Upstate Midseason Report: Who's Playing Well

With football season in the Upstate paused for the most part last week and uncertain this week due to the effects of Hurricane Helene, it's a good time to take a look at the overall picture and some teams who have surprised (and some who have done exactly what was expected of them). Here's a look at 10 squads playing exceptionally well, and the players who are the reason why as we approach the season's halfway point.   HILLCREST   The Rams have found an offense to go with their standout defense. [player_tooltip player_id='809746' first='Kalab' last='Sutton'] has thrown for 678 yards and six TDs, with the bulk of that production going to [player_tooltip player_id='347516' first='Weston' last='Willis']. [player_tooltip player_id='1359171' first='Frank' last='Starks'] III has been a standout at RB, and the Rams are making it happen behind a nasty OL, led by PJ Miller and [player_tooltip player_id='346198' first='Bryce' last='Rainwater'] who have combined for 47 pancake blocks already. Defensively, Jayden Wright and [player_tooltip player_id='1046263' first='Caleb' last='Costantino'] lead the way, while Antrez Nance already has four sacks.    J.L. MANN   The Patriots had a ton of new faces this season, and they're playing really well, with an overtime loss to Gaffney as their only setback. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1420582' first='McLeod' last='Darnell'] has thrown for more than 800 yards and nine TDs, and a stable of backs has kept it moving for Mann, with [player_tooltip player_id='1012565' first='LaDainnian' last='Martin'] getting the bulk of the carries and OJ Jones and [player_tooltip player_id='1249774' first='Nacyus' last='Morrison'] adding support. [player_tooltip player_id='1249825' first='Keyshun' last='Henderson'] leads four receivers with at least 100 yards, and [player_tooltip player_id='1249737' first='Wyatt' last='Ward'] has 48 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and a sack.   GAFFNEY   The Indians seem to be living up to a bunch of preseason hype. [player_tooltip player_id='284134' first='Jayvon' last='Gilmore'] has stepped right in and done everything that's been asked of him at QB, playing particularly well since [player_tooltip player_id='473029' first='Jaiden' last='McDowell'] has been hampered a bit by injury. [player_tooltip player_id='1254122' first='Jamarcus' last='Smith'] has turned into a do-everything guy, and Shane Davidson is another deep threat. [player_tooltip player_id='797158' first='Shedrick' last='Sarratt'] leads a deep OL, while [player_tooltip player_id='605522' first='Andrew' last='Ruppe'] and Imari Foster-Boyd fly all over the place on defense.   WESTSIDE   There might not be a better team in the state than the Rams, period. [player_tooltip player_id='346189' first='Cutter' last='Woods'] directs a high-powered offense, with [player_tooltip player_id='1157819' first='Sharode' last='Richardson'] eating up yards beside him in the backfield. [player_tooltip player_id='272708' first='Chamarryus' last='Bomar'] has been a revelation as he's made WR his primary position, and [player_tooltip player_id='272705' first='Armoni' last='Weaver'] continues to be one of the best two-way players in the state. Westside has weapons all over the field, and the Rams are putting up huge numbers.    SENECA   The Bobcats are undefeated, and they're averaging nearly 40 points per game led by junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='1165153' first='Gavin' last='Thoma']. The Bobcats' defense has been stingy and has created chaos, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1253936' first='Rafael' last='Little'] and Jeremiah Good, and Seneca is the type of team who can cause huge problems based solely on the style they play.   DANIEL   The defending 3A champions have moved up to 4A, but they haven't missed a beat. New QB [player_tooltip player_id='309825' first='Grayson' last='Clary'] has stepped into the starting role and has played extremely well. [player_tooltip player_id='1157945' first='Spencer' last='Conn'] has continued to shine, too, reinforcing his position as one of the best LBs in the state while at the same time stepping in to help lead the Lions at RB. [player_tooltip player_id='1360192' first='Jason' last='Bish'] is a threat outside, while [player_tooltip player_id='1592019' first='Dexter' last='Johnson'] has continued the Lions' tradition of outstanding line play.   BELTON-HONEA PATH   How about more of the same from the Bears, who were a play away from last year's 3A state title game. They've continued to roll through the non-region portion of their schedule, with a loss to defending 4A champion Westside as their only blemish. [player_tooltip player_id='605525' first='Marquise' last='Henderson'] has been brilliant, leading the way on the ground and catching passes out of the backfield. [player_tooltip player_id='283891' first='Noah' last='Thomas'] has been efficient at QB, while [player_tooltip player_id='779428' first='Tajeh' last='Watson-Martin'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1253982' first='Justin' last='Lathon'] help lead BHP defensively.   MOUNTAIN VIEW PREP   The thoughts were that the Stars could compete immediately. The reality has been far beyond that. Mountain View Prep has rolled to an undefeated record, largely behind the eye-popping numbers of QB [player_tooltip player_id='349806' first='Bryson' last='Drummond'], RB [player_tooltip player_id='473001' first='Jaylen' last='McGill'], and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1395046' first='KD' last='Hainsworth']. But it's not just the offense. Mountain View's defense has been outstanding as well, with [player_tooltip player_id='1253952' first='Eli' last='Smith'], [player_tooltip player_id='1734594' first='Jacobie' last='Smith'], and Allen Edmondson leading the way. The Stars seem headed for a showdown with Woodruff for region supremacy.   WOODRUFF   The Wolverines are one of the surprises of the season - if you weren't paying attention. If you were, you'd realize that Woodruff has a ton of talent back from a year ago, including [player_tooltip player_id='1253917' first='TJ' last='Morris'], who got better with every start last season. He's joined in the backfield by a do-everything bruiser in RB [player_tooltip player_id='1036753' first='Aiden' last='Gibson'], who already has more than 850 yards rushing and 12 TDs while averaging 7.2 yards per carry. [player_tooltip player_id='1592034' first='Kori' last='Moates'] is a standout at WR, with 376 receiving yards on 23 catches, with three scores. [player_tooltip player_id='1592408' first='Shaun' last='Graybill'] leads the defense with 59 tackles.    CLINTON   The Red Devils sit at 3-2, but both losses are to teams on this list. [player_tooltip player_id='1012830' first='Tushawan' last='Richardson'] continues to lead the way for the Red Devils, but they've found yet another pair of dynamic RBs in [player_tooltip player_id='1161156' first='Javen' last='Cook'] and Kason Copeland. They're running behind a talented OL featuring [player_tooltip player_id='241184' first='Rion' last='Gordon'], [player_tooltip player_id='1360221' first='Cal' last='Pitts'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1247389' first='Hunter' last='Lawson']. On the defensive side, [player_tooltip player_id='150043' first='Brett' last='Young'] holds down the middle at LB. The Red Devils have played a solid non-region schedule, and will be in good shape headed into region play.

With football season in the Upstate paused for the most part last week and uncertain this week due to the effects of Hurricane Helene, it's a good time to take a look at the overall picture and some teams who have surprised (and some who have done exactly what was expected of them). Here's a look at 10 squads playing exceptionally well, and the players who are the reason why as we approach the season's halfway point.