pounder that goes and gets the ball offensively. He is also a physical defensive back and will play a huge role on both sides of the ball.
Senior DB/WR Thomas Powell and senior DL AJ Colter will play big factors for the Gators as well.
Ridge View had a turnover halt their best drive. RB Marcus Kelly Marcus Kelly 5'9" | 165 lbs | RB Ridge View | 2023 State SC ran well and got downhill quickly and with a burst. Senior DL Jabari Gamble translated a solid summer into a great performance and will be a key cog in the Blazers defense.