Fab 50 Breakdowns: The Athletes

From SCISA ball right on up to the bigger classes in the SCHSL, the guys who not only play multiple positions but excel in them have become harder and harder to find.   The five athletes proved maybe you don't need to look that hard.   In putting together the types of seasons that everyone notices, each of the following players forced our hand during the selection process for the 2022 Prep Red Zone South Carolina Fab 50 team. Due to need or their sheer abilities, these guys were on the field throughout the season making huge plays.   [player_tooltip player_id='163871' first='Mazeo' last='Bennett Jr'] Greenville   Since Bennett burst onto the scene in 2021 as a sophomore, he's continued to impress everyone who has seen him play. This fall, he took his game to the next level by proving that he could develop into a top-flight receiver playing in the highest rungs of college football after catching 47 passes for 857 yards and 14 touchdowns. Now, add in 607 yards of kickoff returns, 221 rush yards, 70 punt return yards and some timely defensive stops in high-profile games, and you have one of the best all-around players in Class 4A.    [player_tooltip player_id='146381' first='Zach' last='Hagedon'] Oceanside Collegiate   It took all of two games this season for teams to realize that kicking to the Oceanside senior was a bad idea. That's because he put up 264 return yards against Gray Collegiate and South Florence alone. After that, he still got a few chances in the return game, but he continued to squeeze himself into the conversation in other ways. By the end of the year, he had put up 270 rushing yard (12.9 ypc), 232 receiving yards (15.5 ypr) and 86 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and three picks from his spots at safety and corner.    Bryson James Clinton   When Bryson James was named as one of the seven finalists for South Carolina's Mr. Football in 2022, no one was really surprised. While some of his rushing numbers (1,529 yards, 29 touchdowns) were reduced because of the team's multi-back approach, you couldn't deny that he's wasn't a one-dimensional player. On offense, he also caught a couple of passes and a touchdown. On special teams, he blocked six kicks and returned three kickoffs for scores. And on defense, he accumulated 90.5 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, five sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.    [player_tooltip player_id='208350' first='Brycen' last='Scott'] Trinity Collegiate   The junior has put on a few pounds since the beginning of the season, and the slightly weight increase has been a nice touch for a player with such a decent workload. Scott carried the ball 135 times (for 978 yards and eight touchdowns), caught a team-high 56 passes for 1,006 yards and 10 scores and was top six on the team in tackles (47). Had it not been for a mid-season forfeit, Scott would have doubled up on the 1,000-yard plateaus. And had opposing teams not been so concerned with throwing his way, he would have had more than two picks and nine pass break ups.    Keithan Washington Denmark-Olar   The Touchstone Energy Cooperatives selection was a picture of consistency in 2022. While he didn't quite put up the numbers he did as a junior, it's hard to argue with a quarterback who rushed for at least 100 yards in all 11 contests this fall and doubled up in the passing/rushing categories in at least 100 yards each in six separate games. Washington tacked on 35 more touchdowns and 2,900-plus yards to a career ledge that included three all-region selections and 98 total touchdowns between offense, defense and special teams.

From SCISA ball right on up to the bigger classes in the SCHSL, the guys who not only play multiple positions but excel in them have become harder and harder to find.