Week 6 Preview: Midland Area
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Hurricane Ian has caused a shift in the high school schedule for this week. Several games were played on Wednesday in the Lowcountry, Pee Dee and Grand Strand area but the bulk of the Midland games are Thursday night. Here…
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Continue ReadingHurricane Ian has caused a shift in the high school schedule for this week. Several games were played on Wednesday in the Lowcountry, Pee Dee and Grand Strand area but the bulk of the Midland games are Thursday night. Here is a quick primer for the best games in the area.
Gilbert (3-2) at Lower Richland (1-4)
The Region 5-3A opener has both teams in search of a much-needed win. Gilbert has lost two in a row and Lower Richland comes in on a three-game losing streak. The Indians will look to the ground game with Alias Graham-Woodberry Alias Graham-Woodberry 5'9" | 165 lbs | RB Gilbert | 2023 State SC (766 yards) and Jaden Allen-Hendrix Jaden Allen-Hendrix 6'2" | 230 lbs | RB Irmo | 2024 State SC (486 yards, 11 TD’s) to get back on track. Chance Jennings Chance Jennings 5'11" | 175 lbs | ATH Gilbert | 2023 State SC and Drake Braddock will continue to split time at QB. Jordan Smith Jordan Smith 5'10" | 175 lbs | DB Gilbert | 2023 State SC , Jake Torbett and Kyler Seigler will look to get the defense back on track.
The Diamonds need to find a way to get Mekhi Campfield Mekhi Campfield 6'3" | 200 lbs | WR Lower Richland | 2023 State SC (27 catches, 436 yards) and East Carolina commit Nate Branch Nate Branch 5'10" | 180 lbs | WR Lower Richland | 2023 State SC (15 catches, 286 yards) more involved. Lamarion Pearson has 438 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Deamonti Garrett Deamonti Garrett 6'2" | 230 lbs | LB Lower Richland | 2023 State SC and Jamel Patterson are the top two tacklers on defense.
Class 4A No. 9 Irmo (4-1) at Richland Northeast (1-4)
AJ Brand AJ Brand 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Irmo | 2025 State SC returned from injury and threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns for Irmo last week. They open Region 5-4A on the road at RNE. Erick Tucker has nearly 500 yards rushing for the Yellow Jackets and Telvin Smith Telvin Smith 5'9" | 175 lbs | WR Irmo | 2024 State SC has been the top receiver. The defense recorded a shutout last week.
Richland Northeast has struggled defensively and have not won since the season-opener. Sophomore Will Wilson Will Wilson 6'1" | 220 lbs | QB Richland Northeast | 2025 State SC holds an N.C. State offer and hopes to open things up now that region play has started. Enosh Jean-Philippe, Zackery Watkins and Zahir Khalid have all done good things offensively.
Class 5A No. 7 Lexington (5-1) at Chapin (3-3)
It’s the Region 4-5A opener for both schools. The Wildcats Jonah Norris Jonah Norris 5'11" | 200 lbs | RB Lexington | 2023 State SC might be the MVP of the Midlands with 996 yards rushing. He picked up a PWO offer from South Carolina on a visit this past weekend. QB Taiden Mines Taiden Mines 5'11" | 180 lbs | QB Lexington | 2024 State SC has three good receivers in Kamdi Maxwell, Jarrod Mewborn and Brandon Cromer. Defensively, Chris Frye and Brayden Woolbright lead the secondary with Montrell Byrd Montrell Byrd 6'1" | 185 lbs | LB Lexington | 2024 State SC a force from the secondary.
Brady Albro Brady Albro 5'10" | 190 lbs | QB Chapin | 2025 State SC has thrown for 1,279 yards and 13 scores for the Eagles. Weldon Gunter, Grady Brandstatter and Nolan Beerman have been the top targets. Beerman is the top ground-gainer with 406 yards. Tanner Short and Hayden Burriss are the top tacklers and Max Drag Max Drag 6'3" | 225 lbs | DL Chapin | 2023 State SC is also a force from his DE spot.
Lugoff-Elgin (3-2) at Class 4A No. 7 Ridge View (4-1)
These two teams come into the Region 5-4A opener well rested after a week off. Lugoff-Elgin will try to control the clock behind running back Sky Harter, who has 753 yards rushing and eight touchdowns. Jake Morris has been steady at quarterback. Defensively, L-E will lean on KD Outen and Chandler Rush to try and slow the Blazers.
Ridge View is allowing just 10 points per game. The defense is being led by Jabari Gamble, Joshua Saddler, Kenneth Jackson, Myles Jevon Brown Myles Jevon Brown 6'4" | 205 lbs | LB Ridge View | 2024 State SC and David Matthews. QB David Tomlin has thrown for 1,017 yards with Zion Agnew Zion Agnew 5'11" | 160 lbs | WR Ridge View | 2023 State SC , Adonis McDaniel Adonis McDaniel 5'10" | 165 lbs | WR Ridge View | 2023 State SC and Chris Lawson Chris Lawson 6'1" | 175 lbs | WR Ridge View | 2023 State SC being the top targets. Marcus Kelly Marcus Kelly 5'9" | 165 lbs | RB Ridge View | 2023 State SC has over 400 yards rushing.
River Bluff (5-1) at Class 5A No. 4 White Knoll (6-0)
Maybe the biggest surprises in the Midlands this season square off in the Region 4-5A opener. River Bluff’s only setback came last week on the road at Dorman. White Knoll opened as a school in 2000 and is off to its best start in school history.
Cooper Johns Cooper Johns 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB River Bluff | 2023 State SC has 870 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground to lead the high-scoring Gators offense. Gray Herring has six rushing touchdowns. Sophomore Parker Murray is settling in at quarterback with Stephen Collier being his top target. Kameron Woodruff and Drew Surratt are the top tacklers for River Bluff.
The Timberwolves defense is allowing just over 12 points per game. The main reason behind that has been the play of Marcus Domenech, Hayden Cushman, Michael Trippe and Nate Thomas. Offensively, sophomore QB Landon Sharpe Landon Sharpe 5'11" | 180 lbs | QB White Knoll | 2025 State SC has 923 yards passing and 15 TDs. Austin Cunningham Austin Cunningham 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH White Knoll | 2024 State SC and Jesse Ross Jesse Ross 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB White Knoll | 2023 State SC have been his top targets. Ross has 10 rushing scores and 560 yards.