What We Saw: Rain Shortens Upstate Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Upstate Showcase at Spartanburg High School was significantly altered by weather.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The event, featuring seven Spartanburg-area schools and neighboring Gaffney in a joint practice at a single site drew a ton of recruiters from colleges at multiple levels who came out for the chance to see a huge number of players in one place at one time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unfortunately, a stubborn storm system sat over Spartanburg's campus for much of the afternoon, cancelling some of the event, forcing more of it inside, and cutting short the final portion. Still, Spartanburg was able to take the field for a brief period, and Chapman and Boiling Springs were allowed to split the Vikings' stadium field into two 40-yard portions to complete the day and make the most of their allocated time, and there were some standouts in the late action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The hosts didn't get a whole lot of time outdoors, but Spartanburg did come out to run some quick drills and some skeleton offense/defense plays. In the OL/DL drills, <strong>Travis Miller</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1734457' first='Brendon' last='Carson']</strong> looked like a formidable pair on the offensive line, with each winning a couple of one-on-one matchups against the rush. Carson, in particular, did a good job of neutralizing his defender. On the DL, <strong>Kam Jennings</strong> has a good first step and utlilzed a couple of really good moves - a spin and a swim- to get upfield and beat his guy. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The usual suspects at the skill positions played well for Spartanburg in limited action. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592374' first='Trey' last='Burke']</strong> and <strong>TJ Johnson</strong> threw some good balls, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346191' first='Calvin' last='Choice']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1359184' first='Justin' last='Rice']</strong> looked good making catches downfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most of the action came from Boiling Springs and Chapman, as they had nearly a full session to work. The Bulldogs look set at RB, with a deep group and a pair of guys standing out. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254206' first='Javen' last='Chhim']</strong> has a little bit of an extra burst, and uses that explosiveness to his advantage. He was beat up last season, but if he can stay healthy, he'll be a huge threat for Boiling Springs. By contrast, <strong>Ry'Shaun Morgan</strong> is a little bit of a change of pace, running with a physical style that can be a great contrast and complement to Chhim. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012707' first='Lincoln' last='Huskey']</strong> continues to impress at QB for the Bulldogs. Big and strong with an arm that can make any throw, Huskey is particularly good on the move, and accurate rolling out either way. Defensively, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036731' first='Dennis' last='Glenn Jr'] </strong>continues to play well beyond his years on the DL. And one of the main eye-openers for Boiling Springs was at kicker, where <strong>Michael Dueck</strong> banged in 50-yarders with regularity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chapman was interesting to watch during the session, and will be one of the most interesting teams in the Upstate in the early part of the season as everything comes together. The Panthers have to replace basically all of their offensive production, and they look to have a strong cast contending to do just that. At QB, <strong>Josiah Moore</strong> showed some promise, leading a couple of TD drives. He's got a good arm, but he's especially effective with his legs and looked electric on read-option plays, making good give/keep decisions and making defenders pay for guessing the wrong way. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1041795' first='Chanson' last='Mickles']</strong>, one of the Panthers' leaders on defense, saw a bunch of reps at RB. He's a tough, hard-nosed runner who's also capable of breaking away. <strong>Hank Tolleson</strong>, another standout defender, made a couple of tough catches downfield. And <strong>Jaedon Moorman</strong> is going to be a problem. He's got good speed, but his elusiveness in space is off the charts, and the Panthers sometimes seem content to get him the ball and let him make something happen. Up front, <strong>Johnny Poland</strong> and <strong>Clay Justus</strong> return from great junior seasons, and look more than solid. Chapman will also be helped on both sides of the ball by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253999' first='Shamon' last='Black']</strong>, who was out of the session preparing for the 3A state track meet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->