Class 5A, Division II Lower State Third Round Preview 

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unlike the Upper State half of the Class 5A, Division II playoff bracket, not all of the top four seeds held through the first two rounds.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>White Knoll took care of that by dispatching Myrtle Beach last week. And now the Timberwolves are aiming for more. Of course, Berkeley might have something to say about that.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That match-up and West Florence-Irmo will set the stage for the Lower State final next week. Let's break down the biggest points of contention for both.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NO. 4 WEST FLORENCE (8-3) AT NO. 1 IRMO (10-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West threw a big ol' monkey wrench into Irmo's game planning for this one when quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664594' first='Avery' last='Weaver']</strong> - who wasn't even on the depth chart at quarterback earlier this year - had 246 passing yards and three touchdowns against North Myrtle Beach in the second round. What's more, eight different Knights caught passes, with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1639826' first='JayAun' last='Perkins']</strong> (five receptions, 84 yards), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1159496' first='Terry' last='Lowery'] </strong>(four receptions, 61 yards) and <strong>Kielen Thomas</strong> (three receptions, 34 yards) leading the way. Each of those three caught a touchdown.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Knights aren't going to abandon their running game, though. Lowery, <strong>Zion Hill</strong>, <strong>Keyshawn Johnson</strong> and the rest of the gang surpassed 2,000 rushing yards on the season last week in the win over the Chiefs. Every single one of them will need to have a strong showing against Irmo, because we know how good that offense is.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272713' first='AJ' last='Brand']</strong> is heading to the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. Receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='377560' first='Donovan' last='Murph']</strong> is the most sought-after undecided recruit in the state. And sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422528' first='Maleek' last='Miller']</strong> is on the cusp of giving the Yellow Jackets a second 1,000-yard receiver this year. Those three are a huge reason this team averages better than five touchdowns a game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Matchup Within The Matchup:</em></strong> While everyone is trying to figure out a way to slow down Brand, running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='755890' first='Amire' last='White']</strong> has put together a really solid sophomore season. He rushed for 816 yards and five touchdowns (both figure second only to Brand) and is averaging just shy of nine yards per carry. West Florence bandit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165145' first='Clayton' last='Folse']</strong> will need to make sure White doesn't get cranking early to give Brand any extra comfort. Folse enters the game with 62 total tackles to go along with nine tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions and a forced fumble. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Underclassmen Impact: </em></strong>Irmo sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422528' first='Maleek' last='Miller']</strong> has proved himself time and again this year as a big-time playmaker. During the regular season, he had six receiving touchdowns, three more rushing scores and a 90-yard kickoff return he took back to the house, too. His 1,300-plus all-purpose yards during that same stretch were very much him filling any possible void while teams attempted to blanket<strong> </strong>Murph opposite him. But make no mistake, Miller is a game changer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18525370/672d4986bc685c62a6ab41ca' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67439c8389335"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NO. 7 WHITE KNOLL (7-5) AT NO. 3 BERKELEY (6-5)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Among the more interesting matchups across the state this week, White Knoll-Berkeley will pit two teams whose records probably don't reflect the high-end potential for both squads. Since playing the regular-season finale without quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346199' first='Landon' last='Sharpe']</strong> or tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036740' first='Tiyon' last='Fanning']</strong> (pictured), those two have returned to form in the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On top of that, White Knoll's defense looks darn close to last year's championship form. In the two playoff games alone, it has forced five turnovers. In the win over Myrtle Beach in the second round alone, <strong>Elijah Snuffer</strong>, <strong>Bradley Benjamin</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1025815' first='Caleb' last='Geronomi'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012621' first='Devin' last='Geronomi'] </strong>each had an interception. They'd obviously like a few cracks creating a turnover against [player_tooltip player_id='1036733' first='Henry' last='Rivers'] (1,911 passing yards, 768 rushing yards, 26 total touchdowns). But that won't be easy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rivers is very good at finding an open receiver or taking off and picking up what he can with his legs. Of his four interceptions this year, three came in the regular-season finale loss to Cane Bay. Berkeley is hoping Rivers will have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1158021' first='Kevin' last='Boone']</strong> back in uniform this week, and it would go a long way. The team's top receiver has been battling an injury and been out the last month. Whether or not he's there, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='683478' first='Kayden' last='Bash']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254100' first='J'Vaariez' last='Sumpter'] </strong>will be targeted quite a bit, too.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Matchup Within The Matchup:</em></strong> White Knoll has some truly special pieces on its defense. Count sophomore defensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1172366' first='Tyrone' last='Jennings'] pretty high on that list. The Timberwolves' typical three-man front works because Jennings can do a lot of damage, often against multiple opposing linemen. That's where Berkeley guards <strong>Denzel Reid</strong> and <strong>Antone Gibbs-Averette</strong> and center <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1402935' first='Jayden' last='Berkley']</strong> come in. If it takes all three of those players to adequately block Jennings, it frees up the rest of the front seven to attack and contain many of those big-time players the Stags are trying to get the ball to to move the chains. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Underclassmen Impact:</em></strong> Stags freshman tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1151306' first='Bryson' last='McGee']</strong> will have to get even more production to take some of the pressure off Berkeley's passing game. Since taking on more carries in mid-September, he's rushed for 630 yards and three touchdowns. He's shifty behind the line while waiting for something to develop, and he'll need to hit the hole quickly this week before it closes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/20125233/6741e1d623225e78478089ab' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67439c8389366"} /-->