Midlands Week 9 Game Balls

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The regular season is drawing to a close – believe it or not but it's already ended for some – and that means key performances are even more important as teams jockey for playoff seeding.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We had some last-minute heroics this week along with a continuous theme we've seen all season long from some players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the Game Ball recipients from the Midlands for Week 9 of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473010' first='Michael' last='Boulware']</strong> LB, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1317550' first='Aiden' last='Legger']</strong> DB and <strong>Corey Gleaton</strong> DB, Gray Collegiate</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The War Eagles pushed their winning streak to five games with a rare two victories during the week. Gray Collegiate has been dominating on both sides of the ball in that streak with the defense allowing 41 points over the five games. In a 49-7 win over Brookland-Cayce on Tuesday, Boulware returned a fumble for a score. Then on Saturday in a 55-0 win over Aiken, Legger and Gleaton returned interceptions for TD's.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360013' first='Sam' last='Burks']</strong> RB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1399629' first='JR' last='Kinard']</strong> RB, Northside Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 1-2 punch for the Crusaders were at it again in a 34-7 victory over Florence Christian. Burks scored two touchdowns with 118 yards rushing on 17 carries while Kinard added 126 yards and a score on just 10 carries. Those two have been a big difference as Northside Christian goes into the season finale with an 8-1 record.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267234' first='Kenton' last='Caldwell']</strong> QB, Newberry</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Caldwell has been stellar since taking over QB duties full-time. The junior continued that play Friday night in a 45-20 win over Keenan with a total of five touchdowns – three passing touchdowns and two rushing. Caldwell scored on the first play with a 53-yard run. He finished with 221 passing yards and 93 rushing yards. He later added a three-yard TD run. He threw touchdown passes to three different receivers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18430327/671c7a938545ac54fe1e5200' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-671eb5b9a90e3"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1515057' first='Aiden' last='Fitzgerald']</strong> QB, Lugoff-Elgin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fitzgerald threw four touchdowns in a 41-10 victory over Spring Valley. He finished 10-of-18 with 224 yards that included a 77-yard scoring play to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603854' first='Eric' last='Richardson']</strong> in the first half. The Demons have finished their regular season with a 4-6 record and will have two weeks off before the Class AAAAA Division II playoffs begin on November 15.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19095973/671d5290280cd4555033a84e' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-671eb5b9a9111"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1249733' first='Onis' last='Konanbanny']</strong> ATH, Heathwood Hall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tennessee commitment did a little bit of everything to lead the Highlanders to a 48-0 victory over Camden Military. He scored a total of three touchdowns in three different ways. Konanbanny (pictured) made a fumble recovery for a score, added a pick-6 and caught a 48-yard touchdown pass. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473014' first='Patrick' last='Belk']</strong> threw for over 300 yards to lead Heathwood Hall to its highest scoring output of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jorge Rodriquez</strong> K, Richland Northeast</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cavaliers rallied from 13 points down to defeat York 23-20 when Rodriquez booted a field goal with 13 seconds remaining for the win. RNE saw QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272698' first='Will' last='Wilson']</strong> return after missing the last two games with an injury and he finished with 183 passing yards and 90 yards rushing and two rushing scores. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='591391' first='Blake' last='Betette'] </strong>had 11 catches for 114 yards and TD.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>John Sawyer</strong> DE, Batesburg-Leesville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers remained undefeated with another impressive performance in a 48-0 win over Pelion. Sawyer helped lead a defense that allowed just 124 total yards and forced two turnovers to help the offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267286' first='Amadre' last='Wooden']</strong> had 156 yards rushing and TD runs of 49 and three yards with <strong>Tanner Watkins</strong> adding 50 yards rushing and scoring runs of 11 and 1 yards. Watkins threw for 167 yards that included a 70-yard TD pass to [player_tooltip player_id='1574124' first='Jamerius' last='Clark'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16270847/671d8f1dcd261424dab9e3fb' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-671eb5b9a9130"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1261525' first='Andrew' last='Turner']</strong> QB, Hammond</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Skyhawks have scored 48 points or more in seven of nine games this season and at it again in a 49-17 victory over Ben Lippen. Turner had five total touchdowns, four rushing and one passing to push his season total to 24 passing TDs and nine rushing scores. He had 118 yards on 15 carries and was 11-of-17 for 148 yards in the win over the Falcons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/8475589/67151724021285eb14dc036a' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-671eb5b9a914a"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='617664' first='Brayden' last='Williams']</strong> RB, Saluda</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams has been able to move to his more natural position at running back with the return of <strong>Drew Arant </strong>at quarterback and his performances have helped keep the Tigers unbeaten. In a 35-25 win over Strom Thurmond, Williams ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He was helped in the rushing game by <strong>Tristian Daniels</strong>, who also scored two touchdowns and ran for 74 yards. Saluda will host fellow unbeaten Batesburg-Leesville this coming Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1513514' first='Navier' last='Boykin']</strong> RB, Camden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Boykin scored on a 5-yard run with 1:45 remaining to help Camden overcome a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Lancaster 27-22.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Teysean Charley</strong> RB, Swansea</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Charley ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Tigers to a 21-7 victory over Fox Creek. That win sets the stage for Swansea to host Newberry for the region title this coming Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012653' first='Jaylen' last='Jay']</strong> RB, Gilbert</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Indians played the rare two games in the same week and Jay ended with four rushing touchdowns, including three in a 31-18 win over Airport on Saturday. He added one rushing score in a 35-28 loss to South Aiken on Tuesday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aden Jones</strong> QB, Lower Richland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Diamonds closed its regular season with a 36-19 loss to South Florence, but Jones threw for 138 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1467823' first='Jayden' last='Martin']</strong> ATH, Crestwood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Martin had a pick-6 for the game-winning score in a 21-14 win over Darlington. Martin finished with three interceptions along with six carries for 66 yards that included a 46-yard scoring run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19573690/66edb8e0136bd181ba8cefb6' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-671eb5b9a9168"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->