Week 5 Lowcountry Games to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Can you believe it? We're just one week away from the majority of high school teams starting region play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It adds some more excitement and intrigue to a loaded Lowcountry slate this Friday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Which teams will take advantage of their last chance to impress and improve before things ramp up next week? Let's take a deep dive into the most exciting matchups of Week 5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Beaufort Academy (5-0)</strong> <strong>at Hilton Head Christian (2-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This rivalry between two of the Lowcountry's perennial SCISA powerhouses has only gotten better. This year, you could argue that they're both top contenders in their respective classifications. Hilton Head Christian's offense will present some looks Beaufort Academy doesn't see too often in Class 2A with a multilevel air-raid attack led by senior quarterback <strong>Dylan Clark</strong>. He's efficient with his reads and can make things happen in the run game, giving an extra challenge to Nic Shuford's stout Beaufort Academy defense. The outcome could be determined on the line, with Beaufort Academy's physical <strong>Ediel Gonzalez</strong> and <strong>Alex Williams </strong>leading the way. Watch out for underrated Hilton Head Christian receiver <strong>AJ Houpt</strong> - he quietly put up 152 yards on 10 catches last week at Northwood. Beaufort Academy's offense relies on the two-headed monster of<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='976400' first='Devonte' last='Green']</strong> and <strong>Jaxen Porter</strong> who combined for a cool 365 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a victory over Orangeburg Prep. Hilton Head Christian has a pair of excellent linebackers in <strong>Keene Reese</strong> and <strong>Zane Wilson</strong> who will be tasked with stopping the run game and keeping Beaufort Academy behind the sticks to force quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='268686' first='Dietrich' last='Shuford']</strong> to make some plays of his own. And <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='589061' first='Tucker' last='Tevepaugh']</strong> is a high impact player in multiple phases, coming off a 5.5-tackle game while knocking two punts inside the 20.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Beaufort (3-2) at Bluffton (3-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Beaufort Eagles have battled their way through a tough stretch of games to prepare for Region 8-3A, and they'll get one more on Friday against a surging Bluffton team. Beaufort's defense was terrific at home a week ago, holding May River off the board for two quarters thanks to the hard work of dynamic linebacker<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='809756' first='Will' last='Codding'] </strong>and standout defensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='816738' first='Jayden' last='Simmons']</strong>. They'll look to contain explosive Bluffton quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='790404' first='Owen' last='Bayes']</strong>, who likes to take off for extra yards on the ground. But Bayes has shown a strong arm in the pocket and could test a budding Beaufort secondary with some accurate throws to some solid deep targets in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402486' first='Carnell' last='Warren']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='988249' first='Brandon' last='Bryant']</strong>. The Eagles rely on the run game of senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1025738' first='Jadyn' last='Andrews']</strong>, and his number should be called early and often after putting up 107 yards and two touchdowns against a tough Shark front. Expect to see <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='589010' first='Adrian' last='Lamb'] </strong>working hard to open some holes against<strong> Shane Whittaker</strong> and an improving Bluffton defensive line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Battery Creek (0-5) at Whale Branch (3-0)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's been no stopping this Whale Branch team through its first three games, but there's something about a rivalry that could make Friday's contest with Battery Creek a little interesting. The Warriors have been a well-oiled machine offensively and should keep it going with the excellent rushing attack of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='997381' first='Darrell' last='Cummings']</strong> and an athletic <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='996905' first='Keith' last='Chisholm']</strong>. Through just three games, Cummings has racked up 454 yards and six touchdowns on just 31 carries. The Dolphins have an emerging quarterback in sophomore <strong>Chase Olsen</strong> who has started to gain some chemistry with impressive senior wideout <strong>Juju Gordan</strong>. His quick first step and strong athleticism will help him win one-on-one matchups when he gets the ball in space. Whale Branch will look to beastly defensive lineman <strong>Bradford Thompson</strong> (12 total tackles in three games) and hidden gem <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='579278' first='Alonzo' last='Allen'] </strong>(10 total tackles in three games) to contain shifty Dolphin running back <strong>Damien Freeman</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>May River (2-2) at Cane Bay (2-2)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After falling to a very good James Island team last week, Cane Bay will look to end non-region play on a high note against May River. The Sharks had a tough showing on the road at Beaufort offensively, but quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360121' first='Tanner' last='Macy']</strong> knows how to bounce back from adversity. He'll look to use his quick legs and excellent vision downfield to pick up extra yards in the run game. But breakout sophomore <strong>Garrett Andy</strong> will be a tough matchup on the defensive line to lead a strong Cobra front. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='643492' first='Langston' last='Rhodes']</strong> and <strong>DeShawn Tompkins</strong> lead a Cane Bay run game that has been explosive this season behind excellent veteran lineman <strong>Jayden Ferguson</strong>. May River will need physical and athletic linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1575350' first='Ethan' last='Sprinkle']</strong> to step up against the run game, who has stepped up so far with 30 tackles through four games.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gaffney (3-2) at Fort Dorchester (2-1)</strong>Coming off one of the most impressive performances we've seen this year, Fort Dorchester will be ready for a huge clash with Gaffney on Friday. The Patriots will need a strong night offensively from running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='91350' first='Davian' last='Brown']</strong> who set the tone against Berkeley. Some good chunk plays early can open it up a bit for wideout <strong>Mul-Ty Snider</strong> and athletic playmaker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='589060' first='Jalen' last='Barry']</strong>. Gaffney will need a bounce-back performance on defense after giving up 46 to Northwestern and will need to show some extra hunger and physicality early against a confident Patriot group. Senior veteran <strong>Jarriel Jeffries</strong> will try to make an early statement on the line alongside breakout sophomore linebacker <strong>Zyon Ratchford</strong> who leads the team with 21.5 total tackles. The Fort Dorchester defense will be one to watch on Friday, as senior linebacker <strong>Marcus Moon </strong>and dynamite lineman <strong>Jayden Acevedo</strong> look to back up their shutout against the Stags. The play in the trenches could be the key to victory to disrupt <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='119009' first='Riley' last='Staton']</strong>'s timing. Gaffney's senior quarterback has been sensational so far with 1105 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception in five games. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448239' first='Emazon' last='Littlejohn']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1251135' first='Jamarcus' last='Smith'] </strong>have combined for 731 receiving yards and will be a great test for junior Patriot defensive back <strong>Jalen Hamilton</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->