First Round X-Factors For Pee Dee And Grand Strand
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<p>Five players who typically don't warrant many headlines have done their jobs all season long.</p>
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<p>Now, they could each take a starring role when their teams need them most.</p>
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<p>From the beach to Florence, playoff teams entering their first-round games would be well served to see big nights from any of these five players. For the purposes of this story, we only looked at teams seeded below their opponents or only slightly above them.</p>
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<p><strong>DeQuan Durham</strong> RB, North Myrtle Beach</p>
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<p>Want to know how a two-win team can hurt you? Look at what Durham did last week in a big win over Myrtle Beach that pushed the Chiefs into the playoffs. With 24 carries, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound tailback put up 195 yards and a score. That's good, but it doesn't even tell the bigger story. Ten of those 24 carries went for first downs, including the one that clinched the game late in the fourth quarter. If Durham keeps the chains moving against Irmo, the Chiefs could be in business.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='208342' first='McKendrie' last='Douglas'] QB, Hartsville </p>
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<p>The “other” guy in the Red Foxes' backfield has quietly put up a very good season. He's completing 60 percent of his passes in a run-first offense, averages a little over 100 yards through the air per game and is adding another 50-plus yards every Friday rushing. Douglas is more of a playmaker than folks realize, and he could quickly turn into a headache for a Lucy Beckham squad that is fully focused on tailbacks [player_tooltip player_id='202738' first='J'Shawn' last='Anderson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='208339' first='Carmello' last='McDaniel'].</p>
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<p><strong>Wyatt Cody</strong> RB, Aynor</p>
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<p>The Blue Jackets staved off a first-round matchup against powerhouse Camden by beating Loris in the regular-season finale, and now Aynor can make the most of it. Cody could be the spark plug against Crestwood. While he's third on the team in rushing yards (406), he's leading the way in touchdowns and has shown he can get hot when he's allowed to catch a rhythm. If he reaches the eight-carry mark, chances are the offensive staff has seen something they like.</p>
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<p><strong>Zechariah Nobles</strong> WR, Wilson</p>
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<p>The 6-foot, 190-pound receiver is definitely the third rung of the receiving ladder behind Jyrion Waiters and [player_tooltip player_id='336114' first='Zandae' last='Butler']. But you can't 501 yards worth of passes unless you're doing something right. The Tigers' passing attack is everything in its game against top-seeded AC Flora, and quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='443503' first='Tremel' last='Echols'] will benefit from having all three of his receivers doing their best to fluster the Falcons' defensive backs. </p>
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<p><strong>Ben Sandt</strong> WR, St. James</p>
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<p>The Sharks have a first-round home game for the first time in the program's 19-year history. That's a good thing, but St. James clearly needs to stretch the field in order to beat a Berkeley team that is going have a decent size advantage in the trenches. Sandt (pictured) is typically more of a short-yardage receiver. But he also leads the team in receptions (41), yards (568) and touchdowns (five) for a reason. </p>
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Five players who typically don't warrant many headlines have done their jobs all season long.
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