Class 5A Division I Lower State First Round Preview

The state's biggest schools will present an interesting playoff picture, as a number of rematches loom thanks to the seeding process. In the first round, though, teams are battling to see who will advance to take on the top four, who will enjoy a bye this week as things are sorted out. Here's a look at the Lower State's first round in Class 5A Division I.   NO. 12 WEST ASHLEY (2-7) AT NO. 5 SUMMERVILLE (8-2)   There's a rematch in store right off the bat in the Lower State, as Summerville won this season's first meeting with West Ashley 49-0. When the Wildcats have had success, Deanthony Coleman has led the way on the ground. [player_tooltip player_id='1676296' first='Joshua' last='Bradley'] is a sure-handed target with 54 catches and nearly 500 receiving yards, and [player_tooltip player_id='367827' first='Bristol' last='Biegenzahn'] is a leader on defense, with 57 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. Summerville is an offensive machine, with nearly 4,000 yards of offense on the year. They're also very, very balanced. [player_tooltip player_id='1734517' first='Max' last='Stafford'] and Cooper Kafina have combined to throw for more than 1,900 yards. Stafford is the main guy, but Kafina has thrown for nearly 700 himself. In the running game, [player_tooltip player_id='1215391' first='Jayven' last='Williams'] has rushed for 1,151 yards, averages 7.2 yards per carry, and 15 touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='378969' first='Jaiden' last='Kelly-Murray'] does a little bit of everything for the Green Wave, and [player_tooltip player_id='1267285' first='JT' last='Williams'] is a defensive terror with 70 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and six sacks.   X-Factor: [player_tooltip player_id='1822309' first='Josiah' last='Taylor'] DB, Summerville - One of the things that allows the Green Wave to get after the QB and get into the defensive backfield so often is the play of the secondary, with Taylor leading the way. He's a one-man no-fly zone, with four picks and six pass deflections. Oh, and he's forced a fumble as well. He's capable of eliminating a lot of what an offense wants to do.    NO. 11 WANDO (4-6) AT NO. 6 JAMES ISLAND (9-1)   The Warriors' success is dictated largely by QB [player_tooltip player_id='1592323' first='Harris' last='Stone'] (pictured). The dual-threat QB has thrown for nearly 1,400 yards and rushed for almost 400, accounting for 12 total touchdowns. He's Wando's leading rusher, and he's spread the ball around in the passing game. Six guys have at least 100 receiving yards for Wando, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1823200' first='Jake' last='Beck'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1824931' first='Gabriel' last='Holmes']. [player_tooltip player_id='1241751' first='Matthew' last='Payes'] leads the way defensively, with 101 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and three sacks. James Island has one loss by one score to a very good Summerville team, and arguably could have been in line for a bye. They're very good, and they're led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='1592342' first='Connor' last='Dantzler'], who's nearing 2,500 yards passing and has thrown for 29 touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='874321' first='Raphael' last='Puiu'] is an absolute game-breaker at receiver, with nearly 1,000 receiving yards and a 24.7 yards per catch average to go with a dozen scores. [player_tooltip player_id='1274260' first='Bryson' last='Bowers'] leads a stingy defense, with 89 tackles and 16 tackles for loss.   X-FACTOR: [player_tooltip player_id='1820391' first='Malakhi' last='Washington'] RB, James Island - Washington is the Trojans' leading rusher, so he's not really under-the-radar. However, he's also much more than a "keep them honest" guy. He's a dynamic rusher capable of taking over a game if James Island needs it, and he just kind of feels like a guy waiting for a chance to turn in a huge performance.    NO. 10 CANE BAY (3-7) AT NO. 7 RIVER BLUFF (5-5)   There's no secret what the Cobras want to do offensively. Cane Bay is going to run it right at you, and then run it some more. They've got four players with more than 350 rushing yards. [player_tooltip player_id='1732605' first='Tyler' last='Meyers'] leads the way with 181 carries and 891 yards, but [player_tooltip player_id='1664566' first='Coran' last='Houpe'], [player_tooltip player_id='1809049' first='Colby' last='LaRocca'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1818046' first='Mayson' last='Samuel'] have all contributed heavily to an offense that's racked up more than 500 carries and almost 2,500 yards on the ground. Tyrell Bess fills up the stat sheet on defense, with his 98 total tackles including 84 solo stops. River Bluff isn't quite a mirror image, but you still know what you're going to get, and that's a big dose of [player_tooltip player_id='1592250' first='Hayden' last='Myers']. The senior has 195 carries for more than 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns, and is a nightmare to try to tackle. [player_tooltip player_id='1344583' first='Brayden' last='Moore'] has thrown for 1,000 yards and nine scores, and the bulk of that has gone to [player_tooltip player_id='1078102' first='Darius' last='Carter'], who has 53 catches, 715 yards, and eight of those touchdowns.   X-FACTOR: [player_tooltip player_id='1818414' first='Josiah' last='Robinson'] LB, River Bluff - Robinson is just a sophomore, but he's proven over and over that he can be a game-changer on defense. He's got 97 tackles on the year, with 10.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He's got two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble as well, and he's the type of active, physical defender who can help plug holes and give a power-running game fits   NO. 9 LEXINGTON (3-7) AT NO. 8 FORT DORCHESTER (4-6)   The Wildcats have shown offensive balance, but in kind of an unconventional way. [player_tooltip player_id='1848408' first='Easton' last='Crocker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1909406' first='Avery' last='Coyle'] have both played exetensively at QB, and have combined for more than 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='1817400' first='Markel' last='Byrd'] has led the way on the ground, with 187 carries for 748 yards and five scores, while [player_tooltip player_id='1820755' first='Nigel' last='Lewis'] is the top target in the receiving game. Fort Dorchester is led by [player_tooltip player_id='1818375' first='Thomas' last='Adamsky'], who's thrown for more than 750 yards and six scores, and by leading rushers Markell Warthen and Kyrome Durant. Leading receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1817032' first='Laurez' last='Matthews'] can be a big-play threat, with a 22.7 yards-per-catch average and five touchdowns.   X-FACTOR: [player_tooltip player_id='1818365' first='Kameron' last='Geathers'] DL, Fort Dorchester - Geathers is a menace. He's got 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and a forced fumble, and he's the type of defensive lineman who almost demands a double-team. He plays with a high motor, and he makes a ton of things happen for the Patriots.

The state's biggest schools will present an interesting playoff picture, as a number of rematches loom thanks to the seeding process. In the first round, though, teams are battling to see who will advance to take on the top four, who will enjoy a bye this week as things are sorted out. Here's a look at the Lower State's first round in Class 5A Division I.