Class 1A Lower State Second Round Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's nothing like the excitement and the mayhem of the first round of the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But it's the second round where the great teams start to separate from the rest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a wide-open field throughout the Lower State in Class 1A, we should be in for a treat this Friday. Here's a rundown of what to expect as round two gets set to kick off.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No.3 Lake View (7-3) at No.1 Johnsonville (8-2) </strong>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a gritty road victory over Whale Branch in the books, the Lake View Gators will set their eyes on top-seeded Johnsonville in the SCHSL 1A second round. The Gator offense came up clutch with excellent blocking from <strong>Luke King </strong>and tight end <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012841' first='Daniel' last='Ray']</strong> to open up space for electric quarterback <strong>Kason Herlong</strong> and breakthrough junior running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1321060' first='Tyrell' last='Foxworth']. </strong>Johnsonville runs on the strength of senior signal-caller <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='997242' first='Malik' last='Shippy'] </strong>with a potent combo of burst and agility from <strong>Zaghe Davis</strong> alongside some power from 215-pound back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='997329' first='Neal' last='Martin']</strong>. A good start from Lake View's defense could make the difference on the road, and talented sophomore linebacker <strong>Keawe Jackson </strong>has the athleticism and the intangibles on the field to make that spark and keep an eye on an elusive Shippy with the help of versatile defensive end <strong>Ja'Mire Barden</strong>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No.3 Carvers Bay (5-6) at No.1 Lamar (8-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After an explosion of points at the expense of Baptist Hill on Friday, the surprise Carvers Bay Bears will head to top-seeded Lamar and its strong defensive unit. The Silver Foxes have surrendered just under 14 points per game this year, giving a tough challenge to Carvers Bay quarterback <strong>Kenneth Bateman</strong> and a stellar offensive line led by junior guard <strong>Bakari Grice </strong>and breakout sophomore tackle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402516' first='Zyon' last='Guiles']</strong>. The stellar Lamar unit feasted in round one, picking off two passes thanks to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1462573' first='Alvion' last='Ward'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1250948' first='Zoom' last='Jackson'] </strong>along with the pass rush and defensive pressure forced by <strong>Nazir Stevenson </strong>and a hungry Silver Foxes line. They'll look to give the ball back to an offense led by a lethal two-headed monster on the ground of <strong>Travion McPhail </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165108' first='Zori' last='Pierce']</strong>, the latter going off for 172 yards a week ago on just eight carries. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 2 East Clarendon (5-5) at No.1 Bamberg-Ehrhardt (10-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bamberg-Ehrhardt looks the part of a top contender in SCHSL 1A, but the Red Raiders will need to produce against a sneaky-solid East Clarendon team on Friday. The Wolverines rolled past Military Magnet 42-0, as senior quarterback <strong>Rod Shaw </strong>and backfield mate <strong>Jyre Fulton </strong>excelled behind a hard-working line of breakout sophomore center <strong>Jaylon Barron</strong>. But they might meet their match on the other end in Bamberg's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='997394' first='Y'Zorion' last='Washington']</strong>, who has been a dynamite force at nose guard with a dominant frame at 6-foot-2 and 288 pounds. And <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142485' first='Jamie' last='Downing'] </strong>has been a relentless wrecking ball on both ends with endless energy who has melded in beautifully with clutch junior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='464885' first='Chanston' last='Crosby']</strong> and high-powered back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='997288' first='Nick' last='Folk']</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No.3 Allendale-Fairfax (5-6) at No.1 Cross (10-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Allendale-Fairfax Tigers pitched a shutout on the road over Latta, setting up what could be a tight defensive battle between two well-coached units. Cross has been on another level defensively, stringing together an impressive six consecutive shutouts. It'll be hard to see that continue, but Cross' defense has a great chance to stay dominant with sophomore standouts <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1639766' first='William' last='Grant'] </strong>and <strong>Devaughn Sutter </strong>leading the way. The Tigers delivered on the road to start off the postseason, and they'll need a quick start from hard-nosed defensive lineman <strong>Zyshonne Rollins</strong> and <strong>Keith Rollins</strong> on the other side of the ball to give room for speedy senior back <strong>Terry Wright</strong>. Cross senior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142851' first='Tyler' last='Mungin'] </strong>could be the difference-maker in a tight clash, averaging 8.4 yards per carry on the ground while producing through the air with 13 touchdowns to just three interceptions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->