WHAT WE SAW: Carolina Forest 56, Socastee 35
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MYRTLE BEACH | Earlier this year, Zion Gilbert Zion Gilbert 6'0" | 195 lbs | RB South Florence | 2025 State SC was the back-up tailback at Carolina Forest, playing behind the more experienced Kalil Johnson Kalil Johnson 5'7" |…
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Continue ReadingMYRTLE BEACH | Earlier this year, Zion Gilbert Zion Gilbert 6'0" | 195 lbs | RB South Florence | 2025 State SC was the back-up tailback at Carolina Forest, playing behind the more experienced Kalil Johnson Kalil Johnson 5'7" | 160 lbs | RB Carolina Forest | 2024 State SC .
Then, Johnson went down with an injury and the Panthers started to give Gilbert, just a sophomore, more and more carries in bigger and more important games. He got 15 carries each against North Myrtle Beach and Conway, then 14 against Sumter. And while those 44 touches produced 266 yards and five touchdowns, the highly touted sophomore officially had his breakout game Friday at Socastee.
With a career-high 24 carries, Gilbert rushed for a career high 203 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns in a 56-35 Region V-5A victory over the Braves.
This was, in every way, shape and form, the type of performance the staff believed him capable of on a consistent basis when they started raving about him in the spring, months before his first varsity game.
Gilbert, now in the neighborhood of 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, certainly looked the part of one of state’s top-ranked tailbacks in the Class of 2025. Only two of those 23 carries went for a loss (one yard each) and his ensuing carry both times was a touchdown.
Friday’s game also meant that for the first time since mid-way through the third game of the season, quarterback Scott Saylor Scott Saylor 6'1" | 200 lbs | QB Carolina Forest | 2023 State SC is not the team’s leading rusher. While Saylor’s skill set is an important one and makes him the most potent quarterback in the region, coach Marc Morris needs his offense to be much more than one player.
Gilbert delivers on that quest, both now and in the seasons to come.
OTHER CAROLINA FOREST STANDOUTS
Regarding Saylor, let’s just say he bounced back from his first career four-interception game (last week against Sumter).
The senior signal-caller was an efficient seven-of-11 passing for 197 yards and two touchdowns. He hit Nathan Schuessler with a 43-yard bomb on a fourth-down play to open the second quarter, then found Anthony Aponte for a 43-yarder on a simple swing pass roughly 90s seconds later.
In the second half, Saylor took advantage of his running ability. With five carries, he put up 45 yards and two touchdowns. He’s now just shy of 500 rushing yards this year to go along with hi s 1,850 passing yards.
Kalil Johnson Kalil Johnson 5'7" | 160 lbs | RB Carolina Forest | 2024 State SC , getting his most work in six games, added a nice complement to Gilbert’s head-first style by rushing for 63 yards and a score on 12 carries.
SOCASTEE’S STANDOUTS
We wrote earlier this year – after Quadir Scott was thrust into the starting quarterback job at Socastee – that he was a quick learner.
He’s proved us right again.
In his seventh game as a starter, Scott threw for 121 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 147 yards and two more touchdowns. The big lefty has now (unofficially) thrown for 825 yards and rushed for 685 yards while totaling 17 touchdowns while playing quarterback.
Remember, this is a player who in the game he took over the position caught a 64-yard touchdown pass. Scott had clearly adjusted to catching passes, and now he’s clearly re-adjusted back to being behind center.
Receiver Zach Starkey must have clicked with Scott this week in practice. After catching seven passes in his first seven games, Starkey – a 6-foot-1, 165-pound senior – caught five passes Friday for 51 yards and two touchdowns.