10 Under The Radar 2024s To Watch This Postseason

The state playoffs just mean something different to the senior class.   Even for those who have secured a college to continue their careers know that in five weeks, no matter what, their careers are over. Sense of urgency doesn't begin to describe what's happening right now.   Amid those seniors gearing up for one last (or, in some cases, only) ride are 10 who could play pivotal roles without the spotlight being shined directly on them, at least to start. These players have all been flying relatively under the radar. Each have a Prep Red Zone ranking in the triple digits, if at all.   [player_tooltip player_id='997121' first='Breylon' last='Boyd'] QB, Ridge View - Erase the beatdown to Irmo, and Boyd has put together a pretty solid senior season, even while splitting time with the player who will be the full-time quarterback beginning next season. Boyd's 1,690 passing yards and 13 touchdowns plus his 200 rushing yards and six ground scores make him one of the more versatile senior signal callers in the state. The Blazers look like they'll have two home games   [player_tooltip player_id='448995' first='Austin' last='Cunningham'] WR, White Knoll - When Cunningham went down over the summer for an extended period of time, there wasn't anyone in the state who thought the Timberwolves had a shot at an undefeated regular season. White Knoll and its high-powered defense led the way to exactly that just the same. So when Cunningham returned in late September, this team only got that much better. In four games, he caught 14 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He's got speed to spare, and he's going to get plenty of targets.   [player_tooltip player_id='295367' first='Gabe' last='Cusack'] QB, Marion - We want to take you back to September 21. That night, Cusack had what could be considered the worst game of his high school career. He threw four picks at Myrtle Beach and completed just seven-of-18 attempts. Now, let's look at what he's done since: 66-percent completion rate, eight touchdown passes, 656 passing yards, 197 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns. Yeah, Cusack has bounced back nicely, and because of it, his team swept through its region and earned that No. 1 seed to set up a first-round match-up with Central.   [player_tooltip player_id='997292' first='Tavis' last='Dolford'] CB/WR, Lamar - The Silver Foxes are set up nicely for a potential run in the Class A playoffs, beginning with a fist-round game against Branchville. Dolford's play during the region slate was a big reason. He ended the regular season with 30 total tackles, an interception and six pass break-ups while chipping in 27 receptions for 541 yards and five touchdowns on offense. Dolford has simultaneously gained more and more trust from the first-year staff, and leaning on seniors in the playoffs is rarely a bad idea.   [player_tooltip player_id='340395' first='Chris' last='Glover'] LB, James Island - While few believe at-large selection Wilson is going to give undefeated James Island much of a game, the playoffs are the playoffs for a reason. And while looking ahead to a potential second-round game against the AC Flora-Hartsville winner is a fun exercise in imagining Glover against those two strong rushing attacks, the task at hand is Wilson. The Trojans' leading tackler has 57.5 total stops, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble to his credit. If he gets going against the Tigers, it could be a quick first-round game.   [player_tooltip player_id='771223' first='Calvin' last='Jackson'] DL, Boiling Springs - Whether you want to call Jackson an outside linebacker or a true defensive end is up to you. But you can't deny his effectiveness coming off the edge. The senior recorded at least one tackle for loss in eight games during the regular season, piled up 48 total tackles, added five sacks, broke up three passes, picked off another, forced one fumble and recovered another. Jackson's M.O. is high-impact plays, and he's going to get a chance against defending champ Dutch Fork in the first round.    [player_tooltip player_id='267465' first='Kalil' last='Johnson'] RB, Carolina Forest - If the expected rematch between Carolina Forest and Summerville is going to happen, it will have to wait until the third round. And if that's going to even be a possibility, Johnson is going to have to repeat what he's done for most of the year. The 5-foot-7, 160-pound back has carried the Panthers' offense, rushing for 1,282 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games (he was held out last week due to illness). His eight 100-yard games have made up for a lack of a passing attack.   [player_tooltip player_id='996926' first='Jamarion' last='Jones'] RB, Latta - In another universe somewhere, Jones is entering the postseason with 2,000 rushing yards and somewhere in the neighborhood of 30ish touchdowns. In this one, though, the 6-foot, 170-pound tailback missed a month of action during the biggest part of the calendar and slid down the landscape some. Now? He's back, and he's arguably the most important piece for a Latta team that could make some noise in the Class A Lower State bracket. Jones rushed for at least 170 yards in six of his seven games this year, and he still has 22 rushing touchdowns on his resume this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='589062' first='Khalil' last='Moody'] CB/WR, Crestwood - Moody has game changer written all over him. He essentially shuts down half of the field for opposing quarterbacks who are smart enough not to test him (he did sill break up seven passes and record two interceptions). And he's remained active against the run, too. Offensively, he's a low-volume, high-production type when he steps in at receiver. His 10 catches went for 380 yards and four scores. Not enough? He's a dangerous punt returner capable of taking it to the house.    [player_tooltip player_id='1142588' first='Michael' last='Wanger'] LB, York - There aren't many players in the state who had 20 tackles for loss prior to the last week of the regular season. But Wanger (pictured) was one of them. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound edge was held out of that category just one time, last week's loss against South Pointe. Still, York has every opportunity to pull off an upset or two in the coming weeks if he's on his game. His 11 sacks are further proof of how much time he's spent in opposing backfields, and starting with a Round 1 matchup against Riverside, York will be facing teams who like their quarterback dropping back to throw.

The state playoffs just mean something different to the senior class.