Class 3A Title: Breaking Down Powdersville

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year, Powdersville didn't get the finish they wanted.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Patriots were undefeated in the regular season, but dropped a physical third-round matchup to Chester, bowing out of the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This year, they've taken the next step. Powdersville's only blemish this season is a narrow loss to 5A Hillcrest. They won the Region II-3A title, took a one-point thriller over Daniel on a two-point conversion with just seconds left in the third round, and limited Clinton's powerful rushing attack to just 159 yards on the ground to win the Upper State title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now comes the payoff. A state title matchup against Beaufort.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We're very blessed that we have a very mature team," Powdersville coach Robert Mustar said after Friday's game. "They've self-motivated. We'll give them a jolt every once in a while, but we've got excellent leaders top-to-bottom. They've been tested, and they've risen to the occasion."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THE MAINSTAYS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's impossible to talk about the Patriots without first talking about [player_tooltip player_id='91152' first='Thomas' last='Williams']. He's headed to Virginia Tech as a defensive back, and he's plenty good on that side of the ball. But Williams has been absolutely vital to the Patriots' offense this season, as the team's leading rusher and a good receiver out of the backfield. To put it simply, when the Patriots need a play, they most often turn to Williams. Look no further than the two-point conversion that beat Daniel in the third round. He's got sprinter's speed, and has accounted for more than 2,000 yards of total offense for the Patriots. And he excels on defense, both in coverage and in run support.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Patriots are far from a one-man show on offense, though. [player_tooltip player_id='448984' first='Eli' last='Hudgins'] can sling it, and threw for more than 2,000 yards in the regular season, rushing for 500 more, and he's continued to pile it on in the playoffs. <strong>Drake Sloan</strong> has been his main target, and he's a great possession guy as well as a game-breaker down the field. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253958' first='Elijah' last='Huggins']</strong> provides even more speed at receiver for the Patriots, and is a legit threat in the return game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Up front, tackles <strong>Dajuan Wardell</strong> and <strong>Caleb Clement</strong> lead the way for the Patriots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the defensive side, Powdersville had to regroup mid-season with the loss of standout LB [player_tooltip player_id='89333' first='Jalen' last='Rambert']. [player_tooltip player_id='267456' first='Harrison' last='Jeffries'] returned from an early injury of his own to help lead the group, and has been a steady presence. His pick-6 in last week's Upper State title game helped seal the deal against Clinton. <strong>Trez Fowler</strong> controls the middle up front for the Patriots, with Williams patrolling the secondary. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PLAYER TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavier Fowler</strong> put himself on everybody's radar with his performance last week. With Clinton forced into passing situations by the Patriots' stingy run defense, Fowler went wild. He notched four sacks in the Upper State title game, with a couple more pressures. With Beaufort hoping to rely on a stout run game, Fowler could be a big factor again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 3A State Championship</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 4 Powdersville vs. No. 5 Beaufort</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>When:</strong> 7 p.m. Thursday</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Where:</strong> Benedict College, Columbia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tickets:</strong> $15, available only through gofan.co. Parking an additional $10.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->