What We Saw: J.L. Mann 21, Hillcrest 13
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GREENVILLE | A bold strategy of shutting out opponents after halftime is working out pretty well for J.L. Mann this postseason. For the third consecutive week, the Patriots didn’t allow a point in the second half Friday as they rallied…
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Continue ReadingGREENVILLE | A bold strategy of shutting out opponents after halftime is working out pretty well for J.L. Mann this postseason. For the third consecutive week, the Patriots didn’t allow a point in the second half Friday as they rallied for a 21-13 win over Hillcrest at Slaton Field. For the second time in school history, Mann advances to an Upper State championship game. The Patriots (11-2) will play at Dutch Fork next Friday with a trip to the Class 5A state title game on the line.
To be fair, Mann hasn’t allowed much scoring in the first half this month either. The Patriots won at Hillcrest, 42-35, in the final week of the regular season. That victory resulted in Mann hosting each of the first three rounds of the playoffs, while the Rams hit the road each of the last three weeks. Ever since that shootout win, the Patriots have taken their defensive efforts to another level. They shut out Blythewood and allowed 142 total yards in the opening round. They gave up just a first-quarter touchdown and 158 yards of total offense in a 17-7 win over Spartanburg last week. On Friday, Mann allowed two second quarter touchdowns and then limited Hillcrest to 83 yards in the second half.
“We’ve got some flat out dogs on defense. … I could go on and on about how many studs we have,” Mann coach Scoot Watson said. “Sometimes it doesn’t come down to Xs and Os. It comes down to your heart and guts. We’re not necessarily the most talented team out there, but they play with the most heart.”
A tone was set for the night on the opening possession when Hillcrest’s 16-play drive ended at the Mann six-yard line. On fourth-and-one, Rams’ standout running back Thomas Stanley was stopped for no gain. Later, the Rams had drives of 12 and 14 plays that also came up empty.
All of the first half scoring happened in a wild two-minute stretch early in the second quarter. Hillcrest scratched first when quarterback Kalab Sutton Kalab Sutton 6'3" | 175 lbs | QB Hillcrest | 2025 State SC kept for a five-yard score. Mann answered when Ethan Anderson Ethan Anderson 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB JL Mann | 2024 State SC hit Mikel McClellan Mikel McClellan 5'9" | 165 lbs | WR JL Mann | 2024 State SC on a nine-yard touchdown pass. After the touchdown, Mann’s other big-play receiver, Keyshun Henderson Keyshun Henderson 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR JL Mann | 2025 State SC , was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Before the Patriots kicked off from their own 25, Henderson received another unsportsmanlike penalty and suddenly Mann was without a key player the rest of the night as Henderson was ejected.
After Mann kicked off from its own 12-yard line, Hillcrest’s next possession began at midfield. With the Patriots still stunned about what just happened, the Rams went deep to Mr. Football finalist Avery McFadden Avery McFadden 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR Hillcrest | 2024 State SC . McFadden caught the ball at the five and dragged a defender into the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown. Mann blocked the extra point to leave Hillcrest in front 13-7. The Patriots avoided further damage when the Rams’ 12-play drive to end the half resulted in an incomplete Hail Mary pass.
It was Hillcrest’s defense that shined in the first half as Mann had just 89 yards on 19 plays.
In the second half, the Patriots’ ground game went to work. Mann had runs on nine of its 10 plays on the opening drive of the second half. The last two of those carries went to Na’Cyus Morrison and resulted in a 10-yard gain on third-and-seven followed by a 15-yard touchdown run. The extra point gave Mann a 14-13 lead.
“They were blitzing a lot (in the first half), so we just made some adjustments and adapted to it,” Morrison said. “We just keep fighting. Ever since the summer, we just fight no matter the circumstances.”
Mann forced a three-and-out when lineman Joel Crespo (pictured) dropped Sutton for a three-yard loss on third-and-two. After a six-yard punt, the Patriots took over at the Rams’ 25. On third-and-four, Mann called a draw play to Morrison that Hillcrest had played perfectly. However, Morrison patiently made all three defenders in position for a tackle miss and carried for six yards. Three plays later on third-and-seven, Anderson and McClellan connected on a 10-yard touchdown as Mann pushed the lead to 21-13.
Hillcrest came back with a 14-play drive that reached the Patriots’ eight-yard line. It ended on perhaps the biggest play of the night. On fourth-and-two, McFadden took a direct snap out of the wildcat set. Immediately after the ball reached McFadden, so did Crespo and his tackle resulted in a five-yard loss.
“I just read it. We’ve been looking at film and I saw it,” Crespo said. “We’ve just put in work, focused and fixed our mistakes (from the first Hillcrest game).”
It’s unusual to see McFadden get brought down in the open field by one defender. But a big unexpected big play has been quite usual for Crespo lately. It was his interception return for a touchdown that gave Mann a 35-28 lead with less than four minutes left in the regular season finale. It was his five-yard interception return for a touchdown that snapped a 7-7 tie against Spartanburg just before halftime last week. He had a pair of sacks on Friday.
“Joel has just been locked in down the stretch and this postseason,” Watson said. “He hasn’t been talking during school. He’s just been completely dialed in.”
There was still 8:56 remaining, but that stop felt like a dagger. Hillcrest did get two more possessions. On third-and-10 from midfield, the Patriots got to Sutton. As he tried to throw the ball away, he was spun backwards and ended up throwing it backwards 26 yards out of bounds. Facing 4th-and-36 Hillcrest had no choice but to punt.
The Rams’ final possession began at their own 41 with 2:46 left. Mann’s defense put the cherry on top of its night on the first play when Jaden Booker had an interception for the lone turnover of the game. Hillcrest took its last timeout with Mann facing third-and-seven at midfield with 1:48 left. McClellan took a direct snap and raced 28 yards to seal the win.
“We came out the timeout and I was like, ‘guys, please give me everything you’ve got and I’ll give you everything I got.’ Those guys did an amazing job blocking up front,” McClellan said. “The perseverance of our team is outstanding.”