Top Week 2 Games In The GSPD
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From the teams with realistic state championship hopes to the players continuing to make a name for themselves, the Grand Strand and Pee Dee are going to play host to some solid games in Week 2. Out-of-area programs Oceanside Collegiate,…
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Continue ReadingFrom the teams with realistic state championship hopes to the players continuing to make a name for themselves, the Grand Strand and Pee Dee are going to play host to some solid games in Week 2.
Out-of-area programs Oceanside Collegiate, Camden, May River and Philip Simmons are all popping into the zone this Friday looking to take a W back home.
Oceanside Collegiate (1-1) at Carolina Forest (1-1)
When push comes to shove, Carolina Forest coach Marc Morris has proved he’s going to rely on his ability to get his offensive line ready and roll with it. Last week, the Panthers nearly upset Class 5A Summerville by doing exactly that. Tailback Kalil Johnson Kalil Johnson 5'7" | 160 lbs | RB Carolina Forest | 2024 State SC (16 carries, 170 yards, two touchdowns, pictured) and quarterback Ethan Hamilton Ethan Hamilton 5'10" | 175 lbs | QB Carolina Forest | 2024 State SC (16 carries, 116 yards, two touchdowns) carried the load, making what many expected to be a Green Wave blowout a seven-point final.
Against Oceanside, don’t expect much different. The Landsharks have a talented defense that revolves around defensive lineman Ben Britton Ben Britton 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Oceanside Collegiate | 2024 State SC (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) and linebacker Max Moorman Max Moorman 6'3" | 200 lbs | LB Oceanside Collegiate | 2025 State SC (6-foot-4, 220 pounds). Oceanside is coming off a 28-6 loss to defending state champion South Florence, and with Carolina Forest playing host to the Bruins next week, the trio of teams have formed a nice round robin of three highly reputable programs from three different classifications.
Myrtle Beach (1-1) at St. James (1-1)
While this game was an annual running clock waiting to happen while the teams were region foes through 2017, St. James has narrowed the game considerably in the last 18 months. Quarterback Connor Schwalm Connor Schwalm 5'11" | 205 lbs | QB St. James | 2024 State SC has roared out of the gates for the Sharks, throwing for 332 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for another 118 yards and three scores total against Waccamaw and Philip Simmons. He’s also getting considerably help out of the backfield from Issiah Brown (33 carries, 233 yards, touchdown).
Neither of those two players were a surprise coming into the season. Nor was Myrtle Beach tailback Malachi Washington Malachi Washington 6'2" | 185 lbs | DL SC – who ran for 1,300 yards a season ago. The Seahawks took a season-opening blowout loss to Camden and shifted gears some, electing to put the ball int Washington’s hands 37 times against Conway. Washington rewarded the decision by ripping off 214 yards and three scores, something that not only keeps this offense productive but gives first-year starting quarterback Gibson Goodroe Gibson Goodroe 5'10" | 170 lbs | QB Myrtle Beach | 2025 State SC more time to acclimate.
Camden (2-0) at Hartsville (2-0)
Game of the Week statewide? Based on what we’ve seen from these two teams, it’s one of the leaders in the clubhouse for sure. The Class 3A No. 4 Bulldogs have overwhelmed their first two opponents (Myrtle Beach and Lugoff-Elgin) behind quarterback Grayson White Grayson White 6'0" | 240 lbs | QB Camden | 2024 State SC (685 combined yards, seven touchdowns), receiver Jaquarius Mayrant Jaquarius Mayrant 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Camden | 2024 State SC (235 yards, two touchdowns) and linebacker Wilson Nash Wilson Nash 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB Camden | 2024 State SC (16 total tackles, two tackles for loss). Camden’s defense has six picks and seven sacks through two games.
Meanwhile, Hartsville’s two wins (Conway, Darlington) have been just as lopsided. Tailbacks Carmello McDaniel Carmello McDaniel 5'8" | 175 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2024 State SC (350 yards, five touchdowns) and Hakeem Watters Hakeem Watters 5'6" | 170 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2025 State SC (344 yards, four touchdowns) are doing some of the standard Hartsville things early, while Coleman Radcliff (21 totals tackles), Da’Marion Coe Da’Marion Coe 5'9" | 175 lbs | DB Hartsville | 2025 State SC (18 tackles) and Bryson Jacobs (9.5 tackles, three tackles for loss) are already proving the Red Foxes’ defense is improved from a year ago.
May River (0-1) at Waccamaw (1-1)
Chatham Walters has blossomed in a hurry exactly when Waccamaw needed him to. After the program lost linebacker Miles Robinson Miles Robinson 6'1" | 205 lbs | LB Oceanside Collegiate | 2024 State SC (transfer) and AJ Grate (injury) over the summer, the Warriors were in search of another playmaker. Enter Walters, who in what most would consider an upset over Carvers Bay last week recorded 10.5 total tackles (seven solo) and eight carries for 44 yards on offense. Combined with Andre Grate Andre Grate 5'11" | 185 lbs | ATH Waccamaw | 2026 State SC (four carries, 83 yards, touchdown against Carvers Bay), and Amondre Johnson’s offense can certainly hold its own against some of the programs on the schedule, like May River.
The Sharks don’t have quite the size on the defensive line they’ve had in past seasons, but Adrian Gaston is still holding down the fort. Between the two rosters, this is a much more evenly matched game that some might have expected in the spring.
Philip Simmons (2-0) at Georgetown (0-2)
Philip Simmons’ first of three trips to the Grand Strand this season was a success, as the Iron Horses beat Class 5A St. James behind huge games from tailbacks KJ Asbury KJ Asbury 5'11" | 205 lbs | RB Philip Simmons | 2024 State SC (202 yards, two touchdowns) and Sharod Williams Sharod Williams 5'10" | 195 lbs | RB Philip Simmons | 2024 State SC (190 yards, three touchdowns). There’s no reason those two won’t get a bunch of carries against Georgetown either.
While the Bulldogs are already showing considerable growth under Bradly Adams – who returned to the program during the offseason after six seasons in the Upstate – Georgetown allowed Andrews to run for 287 yards in one half last Friday. Adams’ team will need to get the most out of quarterback Owen Powell and tailback Shamar Weathers to keep the offense on the field.