Upstate Offensive Groups To Watch In Week 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You've seen those groups before. Maybe it's a QB and a couple of receivers who seem to be on a page of their own, and one defenses can't read. Maybe it's a stable of RBs who run roughshod over folks. Maybe it's a little of both.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This year, in the Upstate, there seems to be no shortage of offensive groups who can get it done. One of the most intriguing games in the Upstate in Week 1 includes two of the most dynamic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When Westside rolls in to face Belton-Honea Path on Friday, they'll look to follow a certified gunslinger in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346189' first='Cutter' last='Woods']</strong>. Just a junior, Woods is already drawing attention from Power 5 schools, and with good reason. He threw for more than 3,000 yards last year, tossing 28 TDs. Nearly 1,700 of those yards and 17 scored went to two guys, and they're both back. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='139314' first='Josh' last='Williams']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='139296' first='Jimmar' last='Boston']</strong> are eerily similar - both six feet tall, both basketball players with fast-twitch athleticism, both guys who can go by you and get it or make you miss in space. If possible, the Rams will be even MORE pass-happy under new head coach Brian Lane, and Woods, Williams, and Boston will have to be the very first things on defenses' minds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BHP, meanwhile, looks a little different. The Bears have a trio of running backs who combined to rush for 2,400 yards last season - a season that also featured a combined 2,300 yards of offense by senior QB <strong>AJ Pendleton</strong>. This year, the trio of backs will handle the bulk of the load. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='605525' first='Marquise' last='Henderson']</strong> is the group's leader, rushing for more than 1,200 yards and 16 TDs a year ago. Henderson is happy to gain yardage by any means necessary - violently between the tackles, running away from you off the edge, or any combination of the two. Fellow junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253982' first='Justin' last='Lathon']</strong> added 565 yards and eight scores for the Bears, and he's a very similar runner to Henderson, happy to take whatever the defense gives him, and capable of exploiting mistakes. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1144034' first='Shaheem' last='Robbs']</strong>, on the other hand, is a 5-foot-8, 200-pound wrecking ball with the mentality to match. He rushed for 605 yards and three TDs last year, and seems just as content to go over or through defenders as around them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at three more offensive groups to watch in Week 1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gaffney's RB duo of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='459546' first='Quashon' last='Tate']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473029' first='Jaiden' last='McDowell']</strong> is dangerous, and brings to mind the backfield of the Indians' 2021 state title run. Tate, a senior, is the between-the-tackles back, but he's got plenty of speed to get outside and, he can be gone in a flash. Littlejohn is the speedy guy, but he's rugged enough to play QB in Gaffney's one-back power set. Together, they're a nightmare.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chapman QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='998700' first='Coleman' last='Gray']</strong> does plenty with his arm, but he's also a violent, physical, punishing runner. When you couple that with RBs <strong>Matthai Scott</strong> and <strong>Keanu Na</strong>, there's never a time when Chapman doesn't have a move-the-pile guy in the game. All three have good speed, but that's not what you're looking at. These are straight-ahead, yards-after-contact, drag defenders runners, and you know exactly what's coming. Stopping it is another matter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Byrnes has a pair of guys who defy classification. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272708' first='Chamarryus' last='Bomar']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272705' first='Armoni' last='Weaver']</strong> are both listed as Athletes, and that doesn't begin to describe everything they do for the Rebels. Bomar had just one offensive touch in Week 0, but he provided perhaps the biggest play of the game, returning an acrobatic interception (thanks to a break-up by Weaver) 80 yards for a score. Weaver led the Rebels in receptions and played stellar defense. These two are brothers, and they play like it on the field, showing an uncanny ability to know what the other is doing when both are involved in a play. They're quick, athletic, and matchup nightmares, wherever they line up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->