Predicting Every Team’s 2023 MVP: Region V-1A

Ian Guerin June 13, 2023 @ 10:00 AM

With SCHSL football spread over five classifications and 36 regions, the talent pool in South Carolina is as vast as it is diverse.   We're going to tackle it unlike ever before.   The Prep Red Zone South Carolina team is going to predict every team's MVP for the 2023 football season. Over the next several weeks, you're going to be able to read about which player is leading the way for his team. We'll even give you a whole bunch of highlight films to back up our predictions.   Are you ready?   REGION V-1A   Carvers Bay Bears   Kenneth Bateman QB - Bateman didn't start out the year as a true dual-threat quarterback, but he developed a confidence in his running abilities as the 2022 season went on and found spots to make it count. In the meantime, the 6-foot, 160-pound lefty also started to show even more touch on his short and mid-range throws and had no issue letting one fly from time to time. Bateman doesn't put up monster numbers, necessarily, but he also don't make many mistakes. Because of it, Carvers Bay should contend for the region title.   East Clarendon Wolverines   Jyre Fulton RB - At 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, and with an offensive line that started three freshmen last season, Fulton's future is not only bright, but it's being considered the jumping off point for a team that dismissed its head coach and hired Larry Cornelius, formerly of Lakewood. In Fulton (pictured), Cornelius will have a hard-nosed runner who did well in the Wolverines' Wing-T but clearly showed some acumen during slightly more modern running plays.   Hemingway Tigers   Xavier Washington OL/DL - With numbers expected to be way down again after the majority of Hemingway's roster graduated, second-year coach Byron Abram is looking for leaders. That's where the 6-foot, 230-pound Washington comes into the picture. The two-sport athlete was a member of the school's basketball program and while losses in both sports have piled up lately, Abram said Washington role will again include full-time jobs on offense, defense and special teams.    Johnsonville Flashes   [player_tooltip player_id='996857' first='Travis' last='Wilson'] LB/TE - An All-State selection as a defensive linemen, there's really no way to accurately describe what Wilson's “main” position is at this level. He can put his hand in the dirt or stand in the middle of the defense while also playing at a top-notch level at tight end. All the while, he's 6-foot-3 and hovering around 225 pounds. He's got one more year of eligibility remaining, and we're betting he'll make plenty of noise before it's all said and done.    Scott's Branch Eagles   [player_tooltip player_id='1013106' first='Dreshawn' last='Blanding'] LB - Blanding led the team with 61 total tackles, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble a season ago, and second-year coach Randall State is high on the rising junior again. Along with his teammates, Blanding will have an opportunity to get his feet wet during a navigable non-region slate. After that, he'll be considered a key defensive piece for a team looking to improve upon its third-place finish in the region.

With SCHSL football spread over five classifications and 36 regions, the talent pool in South Carolina is as vast as it is diverse.