Midlands Week 6 Game Balls

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've reached week 6 of the regular season and everyone has finally reached region play. That makes for the most exciting month of the regular season, and you see players really start separating themselves with outstanding performances. Here is what we saw this past weekend for the key contributors that earned this week's Game Balls in the Midlands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='595702' first='Anthony' last='Addison'] </strong>LB/DE, Sumter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Addison collected 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks to go along with a fumble recovery in a 63-25 victory over West Florence. The Gamecocks allowed 25 points but are rounding into shape to make a run at another region title over the final month of the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012701' first='Maurice' last='Anderson'] </strong>RB, Dutch Fork</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Silver Foxes running back wasn't asked to carry it many times, but he made the most of his opportunities. He toted it eight times for 65 yards but scored five first half touchdowns in a 63-10 rout of Chapin. Anderson scored on runs of 1, 1, 2, 1 and 5 yards. The final score came with 44 seconds remaining in the half and made it 49-7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15239653/670282c28a66cd4affd12468' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670312200a50b"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Matthew Blocker</strong> DB, Irmo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blocker was huge in the 34-8 win over Lexington to open region play. Blocker had a first half interception that he returned for a touchdown and gave the Yellow Jackets a two score lead. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604012' first='Jamar' last='Grissett']</strong> picked off two passes to help Irmo keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taveon Brown</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253946' first='Jerius' last='Williams']</strong>, <strong>Cooper Zeigler</strong>, <strong>Cooper Geddings</strong> and <strong>Zy'Quaz Kelly</strong> OL, Sumter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All this group did this past week was pave the way for a school-record 468 rushing yards in a 63-25 victory over West Florence. That breaks the previous mark of 463 yards against Carolina Forest in 2021. <strong>Kam Fortune</strong> led the way with 201 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603974' first='Franklin' last='Richardson']</strong> added 151 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809744' first='John' last='Peeples']</strong> returned from injury to chip in with 109 yards and three touchdowns. Williams is the only senior in that starting lineup along the offensive line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16584181/67002a339d072c71cfe7962f' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670312200a56d"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267270' first='Dante' last='Caldwell']</strong> RB, <strong>Ahmad Johnson</strong> DB and <strong>Chase Alley</strong> DB, Swansea</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Swansea opened region play with a 44-38 win over Keenan Saturday and Caldwell scored the winning points on a 64-yard run with 36 seconds remaining. Caldwell finished with 157 yards rushing. Johnson intercepted two passes and ran a kickoff back for a touchdown. Alley added a pick-6 against a Raiders offense that erased a 20-point deficit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1575379' first='Jonathan' last='Clarkson']</strong> RB, North Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clarkson ran for 252 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries to help the Knights snap a three-game losing streak with a 40-35 victory over Chesterfield. North Central only attempted seven passes and ran the ball 55 times for 378 yards and will need to continue that type of production on the ground to be effective.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Luke Cruz</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1575390' first='Willie' last='Smith']</strong> RB, Dreher</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cruz scored on a 6-yard run in the third overtime to tie the score and Gustavo Zomora added the game-winning extra point to give the Blue Devils a thrilling 35-34 win over previously undefeated Richland Northeast. Smith scored on a 25-yard run with 1:34 remaining in regulation and Cruz added the two-point conversion to force the overtime periods.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='840548' first='Tre' last='Howard']</strong> QB, Ridge View</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've been waiting on an explosive showing from this Blazers offense and it came in a 54-14 victory over Spring Valley. Howard, the talented sophomore, was 13-of-21 for 300 yards and four touchdowns while adding 74 yards and two additional scores. Howard connected with three different receivers for touchdowns. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1078102' first='Darius' last='Carter']</strong> had three receptions for 94 yards and one score, <strong>Joudin Mack</strong> added a 90-yard TD reception while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1042719' first='Hayden' last='Morris']</strong> caught two touchdown passes and had three catches for 74 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BJ Mack</strong> RB, AC Flora</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mack continues to show the flair for the dramatic. For the second straight week, he's scored late to give the Falcons a victory. This time it was a TD run with 3:21 remaining in the 17-14 victory over Lancaster. He earlier had a 74-yard scoring run. He ran for 143 yards on 14 carries and added two receptions for 30 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592250' first='Hayden' last='Myers']</strong> RB and <strong>Griffin Lindler</strong> LB, River Bluff</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Myers was the workhorse in the Gators 24-21 overtime win over White Knoll. He carried 28 times for 187 yards and one touchdown. River Bluff had 44 rushes for 237 yards and only attempted 15 passes in the win. Myers has a huge offensive line to run behind and that has led River Bluff to being undefeated with four region games remaining. Lindler finished with eight tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and pass breakup.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17682025/670176274a4a5e655419ac03' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670312200a5a6"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->