Class 5A Division I Upper State First Round Preview

The byes for the top four teams in the Class 5A Division I Upper State playoffs haven't done anything to affect the competitive matchups in the first round. Instead, they might've made the first round better. Here's a look at the four heavyweight matchups in the opening round.   No. 9 Boiling Springs (6-3) at No. 8 Dorman (6-3)   When Hurricane Helene wiped out a week of play in Region II-5A, this was the biggest game sacrificed to the schedule, and it might have gone a ways toward deciding the playoff fate of these two teams. We didn't get to see it then, but we'll see it now. Both defenses have played well all season and lights-out at times, and they're led in different ways. Dorman's LBs are the key, with [player_tooltip player_id='1316823' first='Dru' last='Darby'] and [player_tooltip player_id='402497' first='Kentavion' last='Anderson'] making plays all over the field and a deceptively good secondary. Boiling Springs' strength is up front, behind talented sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1036731' first='Dennis' last='Glenn Jr'] and senior Bobby McBeth, and they've got a lockdown defensive back in [player_tooltip player_id='473009' first='Jeremiah' last='Favorite']. [player_tooltip player_id='1012707' first='Lincoln' last='Huskey'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='1360379' first='Kyle' last='Patterson'] have formed a big-play connection for the Bulldogs, while Dorman's offense has been driven by improved play at QB by [player_tooltip player_id='1308084' first='Brice' last='O'Neal'] and by a tough running game led by [player_tooltip player_id='1664350' first='Nick' last='Means'].   X-FACTOR: Senior DL [player_tooltip player_id='1347290' first='Brayden' last='Melton'] has been one of the keys to Dorman's pressure up front all year. He's got five tackles for loss and two sacks despite being banged up for a couple of games, and that doesn't begin to tell the story. Melton eats up a ton of space and allows his LBs to make plays, he plugs run gaps, he rushes the passer, and he's a special-teams beast.    No. 12 Mauldin (2-8) at No. 5 River Bluff (8-2)   The Mavericks have made strides this season, getting better play at QB from senior Jaxon Vicars while junior Reddick Langston has show promise as well. Where the Mavericks truly get an offensive spark, though, is from tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1013112' first='Nehemiah' last='Floyd'], who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards and five TDs, with a lot of that behind massive OL [player_tooltip player_id='1254103' first='Trey' last='Moon']. Defensively, junior LB Evan Hruska leads the way with 75 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and three sacks, tops in all three categories. He's also knocked down six passes, caused two fumbles, and recovered two. The Gators weren't done any favors by their schedule - their only two losses are to Dutch Fork, the No. 1 seed in Upper State Division I, and Irmo, the No. 1 seed in Lower State Division II. They're absolutely capable of going on a deep run, and they'll try to do it with a run-heavy offense. [player_tooltip player_id='1592250' first='Hayden' last='Myers'] is the workhorse back, rushing 194 times for nearly 1,200 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and scoring nine times. [player_tooltip player_id='464884' first='Parker' last='Murray'] is crazily efficient at QB, with a 72 percent completion rating, 1,070 yards, and nine touchdown passes. [player_tooltip player_id='1578721' first='Blaine' last='Fender'] leads the Gators' defense, notching 108 total tackles.   X-FACTOR: Mauldin is likely to identify Myers as the Gators' main threat and sell out to stop him. That's where [player_tooltip player_id='1360145' first='Aaron' last='Griffin'] comes in. The senior leads River Bluff in receptions, receiving yards, receiving yards per game, and receiving touchdowns. He also plays some defense and has a 99-yard kick return to his credit, and he could spell trouble if he gets loose.    No. 11 Blythewood (6-4) at No. 6 Clover (7-3)   This one's kind of a contrast in styles, as the Bengals will air it out. Johnny Collins has thrown for more than 2,000 yards this season, with 25 touchdown passes. Four Blythewood players have at least 25 catches and at least 230 yards, with [player_tooltip player_id='473013' first='Carter' last='Coleman'] leading the way with 48 catches, 758 yards, and 12 touchdowns, tops in all three categories. The Bengals are pretty much running back by committee. [player_tooltip player_id='1262771' first='Desmond' last='Macklin'] is the feature guy with 79 carries for 331 yards, but Blythewood hasn't cracked the 1,000-yard mark as a team. Clover, meanwhile, is a two-man show on the ground. [player_tooltip player_id='1012627' first='Landon' last='Stone'] gets the bulk of the carries, with 195 for 1,072 yards and 10 touchdowns, while [player_tooltip player_id='1603816' first='Grady' last='Stone'] has 119 rushes for 748 yards and nine scores. They're a two-man show at QB, too, where Brody Woolbright has thrown for 745 yards and six TDs, with [player_tooltip player_id='1407416' first='Aaron' last='Shealey'] accounting for 930 yards and nine scores. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id='1734584' first='Brandon' last='Smith'] has been a force for the Eagles, with 63 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, five passes broken up, and three interceptions.   X-FACTOR: Let's just get this out of the way: Blythewood's [player_tooltip player_id='1157753' first='Kemuel' last='Little'] is a menace. He can play OLB, he can play DE, but he's more likely to take up residence in your backfield, if you're his opponent. Little has 67 tackles on the season, 29 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and a ridiculous 38 hurries. He's also knocked down a pass and forced a fumble. It's not easy for a single defender to change a game, but Little is a walking disruption.    No. 10 Lexington (5-5) at No. 7 Byrnes (4-5)   This one's a little bit hard to get a handle on. Both teams come in with a little different record than you'd usually see, and some of that is due to playing against fantastic region competition. Both defenses look solid, for the most part. Lexington gives up just 21 points per game, with big, physical [player_tooltip player_id='1249786' first='Artem' last='Kalinkin'] leading the way. He creates havoc off the edge, but he's got the size to move inside and put a hand down if he needs to. Accounting for him clears the way for [player_tooltip player_id='836316' first='Matthew' last='McAulay'] to make a ton of tackles. Byrnes gives up fewer than 18 points per game, and that includes a blowout loss to Spartanburg. They're led up front by [player_tooltip player_id='1254251' first='Jaidyn' last='Ferguson'] and Torrion Mills, who have combined for 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks. On the back end, [player_tooltip player_id='1592388' first='Jonathan' last='Montgomery'], [player_tooltip player_id='1615038' first='Emerson' last='James'], and Octavius Davis each have two interceptions. Offensively, both have tough, physical RBs. McAualay does plenty of damage for the Wildcats, while return of Byrnes RB [player_tooltip player_id='1036721' first='Tre' last='Segarra'] was not welcome news to any team the Rebels will face for the rest of the season. Bouncing back from an injury that looked to have sidelined him for the year, Segarra roared back for the Rebels against Boiling Springs, rushing for 147 yards and two scores, and catching another TD.   X-FACTOR: There aren't many times when Byrnes QB Zy Landrum isn't the most athletic guy on the field. He's shifty, fast, and can beat you with his legs as much as with his arm. The addition of Segarra limits how much opposing defenses can focus on Landrum, and that makes Byrnes extremely dangerous.

The byes for the top four teams in the Class 5A Division I Upper State playoffs haven't done anything to affect the competitive matchups in the first round. Instead, they might've made the first round better. Here's a look at the four heavyweight matchups in the opening round.