What And Who To Watch: GSPD Week 3 Games
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We’ve got games between teams who started slow. Others with programs jumping out of the gate. Players ready to light a fire and others believing they still could. The Grand Strand and Pee Dee Week 3 games have it all.…
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Continue ReadingWe’ve got games between teams who started slow. Others with programs jumping out of the gate.
Players ready to light a fire and others believing they still could.
The Grand Strand and Pee Dee Week 3 games have it all. And we think this could be one of those Fridays that set the tone for what we’re going to be able to expect throughout the rest of the regular season.
Conway (0-3) at North Myrtle Beach (1-2)
One win in six combined games might not look like much, but each of these teams have playoff potential right there for the taking. The talent level on each is why. Conway defenders Justin Hill, J’Kwon Brantley, Moses Freshley Moses Freshley 5'11" | 170 lbs | LB Conway | 2024 State SC and Najere Green have each taken turns standing out during the Tigers’ first three games. They’ll need to put it all together against the North Myrtle Beach offense led by Landon Cloninger (20-of-25, 257 yards last week), tailback Stephen Vereen (306 yards in three games) and Kaden Gore Kaden Gore 5'8" | 150 lbs | WR North Myrtle Beach | 2025 SC (11 receptions, 202 yards, three touchdowns).
South Florence (3-0) at Carolina Forest (1-2)
Carolina Forest quarterback Ethan Hamilton Ethan Hamilton 5'10" | 175 lbs | QB Carolina Forest | 2024 State SC (258 yards passing, 185 yards rushing) and running back Kalil Johnson Kalil Johnson 5'7" | 160 lbs | RB Carolina Forest | 2024 State SC (348 yards, five touchdowns) are clearly showing they can do some damage in spurts. They’re going to need to be on key against a South Florence program that is gashing everyone thanks in part to Zion Gilbert Zion Gilbert 6'0" | 195 lbs | RB South Florence | 2025 State SC – who last year was playing at Carolina Forest before his move inland. Gilbert has run for 319 yards in three games and is looking like he’s going to get even more carries after Rodrick McRae was lost for the season due to a leg injury.
Hannah-Pamplico (2-1) at Andrews (2-1)
Two programs with strong rushing attacks will line up trying to do to each other exactly what Andrews accomplished last week against Carvers Bay. In that game, nine Yellow Jackets ball carriers accounted for 65 carries and 322 yards – led by 95 yards from Xavier Anderson, 65 from Brandon Cumbee Brandon Cumbee 5'10" | 160 lbs | ATH Andrews | 2025 State SC , 56 from AJ Lee. It led to a 3-1 time of possession difference. Likewise, Hannah-Pamplico uses the same run-first strategy with tailbacks Jamarcus Williams Jamarcus Williams 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Hannah-Pamplico | 2025 State SC (2025) and Darius Williams (2026) and junior quarterback Wade Poston Wade Poston 5'11" | 165 lbs | QB Hannah Pamplico | 2025 State SC . If either team starts running down hill, the score could get up there in a hurry.
Hartsville (3-0) at Dillon (2-0)
As far as high-profile games go, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger one in South Carolina this week. Hartsville enters the game as the No. 2 team in Class 4A after dropping 55 points each on Conway, Darlington and Camden. Tailbacks Carmello McDaniel Carmello McDaniel 5'8" | 175 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2024 State SC (535 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Hakeem Watters Hakeem Watters 5'6" | 170 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2025 State SC (428 yards, six touchdowns) are each averaging north of 11 yards per carry. The Wildcats, meanwhile, have been a bit more meticulous in the early going. Sophomore quarterback Josiah Oxendine Josiah Oxendine 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Dillon | 2026 State SC (178 yards, one touchdown) has attempted only 20 passes so far and the running duties have been split between sophomore Dominick Felton Dominick Felton 5'9" | 170 lbs | RB Dillon | 2026 State SC (124 yards, two touchdowns), junior Jamarion Fling Jamarion Fling 5'8" | 160 lbs | RB Dillon | 2025 State SC (115 yards, 1 touchdown) and senior Simrod McCallum (71 yards, four touchdowns).
MORE PLAYER NOTABLES
Gibson Goodroe Gibson Goodroe 5'10" | 170 lbs | QB Myrtle Beach | 2025 State SC QB, Myrtle Beach – Goodroe has been put into full-blown game-manager position in terms of his spot on the Seahawk offense. While that’s just fine for now – given that Malachi Washington Malachi Washington 6'2" | 185 lbs | DL SC has put up back-to-back 200-yard rushing games – the more his confidence grows, the more of the playbook the offense will start to run. Against Socastee this week, don’t be surprised if there are a few more wrinkles.
Jace Shropshire WR, St. James – The new No. 1 receiver at St. James has already caught 15 passes in three games. And while it is a promising start, he needs to prove he can get open against tight coverage. Lake City has the type of outside defenders who can muddy things up in a hurry, and the Sharks offense could use Shropshire finding his next gear sooner rather than later. If he performs well here, it could be sign of a huge second half of the year.
Kelvin Hunter Kelvin Hunter 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB West Florence | 2024 State SC LB/RB, West Florence – Hunter (pictured) has always been a standup player willing to do whatever is asked. The latest proof comes in the form of the South Carolina commit all but abandoning his likely future landing spot in the secondary to help the Knights’ offense. He’s still getting quality reps at linebacker, but he’s simultaneously playing on offense, too. Eventually, he’s going to have another one of those awe-inspiring games, and a game against visiting Dreher could be it.