GSPD Week 7 Games and Players To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another week of huge games with November implications is on the horizon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What players will ensure their teams end up on the right side of the next round of make-or-break contests? We have some ideas.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amid the squads along the Grand Strand and Pee Dee jostling for playoff positioning, it's still the faces behind the facemarks that will ultimately deliver.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MARION (6-1, 1-0) AT KINGSTREE (2-4, 0-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a nice sense of football scheduling irony, Marion will be going on the road with the right to stay at home later on resting in the balance. The Region VIII-2A winner will have home-field advantage right on through the Class 2A Lower State championship game. And the Blazers are the last thing standing in the Swamp Foxes' way. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295367' first='Gabe' last='Cusack']</strong> returned to form against Andrews last week, and now the impetus to keep him on the field rests squarely in the hands of quarterback <strong>Ja'Shaun Dorsey</strong> (381 rushing yards) and tailbacks <strong>Chiquan Giles</strong> (166 yards, two touchdowns in two weeks of time in the backfield) and <strong>Rodney Bryant</strong> (258 yards, four touchdowns this season). Kingstree needs to be able to move the sticks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HANNAH-PAMPLICO (2-4, 0-0) AT LATTA (6-1, 0-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While game has certainly lost some of its star power, the playoff ties to it haven't been watered down much. Red Raiders tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='464882' first='Jamarcus' last='Williams']</strong> (knee) is out for the year. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='922678' first='Wade' last='Poston']</strong> and two other offensive starters are doubtful with ankle issues. If that wasn't enough, Latta standout senior running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='996926' first='Jamarion' last='Jones']</strong> is also unlikely to play after dealing with an ankle injury of his own. In his place, the Vikings are going to need <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448981' first='Kartrell' last='Townsend']</strong> to step in at tailback, with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1013065' first='Amir' last='Rogers']</strong> and <strong>X'Mari Bethea</strong> - two regular defensive starters - also expected to help carry the load. And don't forget about quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142797' first='LaBron' last='Cobb']</strong> and his 12 total touchdowns or nearly 1,000 yards of combined offense.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WACCAMAW (3-3, 1-0) AT LORIS (3-2, 0-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors have not defeated Loris since 2007, a stretch of 13 straight games. Waccamaw's Brothers Grate would love to change that. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473025' first='Andre' last='Grate']</strong> has been a focal point for Amondre Johnson's team all season, taking over the quarterback position in this run-based offense. Last week in the win over Georgetown, he put up 87 rushing yards, including a 53 yards. Twin brother <strong>AJ Grate</strong> - recently back from an offseason injury - resumed his duties on both sides of the ball, rushing for 35 yards and a score on offense and picking off a pass and recording 2.5 total tackles on defense. The Lions are going to counter with their own rushing attack, led by senior <strong>La'Ontray Knox</strong> (467 yards, six touchdowns). Neither offense has been explosive, so every offensive series will be vital.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HARTSVILLE (4-2, 0-1) AT MYRTLE BEACH (5-1, 1-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As if Hartsville junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272699' first='Da'Marion' last='Coe']</strong> wasn't already going to have his hands full trying to help slow down Myrtle Beach tailback [player_tooltip player_id='402500' first='Malachi' last='Washington'] (988 yards, 14 touchdowns, five straight 100-yards games), Coe is going to be part of the solution to replacing running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='208339' first='Carmello' last='McDaniel']</strong>, who at best is considered week-to-week after leaving last week's game against South Florence. Coe, freshman <strong>Reggie Smith</strong> and receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578854' first='EJ' last='Smith']</strong> will all likely get carries alongside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012592' first='Hakeem' last='Watters']</strong> (707 yards, 11 touchdowns, pictured). What that means is an even bigger role on defense for the likes <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578873' first='Coleman' last='Radcliff']</strong> (54 tackles) and <strong>Jaquez Coe</strong> (28 tackles) attempting to quell Washington's big-play potential. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NORTH MYRTLE BEACH (2-4, 0-1) AT WEST FLORENCE (3-3, 0-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Want to see two teams fired up and looking for retribution this week? Look no further than North Myrtle and West, a pair of squads coming off dramatic, last-second, one-point losses to open region play a week ago. We mention that first, because whichever team is able to settle into what it wants to do without raw emotion this week probably avoids the hangover from last week. The Chiefs are starting to look significantly more fluid on offense, with <strong>Evans Bellamy</strong> (135 yards) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1574055' first='Drew' last='Prince']</strong> (127 yards touchdown) both getting quality yards on the ground last week against Wilson. Meanwhile, West is trying yet another player on offense to create opportunities without entirely spiting the other side of the ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360071' first='Bobby' last='Patterson']</strong> has joined <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='208334' first='Kelvin' last='Hunter']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443495' first='Franklin' last='Emerson']</strong> in the backfield, and Patterson rushed for 123 yards in the loss to Myrtle Beach.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>PLAYER NOTABLES</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165108' first='Zori' last='Pierce']</strong> QB, Lamar</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Silvers Foxes' young quarterback doesn't need to be lights out - as evidenced by his four-of-14 passing performance in the win over Latta last week. However, against the rest of the region, Lamar's chances to win are much higher if he keeps his passing percentage closer to what it's been the rest of the season (62.5%).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267465' first='Kalil' last='Johnson']</strong> RB, Carolina Forest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's no other way to say it: Johnson has started his senior season on a tear. Despite facing a highly respectable schedule, the Panthers' senior has rushed for 820 yards and nine scores while averaging 8.5 yards per carry. After getting gashed early and often, allowing a 100-yard rusher in each of it four of its first five games, Conway has held its last two opponents (Aynor and St. James) relatively in check on the ground.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1146273' first='Ryan' last='Largin']</strong> DB, St. James</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Largin (49.5 total stops) has been the Sharks' top tackler, his job this week will include keeping Socastee receivers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='413888' first='Josh' last='Brown']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='771237' first='Quadir' last='Scott']</strong> from breaking the type of big plays have that have allowed the Braves a semblance of offensive production this year. Socastee will find unconventional ways to get the ball into their hands, and Largin will have to be the ultimately spy by keeping his head on a swivel.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->