What We Saw: Sumter 42, Ridge View 19
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SUMTER | The past few seasons, Sumter has been a team across the state with a topflight defense and a more methodical approach on the offensive side of things. Given the way things have shaken out early in the 2023 season,…
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Continue ReadingSUMTER | The past few seasons, Sumter has been a team across the state with a topflight defense and a more methodical approach on the offensive side of things.
Given the way things have shaken out early in the 2023 season, those thoughts might waver. The defensive effort is the same. Offensively, things might be a lot better.
Sumter unleashed a bevy of skill players in a dominating 42-19 victory over Ridge View Friday night.
The Gamecocks scored on their first offensive play with a bit of trickery but after that it was more smash-mouth football with a few passes thrown in for good measure.
John Peeples John Peeples 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Sumter | 2025 State SC opened the scoring with a 62-yard halfback pass to Dazaun Jackson Dazaun Jackson 5'10" | 170 lbs | WR Sumter | 2024 State SC on the first play from scrimmage to set the tone. The Gamecocks scored on five of the next six possessions to take away any doubt of the outcome.
Peeples (pictured) added touchdown runs of 1 and 4 yards, Kameron Fortune Kameron Fortune 5'10" | 165 lbs | RB Sumter | 2025 State SC scored from 27 yards, and Pate Merchant Pate Merchant 5'11" | 190 lbs | QB Sumter | 2024 State SC threw a 29-yard TD to Jamie Tedder and ran one in from a yard out. Fortune led the way on the ground with 122 yards on 16 carries with Peeples adding 77 yards on 16 touches.
Merchant ended the night 6-of-9 for 90 yards. Sumter didn’t have any turnovers.
“We have good skill players and Pate being a senior,” Sumter coach Mark Barnes said. “We didn’t throw it tonight as much as we planned to throw it but we didn’t visualize we’d have as much success as we did running the ball. Both tailbacks were really good. We’re a little more explosive than maybe we’ve been.”
The Gamecocks defense might be lacking the big-time names they’ve had in the past, but they slowed the talented Blazers offense. Jauron Bennett Jauron Bennett 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB Sumter | 2024 State SC recorded an interception and the Sumter defense also forced two other turnovers.
Anthony Addison Anthony Addison 6'3" | 210 lbs | DL Sumter | 2025 State SC , who has a Cincinnati offer among others, set the tone early. But he had plenty of help from the likes of Kedatriss Anderson, Jaheim Rose, Bryson Cuffie Bryson Cuffie 5'11" | 205 lbs | LB Sumter | 2024 State SC , Tymaries Thompson-Durant and Jordan Lowery.
The limited Ridge View to 50 yards rushing and 42 of those yards came on the final two drives.
“Our standard here is defense. We’re going to win here with defense,” Barnes said. “We gave them some yards but didn’t break. I told our players after the game I don’t think we could have played much better. We were a complete football team tonight.”
RIDGE VIEW NOTABLES
The Blazers played two quarterbacks – starter Breylon Boyd Breylon Boyd 6'0" | 205 lbs | QB Ridge View | 2024 State SC got the bulk of the reps – and ended up with 284 yards passing. Boyd finished 15-of-29 for 206 yards and a touchdown of 31 yards to Carter Coleman Carter Coleman 5'11" | 165 lbs | ATH Blythewood | 2026 State SC . Coleman, a sophomore wide receiver, was the leading target with seven catches for 104 yards. Boyd also added a rushing touchdown.
Freshman Tre Howard Tre Howard 5'10" | 160 lbs | QB Ridge View | 2027 State SC threw for 78 yards and a late TD as well.
Defensively, Mycah Cummings and David Matthews David Matthews 5'10" | 195 lbs | LB Ridge View | 2024 State SC made plays all over the field.