Week 8 Lowcountry Games To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From region title clashes to playoff-spot deciders, the stakes are heightened in each passing week of October.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've got another stellar Lowcountry slate on tap for Week 8.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's go over the most intriguing contests that we'll have our eyes on this Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Goose Creek (2-5) at Cane Bay (5-2)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The last two unbeaten teams in Region VI- 5A will meet in Summerville with massive postseason implications on the line. After challenging themselves throughout their non-region schedule, the Goose Creek Gators sit at 1-0 in the region after a convincing win two weeks prior against Berkeley. They nearly knocked off Fort Dorchester in Week 7 with a high-octane attack from versatile playmaker <strong>Shy'Juan Grant </strong>and athletic 6-foot wideout <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448997' first='Davion' last='Malloy']</strong>, putting up 35 points against the Patriots. Cane Bay's explosive secondary of&nbsp; <strong>Jordan Horlback </strong>and senior safety <strong>Keaton Cooley </strong>should provide a challenge to the Gators' budding pass attack. The Cobras will need their blocking to step up on Friday, anchored by 325-pound center <strong>Jayden Ferguson</strong> to open up lanes for efficient senior running back <strong>DeShawn Tompkins </strong>(56 car, 455 yds, 3 TD). Goose Creek linebacker <strong>Kenneth Smalls </strong>has great instincts and physicality at linebacker and could be the difference to slow down the Cobras' scary ground game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Berkeley (4-3) at Ashley Ridge (6-1)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not a region matchup, but an intriguing one nonetheless as both teams prepare for their stretch runs. All eyes will be on Ashley Ridge standout wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='589052' first='Derrick' last='Salley']</strong>, who shredded West Ashley's defense for 270 receiving yards and three scores last week. <strong>Jermaine Jackson</strong> and a developing Stags defense could have their hands full holding down the tall and athletic Salley, who's shown his tremendous catch radius and breakaway speed downfield. Sensational sophomore linebackers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165076' first='Marcus' last='Henderson'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267216' first='Kevin' last='Rivers'] </strong>will be needed to pressure and disrupt Ashley Ridge quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402509' first='Trevor' last='Kalisz']</strong>. Berkeley freshman sensation <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036733' first='Henry' last='Rivers']</strong> will need to play great to keep up on the other end, and he's coming off a phenomenal 330-yard passing game with four touchdowns and two more scores on the ground. He's brought terrific poise and elusiveness at a young age, and will eye a strong repeat performance against quick and agile senior cornerback <strong>Nikolaos Jefferson </strong>who could play a key role against the freshman signal-caller.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Colleton County (2-5) at May River (2-5)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Adam Kinloch's squad can play, and the Colleton County Cougars proved it at home last Friday for a massive region win over Hilton Head. It's a victory that makes the Cougars a sudden contender for a Region VII-4A postseason berth, especially if they can knock off May River on the road this week. The Sharks couldn't slow down James Island's three-headed rushing monster at the Tank, and now will face a confident and underrated Colleton County group led by quarterback <strong>Sean Williams, </strong>electric two-way player <strong>Bryan Hamilton</strong>, and powerful fullback <strong>Nick Williams</strong>. The Cougars took what the defense gave them while limiting the mistakes, and the same formula will be the key to success against the Sharks. May River's <strong>Kuron Green</strong> will need an active game to disrupt Colleton's confident offense alongside fledgling linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1575340' first='Hudson' last='Flanagan']</strong>. Expect <strong>Will Bostwick </strong>to build upon an exceptional 7.5-tackle game in the secondary and limit extra yards after the catch while providing tight coverage. The Sharks' chances may rest on the play of quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360121' first='Tanner' last='Macy']</strong>, who was held down most of the night by James Islands' terrific pass rush. If given open lanes, Macy has elite elusiveness to turn explosive carries in a hurry. Hamilton came up clutch with a game-sealing pick last week and should find ways to make impacts from the secondary.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Woodland (6-0) at Hampton County (7-1)</strong><br>It's a key showdown in Varnville this Friday between two top-10 Class 2A squads. The stakes are high- the winner will likely earn the Region VI-2A championship and make its path a little easier towards the Lower State championship. The battle on the line should be as advertised- featuring beastly Hampton County star <strong>Kavon Chisolm </strong>and Woodland 285-pound standout <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='139286' first='Kam' last='Pringle']</strong>. The heavyweight bout on the line could decide the edge for most of the night, especially with the threat of the Hurricanes' speedy <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239076' first='Zion' last='Dobson']</strong> (122 car, 1,322 yds, 16 TD) lurking in the backfield. Dobson has earned the highest praise on the offensive side, but freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036756' first='Jordan' last='Bovain'] </strong>has added a secondary spark from breakout junior quarterback <strong>Chris Terry </strong>to help keep defenses honest. Woodland has game-breaking strength up front with Pringle and budding junior sensation <strong>Antonio Ford</strong>. A strong performance in the blocking game will help open space for flashy senior running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='372771' first='TJ' last='Wright'] </strong>to take off in the open field<strong>. </strong>It could be easier said than done against a hungry Hurricanes defense led by an explosive <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809743' first='Mandrell' last='Sanders']</strong> with gifted instinctiveness and physicality to wreak havoc in the backfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->