Lowcountry Week 8 Game Balls
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Each week of the regular season, we’ll recognize the top players in the Lowcountry who took their game to another level. It’s time to give out our game balls for Week 8 of the 2023 season. North Carolina Central University…
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Continue ReadingEach week of the regular season, we’ll recognize the top players in the Lowcountry who took their game to another level. It’s time to give out our game balls for Week 8 of the 2023 season.
In the biggest game of high school football career, Zion Dobson was a superstar. Dobson took command of the contest from the start, exploding for 236 yards and five touchdowns on 18 carries. His tremendous patience and unbeatable breakaway speed were too much for Woodland’s defense, as the Hurricanes rode Dobson’s ground attack to a 64-0 victory over the Wolverines to take full control of the top spot in Region VI-2A. He’s eclipsed the 1500-yard rushing mark with one regular season game to go and has cemented his status as one of the most valuable offensive players in the state this year.
Highlights
It was a stunning display from Rob Hanna’s defense on Friday, and senior linebacker Cody Segars Cody Segars 5’10” | 175 lbs | LB Hampton County | 2024 State SC stepped up to lead the way. With a relentless level of pursuit and effort all night, Segars led the charge by bottling up a strong Wolverines run game. It was quite possibly one of the best defensive performances seen this year, as Segars, Kavon Chisolm, and the Hurricanes produced a net -10 rushing yards and 31 total yards on the night against a Woodland offensive line led by a renowned Kam Pringle Kam Pringle 6’7″ | 305 lbs | OL Woodland | 2024 State SC and friends. If the Hurricanes can keep up this level of defensive intensity up, they could deliver a real threat to take it deep in November.
Tanner Macy
Tanner Macy
On a night with massive postseason implications for his May River Sharks, quarterback Tanner Macy stepped up for his best performance of the season. His quick legs and stellar athleticism were no match for Colleton County’s defense on Friday, finishing with five touchdown runs to power the Sharks to a 35-16 win over the Cougars to stay in the Region VII-4A playoff race. He’s taken a huge leap forward with his dual-threat abilities this year, making quick reads and hitting the holes hard on the ground to create excellent breakaway speed. With a new level of commitment shown on the field this year, Macy has become the catalyst of a May River that will look to prove itself this Friday in a massive rivalry game at Bluffton.
The sparkplug of Hanahan’s strong offensive attack, Kevon Rivera went off on Friday to lead the Hanahan Hawks to a 49-13 Region VIII-3A victory over Battery Creek. Rivera was a force in the ground game, totaling 242 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries. The senior veteran has only gotten better as he continued his career as a Hawk, showing some excellent instinctiveness as a runner as well as tremendous power to drive through tacklers and spot open space downfield. He’s been a proven producer throughout his career and is saving his best play for last as he eyes a region championship this fall.
The Summerville Green Wave has become a force in Class 5A this season, and they’ve found quite a sparkplug at wideout to lead the way in Yannick Smith. The senior wideout couldn’t be contained on Friday night against West Ashley, going for a whopping 237 yards and four touchdowns on just five catches. Smith’s strong frame and blazing speed allows him to escape defenders for huge gains after the catch, and he has tremendous hands to make key catches in matchups downfield. A quick and agile weapon who can instantly develop separation for the ball to be thrown his way, Smith will be a major challenge to hold down in the Class 5A playoffs.
In a humongous road win for the Goose Creek Gators on Friday, Meliq McGowan proved to be the difference with his outstanding work in the ground game. McGowan blazed past the Cane Bay defense all night, totaling 276 yards and three touchdowns to put his Gators over the top. McGown can burst through holes when given open space and can make quick and well-timed cuts to elude defenders and find extra yardage. He’s developed some more power and grit to his game too, breaking multiple tackles on Friday to turn solid runs into explosive plays. McGowan has become a go-to producer on the ground for a Gators team that’s still unbeaten in Region VI-5A play.
Highlights
Bradford Thompson
Bradford Thompson
The Whale Branch Warriors are looking like the real deal in Class 1A, and it starts with a hungry and scrappy defense led by senior Bradford Thompson. His hard work up front shut down Allendale-Fairfax on Friday, making 6.5 total tackles and two sacks to hold the Tigers to just eight points on the night. His hunger and physicality has taken a step up during his senior year, and he’s begun to carry an important load on both ends, including in the run game. His toughness on the field exemplifies a Whale Branch team that will punish opponents for every mistake and make them work for every yard. A terrific athlete at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Thompson should provide a dynamic presence for Hatcher’s Warriors and could spell the difference in a showdown for the Region VII-1A title in Week 10 against Bamberg-Ehrhardt.