SCISA Semifinal Previews

Eight tickets to Charleston Southern University are waiting to be punched on a wild week two of the SCISA playoffs. Who will advance to the final showdowns next week? Let's preview the eight semifinal matchups starting on Wednesday and running through Saturday.    SCISA 4A   Porter-Gaud (5-6) at Hammond (9-2), Friday   After rolling past Augusta Christian in round one, the Hammond Skyhawks are looking like a strong bet to defend their SCISA title in the newly-created Class 4A. The Skyhawks' stellar defense should shine again on Friday when they host a Porter-Gaud squad that slipped past Heathwood Hall 20-17. Hammond has won eight consecutive games and has allowed just 14 points in their last four combined contests, giving a tough task for lineman [player_tooltip player_id='443494' first='Zihaire' last='Jackson'] and the Cyclones on the road.   Edge: Hammond   Trinity Collegiate (6-6) at Laurence Manning Academy (8-3), Wednesday   Two weeks after Trinity Collegiate downed Laurence Manning 28-0, the Titans and Swampcats will meet again with a spot in the Class 4A state championship game on the line. Trinity Collegiate pulled off a gritty 28-21 road win at Ben Lippen team thanks to a dominant showing from tight end Matthew Warren to ignite the Titans' ground game. The Swampcats will need more on offense this time around and will look to establish the ground game with running back Bryson Smith. Tyler June needs to play a mistake-free game under center against a Trinity defense that has started to turn the corner in the second half of the season. Manning has been the better team for most of the year, but the Titans are trending upwards at the right time.    Edge: Trinity Collegiate   SCISA 3A   Florence Christian (6-6) at Wilson Hall (7-3), Friday   Florence Christian went into Bluffton and stunned back-to-back defending state champion Hilton Head Christian Academy, setting up what could be a high-scoring affair at Wilson Hall for a title game berth. [player_tooltip player_id='262434' first='Juels' last='Huntley'] was sensational for the Eagles in round one, racking up a whopping 286 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. But the Barons will counter with stellar junior quarterback Clark Kinney who will look to stay hot against an Eagle defense that gave up over 450 passing yards last week. Florence Christian has become one of the hottest teams in SCISA 3A and could certainly steal this one on the road, but Landon Gilley and a tenacious Wilson Hall defense will be a menacing challenge for a high-flying Eagles team.    Edge: Wilson Hall   Pinewood Prep (6-5) at Pee Dee Academy (10-1), Wednesday   The Pee Dee Academy Eagles are rested and prepared to take their home field for a Wednesday night showdown against Pinewood Prep. After getting a bye in round one after Hilton Head Prep chose to forfeit, senior [player_tooltip player_id='89346' first='Hudson' last='Spivey'] and the 10-win Eagles will ignite their dangerous offensive attack with powerful runner Coleby Sinclair and breakout sophomore wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1574117' first='Colby' last='Richardson']. The Panthers edged First Baptist by two points to reach the semifinals thanks to a standout dose of Shane DaRe and Will Watson on the ground. Pinewood has made some big strides in the latter half of the year, but it's hard to go against Spivey and an Eagle team that should be raring to go on Wednesday night. If the Panthers aren't careful and make an early mistake, the Eagles could be off to the races - and off to Charleston Southern next Saturday.    Edge: Pee Dee Academy   SCISA 2A   Bethesda Academy (8-3) at Williamsburg Academy (10-0), Friday   The team to beat in SCISA 2A, Williamsburg Academy will be the heavy favorite in its semifinal matchup with Bethesda Academy. Led by two-way sensation [player_tooltip player_id='322302' first='Teague' last='Ward'], the Stallions dismantled Thomas Sumter in round one and will face a Blazers team that has defied expectations after a one-win season a year ago. The offense has found a spark with running back Noah Jenkins who has eclipsed 1000 total yards for the season and is averaging 8.4 yards per carry. Athletic quarterback Tristan Randall has turned over the ball just three times in the regular season and also led the team in tackles at linebacker. A strong showing from Randall and the Blazer line should keep the underdogs in this battle, but the star power of Ward plus quarterback and ball-hawk safety Conrad Balder should push the Stallions over the top and back in the SCISA 2A championship game.    Edge: Williamsburg   Colleton Prep (10-1) at Beaufort Academy (8-2), Friday   How are we going to top the Week 9 thriller between these two teams? With a state championship appearance on the line. The Beaufort Academy Eagles won the first meeting 20-19 with a clutch defensive stop on a Colleton Prep two-point try, but the War Hawks can flip the narrative with a victory on Friday night. If you're a fan of old-school smash-mouth football, you'll be in for a treat in a terrific gridiron chess match between two run-heavy teams with Colleton Prep's Cole Davis up against Beaufort Academy's [player_tooltip player_id='976400' first='Devonte' last='Green'] and Jaxen Porter. Both defensive fronts will be ready to stop the run, but quarterbacks Braydon Dineen and Davis could be the difference-makers through the air. The edge favors the home side with a deeper set of stars defensively, but the War Hawks will be hungry and motivated after their narrow defeat three weeks ago. Buckle up for a battle on Lady's Island.    Edge: Beaufort Academy   SCISA 1A   St. John's Christian (8-3) at Lee Academy (10-0), Saturday   After pulling a stunning upset over Patrick Henry Academy, the St. John's Christian Cavaliers are riding high into a matchup with SCISA 1A powerhouse Lee Academy. Lee has made the state championship game each of the last two seasons and is a perfect 10-0 in 2022 including a 49-36 win over St. John's Christian in September. St. John's stormed into the SCISA 1A semifinals with six straight victories on the strength of senior veteran Hayden Redders and is playing its best football of the year in the postseason. Lee's experience in the playoffs should push the home side over the top at home, but it's hard to doubt the potential of what the visitors could do in this one.   Edge: Lee Academy   Calhoun Academy (10-2) at Thomas Heyward Academy (7-3), Saturday   Going for their fifth consecutive SCISA state title, the Thomas Heyward Rebels will be in for a sneaky test against Calhoun Academy this weekend. The Cavalier defense delivered in round one with excellent showings from veterans Cade Carson and Cooper Canaday. But the duo will have its work cut out on Saturday against a lethal core of Rebel playmakers led by freshman phenom Tony O' Banner. Heyward quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='268686' first='Dietrich' last='Shuford'] is locked in, navigating through his first playoff run under center after suffering a season-ending injury in 2021. And he's got a speedy Cutter Williams and an emerging Josh Gibson to make plays out in space. A well-executed game from Shuford and the Rebels' offensive line could spell trouble for the visitors, but senior Andrew Tucker's strong running for Calhoun Academy could allow the Cavs to shorten the game and put some pressure on the champs. Calhoun will need to play a perfect game on the road to hang around against a Heyward core that seems ready to run it back for a fifth straight year.    Edge: Thomas Heyward

Eight tickets to Charleston Southern University are waiting to be punched on a wild week two of the SCISA playoffs. Who will advance to the final showdowns next week? Let's preview the eight semifinal matchups starting on Wednesday and running through Saturday.