WHAT WE SAW: Beaufort Soars Past Powdersville to Capture 3A Title

Photo: Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

Wes Kerr

December 2, 2022 @ 03:15 PM

COLUMBIA- For the first time since 1945, the Beaufort Eagles are SCHSL state champions. They did it with the formula that has worked all postseason long: run the football with their playmakers and battle hard on defense. In fact, the Eagles didn't even attempt a single pass in their 41-31 victory over Powdersville. Let's recap a crazy 3A state title game to kick off the 2022 Weekend of Champions on Thursday at Benedict College.    [player_tooltip player_id='336146' first='Kacy' last='Fields'] and [player_tooltip player_id='336140' first='Colton' last='Phares'] have played like superstars all year, and the two seniors combined for an incredible 423 rushing yards and all six Beaufort touchdowns.   Phares provided the spark after trailing 14-0 in the first quarter on a brilliant fake punt call and used his supreme elusiveness to weave past defenders for 198 yards and two scores. Fields concluded his remarkable season at running back with 225 rushing yards and three touchdowns on Thursday alongside a 93-yard kickoff return. His elite vision and speed off the snap at running back have made him one of the state's best, and the 2,236-yard rusher will be a major loss for the Eagles in 2023.   Hart Cushman was sensational for Beaufort, playing both ways on the line and sparking his team's rushing attack while making four tackles with a forced fumble on defense. He's a warrior on the field and showed why he was so valuable down the stretch this year. Will Codding grew into an indispensable piece of Beaufort's defense this year at linebacker and finished the campaign strong with a team-leading nine tackles on Thursday. His hustle and vision on the field were noticeable on every snap, and he thrived with his physicality and strength when finishing tackles.   His explosive teammate Quion Rivers also made a strong impact, flying to the football and adding six tackles plus half a sack. And [player_tooltip player_id='997373' first='Dom' last='Camacho']'s hustle and coverage defensively were apparent in the second half, forcing a fumble and adding three tackles.   Virginia Tech commit and Powdersville star [player_tooltip player_id='91152' first='Thomas' last='Williams'] was lethal at running back and gave problems for the Eagles' defense early on. He gave the Patriots the upper hand in the first half with several chunk running plays on the ground before turning on the jets and bursting to the end zone for a 69-yard touchdown run. He finished with 236 rushing yards and three scores while adding nine tackles from his position at safety where he will play his college ball for the Hokies.   Linebacker Peyton Little stepped up defensively for Powdersville, showing his alertness and strength to wrap up tackles with a team-high 13 stops. Junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='448984' first='Eli' last='Hudgins'] ran the offense well and used his dual-threat explosiveness to pick up 46 rushing yards and a score while completing 4-of-8 passes for 99 yards. His abilities to extend plays and hit his targets deep propelled the Patriots to an Upper State title, and Hudgins should be back for a big senior year. [player_tooltip player_id='1253958' first='Elijah' last='Huggins'] impressed at receiver, making a tough catch in traffic against a ferocious Beaufort secondary to set up a touchdown run.

COLUMBIA- For the first time since 1945, the Beaufort Eagles are SCHSL state champions. They did it with the formula that has worked all postseason long: run the football with their playmakers and battle hard on defense. In fact, the Eagles didn't even attempt a single pass in their 41-31 victory over Powdersville. Let's recap a crazy 3A state title game to kick off the 2022 Weekend of Champions on Thursday at Benedict College.