South Florence Line, Jackson Pummel Gray Collegiate

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FLORENCE | </strong>If there was any doubt how good the South Florence offensive line has been all season, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1166986' first='Messiah' last='Jackson']</strong> had a healthy post-game reminder he had no issue delivering.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior quarterback finished the 55-14 win over Gray Collegiate in the Class 4A Lower State title with five rushing touchdowns and 128 yards on 15 carries. On many of them, he wasn't being so much as breathed on until he was well past the line of scrimmage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Before the game even started, I knew how good my guys are,” the Bruins quarterback said. “We do it in practice. The way we do inside run. The way we lift. All of that. It was just incredible.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One by one, Jackson (pictured) gave the line in front of him plenty of love. Center <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820912' first='Luke' last='Thayer']</strong> and guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823529' first='Travis' last='Sansbury']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820914' first='Jerry' last='Genwright']</strong> were instrumental up the middle. Tackles <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592650' first='Ethan' last='Cash']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820899' first='Josiah' last='Mason']</strong> prevented any real pressure off the edge. Mix in block-first tight ends <strong>DJ James</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823523' first='Bruce' last='Thompson']</strong> and the quarterback's production was the storyline, sure, but not impetus for the Bully Ball tale that led to Friday night's result. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Consider this: Jackson (15 carries) and tailbacks [player_tooltip player_id='1422638' first='Cam' last='James'] (16) and <strong>Gabe McLaughlin</strong> (eight) were stopped behind the line of scrimmage exactly zero times against an extremely talented Gray front seven. That group had previously spurred a defensive unit that was allowing roughly 14 points a game heading into the fourth round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South reached that figure 10 minutes, 1 second in the Lower State championship game and never let up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson scored on runs of 36, 17, 4, 3 and 9 yards. In between the first and second, he also connected with [player_tooltip player_id='1639826' first='JayAun' last='Perkins'] for a 19-yard touchdown pass. He only attempted eight passes (all in the first half), and he completed four of them for 52 yards. But on a frigid night in Florence, any look to get the passing game fully involved took a back seat to what that line was able to do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dominate.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“When you feel like you've got control of the line of scrimmage, it's really easy,” South Florence coach Drew Marlowe said after the Bruins punched their ticket to their fourth consecutive state championship game. “We believe this time of year requires you to play great defense and run the football. And I thought we did both of those really, really well. … We talked all week about not being satisfied and staying true to our identity.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Said Jackson: “Of course as a quarterback you want to throw the ball. But my number one goal is to win championships. If that's what I have to do, run the ball, then that's what I'm going to do.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marlowe said he quarterback has spurred another title game appearance by staying calm and knowing the assignment, which in this case was moving the football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And it means a showdown with South Pointe next Saturday at South Carolina State. Jackson also wasn't shy about what advancing to that game meant for him - or why his mindset is the way it is.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It means everything to me. That's the main goal," Jackson said. "Coach Marlowe tells us anything but a state championship is basically a failure. We've been conditioned to hear that our whole time at South Florence. As soon as you step in the door, you step in that weight room, you're hearing that constantly. Either you're in or you're out. Everyone on this team is in. You can't be half in or you're out.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>OTHER SOUTH FLORENCE NOTABLES</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267265' first='Amare' last='Reaves']</strong> DB, 2026 - One week after an electric showing that included three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and a fumble recovery he also marched into the end zone, Reaves put his game-changing ability on display again Friday against Gray. In addition to an interception moments into the second quarter, he returned a kickoff that period 88 yards for a touchdown. Reaves will enter the state championship game with eight interceptions this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422638' first='Cam' last='James']</strong> RB, 2027 - The smaller tailback did what he has much of the year, and that's hide behind his big offensive line until the opponent was up a creek without a paddle. The junior finished Friday's win with 16 carries for 184 yards. His first carry of the night went up the middle of the line for 20 yards. He also had a 40 yarder in the second quarter and a 57 yarder in the fourth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820910' first='Jewel' last='Washington']</strong> LB, 2028 - Washington added to Gray's issues 2 minutes into the third quarter when he picked of a pass of his own and returned it to the Eagles' 15-yard line. It was backed up slightly because of a hold, but it didn't matter after Jackson punched it in five plays later to make the score 42-7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>GRAY COLLEGIATE NOTABLES</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623307' first='Xavier' last='Wright']</strong> QB, 2029 - The freshman expectedly took all of the snaps until late in the game, and while he struggled against South Florence, the lefty did show some glimpses of why he was replacing as senior starter. Wright finished nine-of-23 for 74 yards and a 19-yard touchdown to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473012' first='JP' last='Sweatt']</strong> in the second quarter.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232668' first='Tyler' last='Waller']</strong> QB, 2026 - The senior was inserted into the game in the second half and was able to create one more touchdown in his high school career when he connected with [player_tooltip player_id='1647592' first='Corey' last='Gleaton'] in the waning moments of the contest. Waller threw for 92 yards on four-of-five passing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036777' first='Trevon' last='Williamson']</strong> RB, 2027 - After rushing for 59 yards on five carries in the opening half, Williamson only got one touch in the second half. He'll finish his junior season with just shy of 1,700 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->