Week 4 Games to Watch: Lowcountry

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We circled a few weeks at the start of the 2023 season that could prove significant by the year's end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week 4 in the Lowcountry definitely fits the bill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With several cross-area matchups looming between quality sides, we'll learn a lot more about which teams could make a serious run come November. Let's check out some games to look out for this Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Berkeley (3-1) at Fort Dorchester (1-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Fort Dorchester Patriots have had a lot of time to sit on a 41-0 loss at Georgia powerhouse Grayson. Now, two weeks later, they'll play their first home game of the season on Friday against a gritty Berkeley team. We haven't seen much of the Patriots in 2023 so far, but interim head coach Joshua Smith has instilled an extra spark to a unit that should be raring to go against the Stags. Fort Dorchester boasts a talented receiving corps led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142837' first='Mul-ty' last='Snider']</strong> and an athletic 6-foot-3 <strong>Jalen Berry</strong> who can battle for and win jump balls against most high school defenders. Hybrid linebacker and defensive back <strong>Marcus Mood</strong> will look to use his excellent finesse and anticipation on defense to slow down efficient Berkeley quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036733' first='Henry' last='Rivers']</strong>, who's thrown for 926 yards in four games with a 13-to-3 touchdown to interception ratio. <strong>Isaiah Palmer</strong> leads a run game that will look to complement a dynamic attack with <strong>Denzel Reid </strong>and <strong>Malachi Purdue</strong> anchoring a strong offensive line. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165076' first='Marcus' last='Henderson']</strong> has been a breakout star for the Berkeley Stags at linebacker with 42 tackles in four games and will be key in setting the tone defensively on the road.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hilton Head (3-1) at Hampton County (4-0)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The much-anticipated cross-county showdown has arrived. Top-five 2A squad Hampton County, fresh off a thoroughly impressive 41-0 shutout win over C.A. Johnson, will host a much improved Seahawks team looking to build on a shutout of their own against Wilson. It's a matchup between two standout running backs: Hilton Head's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1013024' first='Troy' last='Timko']</strong> (101 car, 543 yds, 6 TD) against red-hot Hampton County back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239076' first='Zion' last='Dobson']</strong> (54 car, 759 yds, 8TD). And both will have a challenge against two superb defenses. Hilton Head boasts excellent power and explosiveness with defensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448980' first='Shaikh' last='Thompson']</strong>, while Hampton County has shined with big man <strong>Kavon Chisholm </strong>alongside outstanding linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809743' first='Mandrell' last='Sanders'] </strong>who feasted a week ago in the backfield. This game could come down to which offense makes the fewest mistakes and executes the best in the red zone.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>May River (2-1) at Beaufort (2-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most impressive traits of Bryce Lybrand's Beaufort teams is how his players respond to adversity. After a rough outing at Hilton Head, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254143' first='Samari' last='Bonds']</strong> put together possibly his best game so far as a Beaufort Eagle. He'll need to be on that same level again taking on a May River defense that's found another level of play the last two weeks. The key in this game lies with Beaufort's defense, led by powerful linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809756' first='Will' last='Codding']</strong> and ball-hawking playmaker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='997373' first='Dom' last='Camacho']</strong> in the secondary. It'll be a menacing test for May River quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360121' first='Tanner' last='Macy']</strong>, who has shown his dual-threat abilities with a developing arm. But he'll need some time in the pocket to make some plays happen, which could be difficult with Beaufort's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='816738' first='Jayden' last='Simmons']</strong> and <strong>Robert Johnson</strong> lurking in the trenches. The Eagles have the luxury of experienced offensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='589010' first='Adrian' last='Lamb']</strong> and emerging running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1025738' first='Jadyn' last='Andrews']</strong> who has become the lead for Lybrand's squad.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bluffton (2-1) at Battery Creek (0-4) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>Fresh off a strong home win, Bluffton will face off with a Battery Creek team seeking its first win of the year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='790404' first='Owen' last='Bayes']</strong> threw for 377 total yards against Frederica Academy and could hit close to the number again this week with his stellar offensive playmakers in wide receivers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='988249' first='Brandon' last='Bryant']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402486' first='Carnell' last='Warren']</strong>. But <strong>Jake Ridgway</strong> has also proven himself as a strong power back with the hustle to stay on his feet and break through tacklers, complementing the growing passing game. New Dolphin quarterback <strong>Chase Olsen</strong> is starting to figure it out in his sophomore year, and he'll need some help from his offensive line to give him some time to hit his favorite target in senior wideout <strong>Juju Gordon</strong>. <strong>Shane Whittaker </strong>will have other plans on the Bobcat end, who has been a sensational breakout factor on the defensive line to support physical and explosive linebacker<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='208337' first='Jeremiah' last='Curry']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->