Class 4A Lower State First Round Preview

When the Class 4A playoffs begin Thursday night, we're going to get an immediate feel for the common theme in the Lower State bracket.   Darlington's trip to top overall seed South Florence will be one of four regular-season rematches between region foes. It will be an opportunity for the Falcons to improve upon their 57-6 loss in October. The same can be said for Crestwood, Brookland-Cayce and Midland Valley.   In the last month, the Knights lost to Hartsville 34-21, the Bearcats fell 56-0 to Gray Collegiate and Midland Valley dropped a 42-29 regular-season finale just last week. Some of those scores weren't pretty, and there is little expectation of all of them returning the favor.   But the prevalence of rematches is the story of what the opening round will look like.   Let's break down all eight of the Round 1 games.   NO. 16 DARLINGTON (3-7) AT NO. 1 SOUTH FLORENCE (9-1)   Back on October 3 when these teams played, it wasn't much of a game. That 57-6 Bruins victory was the second of four times South Florence scored 50 points during the regular season, and Darlington didn't have enough to keep up with the output. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1395094' first='Jaylen' last='Augustus'] (pictured) was held to an eight-of-15 passing night that included 118 passing yards and a touchdown but also three picks. He also ran for 61 yards, but that's about where the Falcons' production stopped. Meanwhile, South Florence quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1166986' first='Messiah' last='Jackson'] ran for three and threw for two touchdowns, [player_tooltip player_id='1422638' first='Cam' last='James'] reached the end zone twice and tailback Gabe McLaughlin pumped in 80 yards on just eight carries.   X-Factor: To slow the Bruins down, Darlington will be hoping for monster games from [player_tooltip player_id='1664618' first='Keontae' last='Scipio'] and Orieon Small - two players who can cover a lot of ground sideline to sideline. The biggest key to that is how close those two and their teammates can keep the Bruins' backfield to the line of scrimmage as opposed to 10 yards beyond it.   NO. 9 LOWER RICHLAND (6-4) AT NO. 8 BISHOP ENGLAND (7-3)   Bishop England will be playing a bit of wait-and-see this week with quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1592310' first='Quinn' last='Mahoney'] after he's missed a couple games with an illness. If he's not able to go, [player_tooltip player_id='1664589' first='William' last='Donato'] will get another start. He threw for four touchdowns and ran for another against Colleton County last Friday. However, the bigger issue may be how the Bishops game plan for tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1356028' first='Solomon' last='Kelson'] from Lower Richland. Kelson has been held in check the last couple games, but he had a stretch of three consecutive 100-yard games at the midway point of the season and reached the end zone 12 times during the regular season.    X-Factor: Regardless of who starts at quarterback for the Bishops, they're going to need some support in the run game. Hornets junior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1823904' first='Maurice' last='Horry'] will have something to say about that. The 5-foot-9, 275-pound tackle can move outside to an end spot and is a heck of a lot quicker than you'd expect given his frame.    NO. 12 GILBERT (5-5) AT NO. 5 BLUFFTON (8-2)   The Indians have been run out of a few games this year, no more than some lopsided losses to North Augusta and Gray Collegiate inside region play. But Gilbert's biggest issue wasn't opposing quarterbacks. At least, it hasn't been. Four Gilbert starters - Gray Gunter [player_tooltip player_id='1664620' first='Gavin' last='Elliott'] [player_tooltip player_id='1734581' first='RJ' last='Kearse'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1809066' first='Chandler' last='Guthrie'] - recorded two picks each during the regular season, with [player_tooltip player_id='1043170' first='Wynn' last='Meetze'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1734578' first='Demarion' last='Brown'] and a few others each adding one. They're all going to be pressed into action again, as Bobcats quarterback Aeden McCarthy and receivers [player_tooltip player_id='402486' first='Carnell' last='Warren'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1036774' first='Amare' last='Patterson'] will be trying to keep them plenty busy.    X-Factor: From losing its starting quarterback to going almost exclusively wildcat to plugging Kitt McLauchlin into the start job after he wasn't even playing to start the season, the Gilbert signal caller position has been a whirlwind. Still, McLauchlin has played well enough to give the Indians a passing attack again in recent weeks. He's thrown for 600 yards and nine touchdowns.   NO. 13 MIDLAND VALLEY (7-3) AT NO. 4 NORTH AUGUSTA (9-1)   This was one of the rematches we'll see where it wasn't a complete blowout the first time around. But the one difference is the Jackets has significantly less to play for last week. This time around, North Augusta will be pushing tailback [player_tooltip player_id='402503' first='Mike' last='Doe'] to do what he has most of the season. He's already rushed for 1,770 yards and 22 touchdowns. It's taken a ton of pressure off quarterbacks [player_tooltip player_id='1827442' first='AJ' last='Hillary'] (869 yards, 10 touchdowns) and [player_tooltip player_id='1819537' first='Collin' last='Tillman'] (786 yards, 13 touchdowns). When Midland Valley's on offense, keep your eyes on quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='644030' first='Xavier' last='Geter'] (2,300 yards passing/rushing, 24 touchdowns) and [player_tooltip player_id='1820474' first='Preston' last='Smith'] (1,105 yards, 10 touchdowns)   X-Factor: Mustangs junior receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1614255' first='Allen' last='Cummings'] (27 receptions, 309 ayrds, four touchdowns) can help make sure North Augusta's defense is tracking even more by establishing himself early in this one. If he can Geter hook up a couple times in the first few series of the game, the Jackets will have a harder time double-teaming [player_tooltip player_id='1010338' first='Cameron' last='Gleaton'] (31, 436, six).     NO. 11 CRESTWOOD (6-4) AT NO. 6 HARTSVILLE (6-4)   Both of these squads had a pair of tailbacks combine for approximately 2,000 rushing yards during the regular season. Crestwood's [player_tooltip player_id='1664643' first='Calvin' last='Wofford'] (1,309, 13 touchdowns) and [player_tooltip player_id='437772' first='Brayden' last='Boults'] (666 yards, nine touchdowns) and Hartsville's [player_tooltip player_id='1592473' first='Kylif' last='Miller'] (1.098 yards, 14 touchdowns) and [player_tooltip player_id='1672833' first='Trace' last='Hillian'] (911 yards, 10 touchdowns) will each take turns keep the opposing defenses on their toes. That 16 yards shy of 4,000 yards between the four of them. Think that might have an influence on the game planning of this one? After the 13-point Red Foxes' win against the Knights on Oct. 10, we're not sure we're going to see either change the offensive game plan all that much.   X-Factor: Crestwood quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1816441' first='Marek' last='Yates'] has had a pretty good sophomore year for a player acclimating to an offense with so many other pieces. As young as most of those are, too, Yates has thrown for 926 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for another 190 yards and a score. The trick will be finding a way for him to do even more than his 129 yards and a score from the first matchup.     NO. 14 BROOKLAND-CAYCE (3-7) AT NO. 3 GRAY COLLEGIATE (8-2)   The fourth and final rematch from the regular season will ask Brookland-Cayce to figure out a way to change things up from the 56-0 loss from October 3. And that means the Bearcats finding a way to slow down the Gray offense. Look no further than [player_tooltip player_id='1816473' first='Evan' last='Simmons'] (122 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks). The junior will have his hands full, of course, much like he did the first time around, when he put up 10 tackles and two tackles for loss. The Eagles are doing more with quarterbacks [player_tooltip player_id='232668' first='Tyler' last='Waller'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1623307' first='Xavier' last='Wright'] than we might have expected while they split the role, but [player_tooltip player_id='1036777' first='Trevon' last='Williamson'] is still in the backfield, as well, and that means Gray could easily put up a repeat type of score if B-C can't get off the field with some stops.   X-Factor: [player_tooltip player_id='1816469' first='Avery' last='King'] has been a nice addition for the Bearcats offense not only in his rushing ability (165 carries, 761 yards, four touchdowns), but also in his ability to haul in passes. During the regular season, he had at least two receptions in nine of B-C's 10 games, and he caught four or more four times.    NO. 10 WILSON (6-4) AT NO. 7 MAY RIVER (7-3)   The lengthy trips to May River are usually best avoided this time of year. Not only can it make for a long day, the type of offense the Sharks are running doesn't usually help much. The wings-based offense May River employs will put pressure on Wilson's front seven unlike they've seen so far this year. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1820292' first='Jaden' last='Boston'] will be running point, and fellow linebackers [player_tooltip player_id='1827461' first='Jordan' last='Davis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1819152' first='Jaquan' last='Burgess'] are going to nee to be locked in, too. But where Wilson can take some of the edge off is with guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1640595' first='Da'von' last='Bowman'] in the secondary. Known more for his pass coverage, he'll have no choice but to get into the act to try to slow down [player_tooltip player_id='1592230' first='Sean' last='Mitchell'] (1,372 yards, 17 touchdowns) and the rest of this rushing attack.   X-Factor: May River's defensive pressure is usually coming from the edges, but [player_tooltip player_id='1764471' first='Charlie' last='Crace'] can make himself known by chewing up the interior against Wilson's offensive line. Crace isn't huge at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, but he's extremely active and a strong tackler in traffic.    NO. 15 SOUTH AIKEN (5-5) AT NO. 2 HILTON HEAD (9-1)   The Thoroughbreds' offense may not be quite as electric as it was a couple years ago, but the tradeoff is that South Aiken's defense isn't as porous as it was back then, either. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1172344' first='Ray' last='Harris'] (defensive line), Nick Starlings (linebacker) and [player_tooltip player_id='1822589' first='Connor' last='Hamilton'] (defensive back) have teamed up with sophomore safety [player_tooltip player_id='1615072' first='Levar' last='Gilchrist'] to make some dramatic improvement. How much? Let's put it this way: South Aiken could get blown out Friday and still allow 200 fewer points than it did in 2023. That's some significant progress. It will be tested some against Hilton Head, namely from Seahawk tailbacks [player_tooltip player_id='1603740' first='Thaddeus' last='Czarnecki'] (859 yards, 13 touchdowns) and [player_tooltip player_id='1422535' first='Jayvin' last='Risher'] (657 yards, 12 touchdowns). But the T-Breds' defensive bump has to be taken seriously.    X-Factor: Sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1704301' first='Tommy' last='Burns'] is no where close to his potential, even for a kid whose introduction as the team's starting quarterback in Week 0 resulted in him throwing for 344 yards. The caveat to his 13 touchdowns this year is that he's also thrown 11 interceptions. How he trends at Hilton Head will be a factor in the outcome regardless.

When the Class 4A playoffs begin Thursday night, we're going to get an immediate feel for the common theme in the Lower State bracket.