Week 4 Games To Watch: Upstate

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a couple of huge matchups in the Upstate this week, including a game that could be a playoff preview, a cross-classification heavyweight fight, a huge rivalry, and a rematch of one of last year's best game. Here's a look at some of this week's best games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chapman (3-1) at Clinton (4-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These former region rivals have made a habit of playing recently, as this will be the teams' fifth meeting since 2020, including playoff games. And it's usually a pretty good barometer of what the 3A playoffs might look like down the road.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers come in after correcting course following a loss to Boiling Springs. Last week, they blasted Laurens behind the play of QB<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='998700' first='Coleman' last='Gray']</strong>. Gray had more than 300 yards of offense, including a 22-of-26 night through the air for 219 yards and four scores, with 10 carries for 90 yards and another TD. <strong>Matthai Scott</strong> and <strong>Keanu Na</strong> power the Panthers' running game, and rushed for nearly 200 and a score last week. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142680' first='Rashawn' last='Cunningham']</strong> is Chapman's main target, but <strong>Hudson Moss</strong> is emerging as a strong second option and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253999' first='Shamon' last='Black']</strong> is contributing more every week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, the Panthers are solid at all three levels, but <strong>Harrison Bridges</strong> stands out up front, while <strong>Reece Lynch</strong> is a problem at LB.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clinton is still operating out of the pistol-spread formation, but the Red Devils are throwing it a little more, and they're doing it well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012830' first='Tushawan' last='Richardson']</strong> was 8-for-10 last week, which might look modest until you consider it came with 182 yards and three touchdowns. One of those scores went to all-around standout <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='771037' first='Zay' last='Johnson']</strong>, who also plays defensive back and returns kicks. On the ground, the Red Devils are doing what Clinton has done - four guys carried the ball last week, nobody gained more than 60 yards, everybody gained more than 30, and they averaged nearly seven yards per carry. That starts up front with guys like C <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='241184' first='Rion' last='Gordon']</strong>, who is also a standout at defensive end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Northwestern (2-1) at Gaffney (3-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='241044' first='Finley' last='Polk']</strong> might be the best QB that nobody's talking about. He's quietly put together a season that already includes nearly 800 yards passing and 10 touchdowns in just three games this season. Last week, in a win over Nation Ford, nine different Northwestern receivers caught passes. Mix in the unbelievably talented <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='265222' first='Turbo' last='Richard']</strong> at RB, and the Trojans are loaded on offense. They had a huge defensive night last week against the Falcons, too, as <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360210' first='Mason' last='Grier']</strong> led the way with six total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. The Trojans had five total sacks and knocked away five passes, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='771090' first='Jammar' last='Perry']</strong> grabbed an interception, and <strong>Jayce Joseph</strong> blocked a punt in the shutout win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Indians are rounding into form in a big hurry. After a season-opening shootout loss to Crest, Gaffney demolished Union County, then got back-to-back tough wins over South Pointe and Mallard Creek. Offensive balance has been the key for the Indians, with sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473029' first='Jaiden' last='McDowell']</strong> looking every bit like one of the best backs in the state, QB<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='119009' first='Riley' last='Staton']</strong> slinging the ball around to a bunch of receivers, and<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='448239' first='Emazon' last='Littlejohn']</strong> turning into a touchdown machine. Defensively, the LB tandem of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='605523' first='Clay' last='Cook']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='605522' first='Andrew' last='Ruppe']</strong> lead the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>J.L. Mann (4-0) at Greenville (2-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rivalry might be the best between schools in Greenville County, with the student bodies competing to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity through the years. Now, though, the intensity has moved to the football field thanks to leaps and bounds in Mann's program under coach Scoot Watson.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Patriots are off to a blazing, 4-0 on the heels of last year's successful campaign. They're averaging well over 40 points per game, they've allowed just 27 total, and they've shut out two opponents. Mann is led by a pair of dynamic offensive players. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142457' first='Mikel' last='McClellan']</strong> lines up a bunch of places for Mann and is a game-changer with the ball in his hands. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1144060' first='Ethan' last='Anderson']</strong> missed a couple of games in the first month of the season with an injury, but returned last week and absolutely torched Easley for 319 yards and four TDs. When you add <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1249825' first='Keyshun' last='Henderson']</strong> as a complementary threat to McClellan and the hard-nosed running of <strong>Obadiah Jones</strong>, the Patriots are tough to deal with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Red Raiders have been without all-everything ATH [player_tooltip player_id='163871' first='Mazeo' last='Bennett Jr'] since he left the Byrnes game with an injury two weeks ago, but didn't have a whole lot of trouble offensively in last week's blowout win over Mauldin. KD Mosely stepped up with a 100-yard receiving night, QB [player_tooltip player_id='349806' first='Bryson' last='Drummond'] threw for 140 on a short night, and the Red Raiders rushed for 243 yards as a team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The other side of the ball is where Greenville will shine as the season goes on.<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='209617' first='Jayden' last='Wilson-Abrams']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242787' first='Bruce' last='Knauber']</strong>, and <strong>Jamarion Jefferie</strong>s are leading the way up front, with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='390438' first='Ramani' last='Bruton']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='276660' first='Christian' last='Henderson']</strong>, and<strong> Raymone Whitner</strong> patrolling the secondary.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Powdersville (2-2) at Hillcrest (4-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was one of the best games in the Upstate a year ago, with Hillcrest taking a 37-35 victory. The casts have changed significantly, but this is still a game loaded with talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Powdersville is led by senior QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448984' first='Eli' last='Hudgins']</strong>, a four-year starter who's just as dangerous with his legs as with his arm. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253958' first='Elijah' last='Huggins']</strong> provides a deep threat and is a serious concern in the return game, where he had nearly 150 return yards and a touchdown last week. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209382' first='Jayden' last='Pepper']</strong> and <strong>Brandon Waldrop</strong> provide a one-two punch from the backfield, totaling nearly 280 yards rushing a week ago, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267456' first='Harrison' last='Jeffries']</strong> leads the defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267431' first='Avery' last='McFadden']</strong> is the sparkplug for Hillcrest, and he does a little bit of everything. Last week, he scored<a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/09/what-we-saw-hillcrest-21-boiling-springs-6/"> all three of Hillcrest's touchdowns</a> in a 21-6 win over Boiling Springs, in which he played receiver, running back, short-yardage QB, corner, and returned kicks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809746' first='Kalab' last='Sutton']</strong> directs the Rams' offense, and is electric on the move, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346198' first='Bryce' last='Rainwater']</strong> leads a big, physical offensive line. Defensively, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254134' first='DJ' last='Henderson']</strong> is a monster, and had a huge game in last week's win. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='997218' first='Tyson' last='Moses']</strong> is a big hitter who plays with nearly constant intensity for the Rams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->