What We Saw: Hampton County 37, Andrew Jackson 21

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defense set the tone in the first half, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239076' first='Zion' last='Dobson'] </strong>delivered the knockout blow.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first-ever Hampton County Hurricanes football team is headed to the final four.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dobson turned it on late, putting up 152 yards and four touchdowns to seal a 37-21 Hampton victory over visiting Andrew Jackson. It'll set up a matchup against Oceanside Collegiate in Charleston on Friday to decide the 2A Lower State title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hurricanes created separation with their relentless defensive mentality in the first half, showing their signature “Dawg-like” pressure to force quick throws from Volunteer quarterback <strong>Brady Williams</strong>. And Hampton's surging secondary got the job done, racking up three enormous interceptions in the first half from<strong> Zamone Lofties</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165165' first='Jaylen' last='Singletary']</strong>, and <strong>Desmond Mathis</strong>. Junior linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809743' first='Mandrell' last='Sanders'] </strong>was dominant in flying to the football and amping up his physical play, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142659' first='Cody' last='Segars'] </strong>was clinical in clogging up running lanes and anticipating the Volunteers' play calls. Monstrous lineman <strong>Ka'Von Chisolm</strong>'s tenacious energy helped him feast in the backfield with a pair of sacks, while <strong>Zedikyah Raymond</strong>'s dynamic play in pressuring Williams helped him force an early interception in the first half to build an early 17-0 lead which proved to be everything to help the ‘Canes hang on.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The ‘Canes swarming defense helped quarterback <strong>Chris Terry </strong>and company work on short fields in the first half, and they cashed in with some hard-nosed running from Dobson and an efficient night from the signal-caller. Terry was nearly perfect through the air, going 6-for-7 and passing for 114 yards. He was dialed in on third downs, making perfectly-timed throws on slants over the middle to athletic standout <strong>Xaviar Garvin</strong>. Originally a strong candidate for the starting quarterback job at the start of the year, Garvin has transitioned to the Hurricanes' most reliable receiver with quick route-running skills and terrific hands that were rock solid for two important conversions. Lofties and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036756' first='Jordan' last='Bovain'] </strong>were impact-makers with their sensational bursts and quickness in open space, and Chisolm chipped in offensively with an excellent 30-yard grab on the run. The continued threat of Dobson opened up more opportunities for the passing game to get going, but the Mr.Football finalist still cleaned up near the goal-line with tough running for a pair of early touchdowns to open his account. He saved his most eye-popping runs for the end, punctuating the night with a 25-yard run off a broken tackle and a sensational 50-yard run showcasing his brilliant patience and elusiveness. He's approaching the 2,400-yard mark on the season, and he's far from done with this campaign.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was an exceptional finale for Andrew Jackson's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='317140' first='Trey' last='Thompson']</strong>, serving as the workhorse from the backfield and producing with 136 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Despite having little room at times with a strong Hampton defensive line, Thompson was able to bounce some runs to the outside and take advantage of the space that he had to fly downfield. Williams fought hard in the fourth quarter to give the Volunteers some life, cutting the deficit to a two-possession twice with long completions to dynamic wideouts <strong>Mo Danzy</strong> and <strong>Bryce Peterson</strong>, who proved to be Williams' go-to target with exceptional footwork and hands to beat his defenders and find room on the outside to make grabs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='399205' first='Hayden' last='Williams']</strong> helped Andrew Jackson hold its own in defending the run in the first half, holding Dobson to an uncharacteristic 37 rushing yards on 13 carries before he took off near the end. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1395004' first='Jase' last='Fair'] </strong>was a reliable presence in the Volunteer defense and came up with a key string of reliable tackles to minimize explosive plays in the Hampton run game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->