Upstate Game Balls: Week 8

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the Upstate gets back to normal in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the football schedule is looking a little more normal as well. Here's a look at some of the performances from an absolutely packed Friday night that are worthy of Prep Redzone game balls.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473001' first='Jaylen' last='McGill'] </strong>RB, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='349806' first='Bryson' last='Drummond']</strong> QB, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1395046' first='KD' last='Hainsworth'] </strong>WR, Mountain View Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mountain View's standout trio came up huge in a 40-38 win over Woodruff. McGill finished with 29 carries for 256 yards and three touchdowns, and Drummond was 11-for-13 through the air for 221 yards and two scores. Hainsworth hauled in both those TDs, capping a night that saw him rush for 41 yards on two carries and notch five catches for 144 yards, including a one-handed grab on an 82-yard catch-and-run that was one of the prettiest you'll see.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036753' first='Aiden' last='Gibson']</strong> RB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253917' first='TJ' last='Morris']</strong> QB, Woodruff</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gibson was off his usual rushing pace with 38 yards on 14 carries, but that was in part due to his contributions in the receiving game, where he had 120 yards, including an 80-yard TD, on three catches. He also returned a pair of kicks for 69 total yards. Morris lit it up against the Stars, completing 21-of-39 passes for 411 yards, including scoring tosses of 80, 61, and 5 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1308084' first='Brice' last='O'Neal'] </strong>QB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664350' first='Nick' last='Means']</strong> RB, Dorman</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>O'Neal had a huge game for the Cavaliers as they demolished Wade Hampton 58-0. He finished with a perfect passing night, going 8-for-8 for 128 yards and two touchdowns, and added 81 rushing yards and three more scores on nine carries. Means rushed 12 times for 71 yards and a score, and added 31 yards and another TD on two catches</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16603622/671467e8e905f62e52816476' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-671502e80989c"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nick Holmes </strong>RB, Greer</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holmes ran for 125 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries as the Yellow Jackets knocked off previously undefeated Seneca.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254122' first='Jamarcus' last='Smith'] </strong>WR, Gaffney</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith didn't really do much in his role as a WR for Gaffney in the Indians' 28-21 win over Riverside. Nothing, actually. What he DID do was complete a pass for eight yards, one of only two Gaffney completions on the night, and rush for 203 and a TD as the Indians ran for 293 yards in the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402507' first='Somad' last='Eaddy'] </strong>DB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012616' first='Mikkel' last='Skinner'] </strong>WR, Riverside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eaddy was part of a Riverside defense that allowed Gaffney nothing in the passing game and gave the Warriors a chance at the upset. He had three tackles, and contributed a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown that gave Riverside the lead deep in the third quarter. Skinner (pictured) accounted for the Warriors' other two scores - one on a two-yard carry and another on a 13-yard reception. Skinner had 105 yards of total offense on 14 touches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17906535/6713467bbd51c4ef7c335dac' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-671502e8098cc"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809746' first='Kalab' last='Sutton']</strong> QB, Hillcrest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a Thursday night game, Sutton came up big for the Rams. He threw for 45 yards and rushed 10 times for 101 and two touchdowns in a win over Easley.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aiden Kelly</strong> RB, Landrum</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kelly continued to provide plenty of muscle for Landrum's rushing attack. He racked up 133 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, and added 18 receiving yards for the Cardinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Walker Kelly</strong> LB and <strong>Antonio Hatton</strong> ATH, TL Hanna</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday night was deuces wild for Kelly - he had two sacks, two hurries, two pass deflections, and caught a two-point conversion. Hatton, meanwhile, turned in a pretty good pair of his own. His 70-yard kick return set up a Hanna score, and he took care of it himself on another return, a 98-yarder that went to the house.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Austin Luedke LB, </strong>Woodmont</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Luedke was all over the field for the Wildcats against Greenwood, notching 17 tackles including three for loss and nine solo stops against the Eagles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16443916/6713b29d270de34292b4944a' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-671502e8098ee"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->