What We Saw: Salley Propels Ashley Ridge Past St. James

MURRELLS INLET | Ashley Ridge first-year coach Jeff Tate said prior to Friday's game that quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='402509' first='Trevor' last='Kalisz'] was a work in progress.   Well, the sophomore's certainly looks like he's comfortable with his primary assignment.   Get the ball to receiver [player_tooltip player_id='589052' first='Derrick' last='Salley'].   The big senior led the Swamp Foxes to a 63-34 win at St. James on Friday, hauling in 14 passes for 228 yards and a score. He was, at times, simply uncoverable.    “I'm living the dream I always had as a child,” Salley said after leading Ashley Ridge to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2015. “Keep feeding me. I like that.”   Salley (pictured) is definitely eating so far this year.   After entering the year with a personal goal of 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, he may want to go ahead and re-configure those numbers. It took him all of just four games to eclipse the scoring total (he's now at 13 total touchdowns) and he's unofficially sitting at 724 receiving yards after his huge effort at St. James - a fourth straight 100-yard receiving game to start the season.   However, while his performance was very much about how much damage he could do through the air, the Swamp Foxes added in a new wrinkle Friday, too. Salley scored three touchdowns near the goal line on Wildcat sets. It was a perfect example of Tate knowing the 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior played for him and not the other team.   As for Kalisz, it wasn't as if he was simply just making short passes to Salley, either.   The first-year starting quarterback was extremely accurate in all three tiers throughout the evening. He finished the night 26-of-32 for 335 yards and that one passing touchdown to Salley. Of his six incompletions, four were drops.   Kalisz also added a three-yard rushing touchdown late in the game, his only carry against the Sharks. His arm, though, is clearly another focal point for the Swamp Foxes under Tate, who helped craft Wren into a high-octane offense prior to his arrival in Summerville. This was the fourth straight game where Kalisz topped 260 passing yards.   His favorite target is more than OK with the offense and the results it is delivering.   “I feel like we have a chance to win Lower State and state, if we're being completely honest,” Salley said. “All we can do is get better and better each week.”   OTHER ASHLEY RIDGE NOTABLES   [player_tooltip player_id='1157992' first='Jayden' last='Acosta'] RB - The one-time Fort Dorchester tailback is now the primary backfield option for Ashley Ridge. Like Salley, he also finished with three rushing touchdowns amid his 18-carry, 106-yard performance. He also hauled in two passes for 20 yards.    [player_tooltip player_id='1012625' first='Dylan' last='Polansky'] LB - Polansky is developing from a reliable linebacker into a game-changing one in a hurry. The junior backed up his dynamic performance from last week against Colleton County by adding a sack, forcing a fumble that all-but ended any chance of a Sharks comeback in the fourth quarter and then put an exclamation point on the entire evening by taking the ball away from a St. James running back and returning it 35 yards for Ashley Ridge's final points of the evening.   [player_tooltip player_id='346190' first='Bryce' last='Lawhon'] DL - The 6-foot-7, 320-pound former offensive lineman is seeing more and more time on defense. While Lawhon won't show up much in the stat pack from Friday's win, it took two and even three Sharks' offensive linemen to block him along the interior, leaving others available to make necessary stops.    ST. JAMES NOTABLES   Cooper Kelly WR/DB/RB - The pure definition of a do-it-all player, Kelly has taken on much of the role previously held by Ja'Saan Faulkner - lost last week to a season-ending knee injury. Kelly's biggest ability to affect a game is his speed, and he put it to use by taking an option pitch 59 yards for a first-quarter touchdown that evened the score at 14-14. He then added a second touchdown run in the third quarter from 21 yards out. For the game, he had 101 yards on just six carries.    [player_tooltip player_id='1312432' first='Jace' last='Shropshire'] WR - The 6-foot, 150-pound receiver finished the night with five catches for 54 yards, including a third-quarter reception in which he was leveled as he hauled in the pass and managed to somehow hold on for a first-down reception.    [player_tooltip player_id='91513' first='Connor' last='Schwalm'] QB - Even when St. James is struggling, Schwalm continues to make plays. Against Ashley Ridge, the senior quarterback used his legs to orchestrate several scoring drives, including two that he capped off with touchdowns of his own. Schwalm finished with 17 carries for 115 yards and two score to go along with 85 passing yards. His 445 rushing yards (unofficial) and eight rushing touchdowns are both leading the Sharks through five games.

MURRELLS INLET | Ashley Ridge first-year coach Jeff Tate said prior to Friday's game that quarterback Trevor Kalisz Trevor Kalisz 6'0" | 215 lbs | QB Ashley Ridge | 2026 State SC was a work in progress.