Dantzler, James Island Defense Throttle St. James

MURRELLS INLET | Beating a downtrodden fellow Class 5A school was one thing.   Doing it in the fashion that James Island did Friday might have been a message. At least, that's the way Trojans senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1592342' first='Connor' last='Dantzler'] sees it.    One week after he threw for 381 yards in a win against Cane Bay, Dantzler kept his feel-good vibes going on Friday at St. James. And on top of that, the defense was its typical dominant self, forcing four turnovers against a pretty solid quarterback.   Put it all together, and there's at least some indication that the 5-0 Trojans - ranked No. 5 in the Prep RedZone's Power Rankings algorithm and No. 6 in the South Carolina Media Poll - might be for real.   “This team could go all the way. This is the team right here,” Dantzler said after his team got ready to head home with a 63-7 win in their back pocket. “If we keep playing like how we're playing we can make it.”   Dantzler (pictured) certainly played like a quarterback capable of leading his offensive mates where they want to be.   He had 310 yards and three passing touchdowns… by halftime.   He finished with 347, completing three of his four second-half attempts after the game needed only a final horn to make it official. That's 728 passing yards and six passing touchdowns in a little over his last six quarters of football. Go back a week further - adding in a 42-0 win against Goose Creek - and Dantzler has three straight weeks where he's thrown for three touchdowns. Assuming JI makes the playoffs, he's on pace for a 3,000-yard passing season.   We mention all that first because few outside this program might have known exactly what kind of production its senior quarterback was capable of heading into the season.   They know now.    “He's extremely smart. He's a cerebral quarterback with a live arm,” James Island coach Jamar McKoy said. “A lot of things we do offensively depends on how he can put the ball in tight windows, in spaces that generally other people couldn't. … Those windows open and close quickly. When you get down to the Summervilles and Ashley Ridges of the worlds, those windows will close in the blink of an eye. He has the strength and the arm talent to get those throws where they need to be.”   Some of that forced McKoy's hand, opening up more of the Trojans' playbook than we've witnessed in recent seasons, when the the offense was much more run-heavy.   There's still that component, but McKoy was also quick to point out that tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1820391' first='Malakhi' last='Washington'] (11 carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns Friday) is in his first year as the team's starter. Yes, the Trojans are going to run the ball, and there's going to be different looks, such as a short-yardage handoff to tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1820389' first='Jay' last='Morris'] that finished off the first half.   But the receiving corp and Dantzler's arm made going to the air much more than in the last few years an easy decision.   Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='874321' first='Raphael' last='Puiu'] had five receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns against the Sharks. Classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1895719' first='Jordan' last='Kendrick'] finished with four catches for 71 yards. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1822902' first='James' last='Hurteau'] only had two receptions, but one of them was a 24-yard touchdown. Big tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1664605' first='Sam' last='Crumpton'] added a 25-yard catch that set up Washington's first rushing score.    The list continued as more reserves got into the lineup, but by that time, who was going to win this game wasn't up for debate. The James Island defense made sure of that.   Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1894002' first='Zamarius' last='Gladden'] read a would-be fake punt (St. James uses its quarterback as its punter) and picked off the ball on the Sharks' opening series. With the Trojans already leading by two scores in the first quarter, linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1822901' first='Harper' last='Woods'] stepped in front of a traditional pass for pick No. 2. Midway through the second quarter, [player_tooltip player_id='1819181' first='Antuan' last='Prioleau'] got into the act with his interception. And then [player_tooltip player_id='1818952' first='Paul' last='Taylor'] added the fourth and final turnover of the game with mere minutes remanning in a lopsided contest.   It was a fitting end for a game that had long since gotten out of hand.   And heading into the bye week with a fifth-straight victory - all by double digits - says the Trojans might only be getting started.    OTHER JAMES ISLAND STANDOUTS   Cody Lenhardt K/P, 2026 - Lenhardt is in his first year of organized football, and with 2028 standout Isaac Lorentz out with a minor injury this week, Lenhardt got a chance to show off his huge leg. He was a perfect seven-for-seven on touchbacks in the first half while drilling all six of his PATs - all of which would have been good from considerably further back. His only non-touchback came in the second half, when placed it at the 2 and the Sharks were forced to cover it up on the 6-yard line. No worries, he rebounded by hitting two more PATs and adding another pair of touchbacks. His ninth touchback of the night hit the white behind the end zone. Not bad for a player in his first year of football.    Jkai Grant RB, 2026 - Grant, the Trojans' back-up tailback, capped off a 64-yard drive to start the second half with a 7-yard scoring run. In the immediate, it pushed James Island's lead to 42 points, enacting a running clock for the final 20 minutes of game time. But it also gave the senior his second touchdown run of the night and his first two scoring runs of the season. He entered the game with 11 carries for 64 yards.    [player_tooltip player_id='1896046' first='King' last='Washington'] RB, 2028 - With just four second-half carries, reserve tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1896046' first='King' last='Washington'] put some nice icing on the James Island cake. The sophomore had runs of 12, 27, 5 and 3 yards, with touchdowns on his second and fourth carries.    ST. JAMES NOTABLES   [player_tooltip player_id='1819550' first='Ayden' last='Smith'] WR, 2026 - While quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1267347' first='Alex' last='Sandt'] was picked off those three times, he did establish a nice connection on the night Smith. The slot had eight first-half receptions. And while they only went for 38 yards, they were the most reliable yards the Sharks could count on throughout the early going before the score got out of hand.   [player_tooltip player_id='1819547' first='Alijah' last='Ochoa'] WR, 2026 - While Ochoa wasn't targeted as much as Smith, but he did haul in three passes for 85 yards. All three receptions went for first downs.    [player_tooltip player_id='1822960' first='Reilly' last='Sumner'] OL, 2027 - For as dominant as the James Island defense was, Sumner was routinely standing up the defensive end opposite of him throughout the game. Sandt was not sacked all night. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound left tackle should be a player to watch in the future.

MURRELLS INLET | Beating a downtrodden fellow Class 5A school was one thing.