Week 4 Lowcountry Game Balls
In this article:
Each week of the regular season, we’ll recognize the best ballers in the Lowcountry who took their game to another level. It’s time to give out our game balls for Week 4 of the 2023 season. Zion Dobson SC #29…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEach week of the regular season, we’ll recognize the best ballers in the Lowcountry who took their game to another level. It’s time to give out our game balls for Week 4 of the 2023 season.
In a battle between the two most talented Lowcountry running backs, Wade Hampton’s Zion Dobson Zion Dobson 5’10” | 175 lbs | RB Hampton County | 2024 State SC was the clear winner on Friday night. Dobson was too much for a strong Hilton Head defensive line, going for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. With star defensive lineman Shaikh Thompson on the opposite side, Dobson’s vision and explosiveness allowed him to quickly spot holes on the outside and accelerate down the sideline. He’s up to a cool 882 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns through his first five games and is proving himself to be one of the most complete running backs in South Carolina.
Highlights
The Iron Horses’ offense continued to roll on Friday thanks to another tremendous outing from running back Markellis “KJ” Asbury. The powerful 6-foot and 205-pound standout displayed his strength and quick feet, racking up an efficient 210 rushing yards and four touchdowns to lift Philip Simmons to a 55-20 victory over Aynor. A talented playmaker with quick instincts who’s hard to bring down in the open field, Asbury has been the key catalyst for a dynamic Iron Horses rushing attack now off to a 5-0 start.
Jerry Hatcher’s Whale Branch Warriors have rolled through their first three games of their 2023 schedule, and the powerful ground game of Darrell Cummings Darrell Cummings 5’9″ | 185 lbs | ATH Whale Branch | 2024 State SC has been at the forefront. The senior two-way standout dominated on the ground again in a home matchup with Burke, turning eight carries into 136 yards and two touchdowns. Cummings can explode into the open hole and is a proven leader on both sides for a Whale Branch team playing with swagger in Class 1A.
Charles Byrd
Charles Byrd
A proven producer on the ground for Lucy Beckham, running back Charles Byrd excelled to lead the Bengals’ offense to a strong performance against Stall. Byrd’s agility and vision helped him make the most of his 14 carries, putting up a total of 176 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His quick cuts and burst through open lanes helped him elude tacklers to string together explosive runs early and often. He’s a high-effort piece of a Lucy Beckham offense that has all the pieces to contend in a deep and talented Region 7-4A.
Drake Bull
Drake Bull
The Lucy Beckham Bengals put up a defensive clinic on Friday night, and it was anchored by the tremendous work of senior lineman Drake Bull. His nonstop effort and pursuit made the difference for the Bengals, posting an eight-tackle night including five stops for loss and three sacks. Bull was quick to elude his blocks all game and showed excellent lateral movement to fly to the football and blow up plays in the backfield. He’ll be counted on to create pressure and disrupt the flow of some high-powered Region 7-4A offenses this fall.
Jayden Acevedo
Jayden Acevedo
In a big bounce-back performance for the Fort Dorchester Patriots, Jayden Acevedo was the catalyst to blank a strong Berkeley team. Acevedo’s exceptional power and footwork in the trenches was in full force, helping anchor a defensive line that shut down the Stags for all 48 minutes. He’s shown a relentless level of hustle and physicality this year and always seems to step up and make plays at the biggest moments of a ballgame. Acevedo and his hard-working line could be the difference for Fort Dorchester to make a deep run in a loaded Class 5A this fall.
One of the most dominant performances we’ve seen at wideout so far in 2023, Derrick Salley Derrick Salley 6’3″ | 190 lbs | WR Ashley Ridge | 2024 State SC went above and beyond to power Ashley Ridge’s offense to a standout performance. The athletic senior has tremendous instincts and can make quick adjustments to his routes to get open. He put it all on display on Friday with 13 receptions for 229 yards and a touchdown. His quick feet and elusiveness help him rack up yards after the catch and he can excel against opposing corners with his height and catch radius. Salley is becoming the go-to weapon for a confident and efficient Ashley Ridge attack ready to make some noise in Region VII-5A.