Week 10 Lower State Game Balls

The fireworks around South Carolina are slated to start with the commencement of the playoffs next week.   Around the Lower State, a bunch of players decided they didn't want to wait for the postseason.    From record-setting performances to teammates running wild to defensive players going ham, Week 10's biggest individual showings were up there among some of the season's best. Let's get to the highlights in our Lower State Game Balls from Thursday and Friday's regular-season finales.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822035' first='Ashton' last='Kellermann'] WR, and [player_tooltip player_id='1821540' first='Hayes' last='Goddard'] QB, Philip Simmons   In the 28-14 win over Andrews that clinched the region title and a No. 1 playoff seed, the pair of Iron Horses put their stamps all over the school record books. Goddard finished 20-of-26 passing for 328 yards and three touchdowns. The passing yards not only gave him the top single-game mark in school history, but it also pushed his season total (2,082) to the top of the program's single-season charts. Same goes for Kellermann, who had 11 receptions for 238 yards (single-game record) and now has 57 catches for 1,129 yards (single-season best).     [player_tooltip player_id='1215391' first='Jayven' last='Williams'] RB, and [player_tooltip player_id='1267285' first='JT' last='Williams'] LB, Summerville    The Green Wave wrapped up their regular season with a 37-14 win over rival Fort Dorchester, thanks in large part to what Williams and Williams were able to accomplish. The tailback ended his evening with 15 carries for 144 yards and two touchdowns and three receptions for 45 yards and a third score. Williams (the linebacker this time) had 11 total tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup.    [player_tooltip player_id='1824161' first='Jahmir' last='Heyward'] ATH, Berkeley    The senior continued his breakout final month of the regular season with yet another impressive showing, this time during a 35-7 win over Cane Bay. Heyward had just one carry (for seven yards), but it was a touchdown run. He also contributed on special teams, where he blocked a punt. Against the Cobras, though, Heyward's defensive presence was huge. He had seven tackles, two tackles for loss and forced a fumble and two fumble recoveries, one of which he took back to the house.     [player_tooltip player_id='1823082' first='Dominick' last='Felton'] RB and [player_tooltip player_id='1595007' first='Khayel' last='Sam Fong-Talia'] QB, Dillon   The vast majority of the Dillon starters were done by halftime in the Wildcats' 46-7 victory at Georgetown. So they needed to make their time on the field count. Felton did his part with seven carries, 88 yards, two first-quarter touchdowns, a two-point conversion run and a 14-yard reception. Fong-Talia, who is closing out a special freshman campaign, finished the game 13-of-20 for 201 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also hit two of his three PATs.     [player_tooltip player_id='1592342' first='Connor' last='Dantzler'] QB, James Island    Like most teams playing Stall, the Trojans were trying to get out of the game without losing much of the momentum they've built for the postseason. Dantzler responded by going 15-of-21 for 193 yards and four touchdowns in a contest where James Island was otherwise spreading the wealth (10-plus players with offensive touches). That was a good sign for the senior quarterback, who has now thrown for 2,402 yards and 28 touchdowns this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664643' first='Calvin' last='Wofford'] and [player_tooltip player_id='437772' first='Brayden' last='Boults'] RBs, Crestwood    Boults and Wofford made sure the Knights enter the playoffs on a two-game winning streak by running all over Lakewood. Wofford, a junior, finished with 14 carries or 209 yards and two touchdowns. Boults, a freshman, had 115 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries while adding a 19-yard touchdown reception. The duo will head into the postseason 25 yards shy of 2,000 on the season.     [player_tooltip player_id='473010' first='Michael' last='Boulware'] LB, Gray Collegiate   Boulware's statistically eye-popping season continued in the 49-0 win over Gilbert. He ended with 17 tackles, three tackles for loss, four pass break-ups and a sack. It propelled him past 200 total tackles for the season and now puts him at 16 tackles for loss from his spot at middle linebacker. Factoring in his freshman season at Spring Valley before transferring to Gray, Boulware is well on pace to hit 500 tackles for his career during the playoffs.    [player_tooltip player_id='797160' first='Moon' last='Gerald'] QB, Loris   Gerald has spent most of the season playing shock-and-awe with opponents, and Friday's 54-0 win against Aynor was no different. The Lions' senior needed only nine pass attempts (and six completions) to throw for 233 yards and another four touchdowns. He hit [player_tooltip player_id='1422629' first='Roderick' last='Purcha'] with a 64-yarder in the first quarter, [player_tooltip player_id='1592447' first='Jacobien' last='Lewis'] with a 71-yarder in the second and then [player_tooltip player_id='1656668' first='Khalid' last='Sherman'] with a 40-yarder and [player_tooltip player_id='1821016' first='Khalil' last='Sherman'] with an 18-yarder in the third. Gerald has now thrown for 37 touchdowns this season and is still sitting on that lone interception, which he threw October 3 against Dillon.    Finn Gunter QB, Jack Lamonica RB and Jaden Gethers RB, Lucy Beckham   The Bengals trio made sure the regular-season finale against Wando went their way, rushing for a combined 280 yards between them. Lamonica finished with 28 carries for 136 yards and two scores. Gethers had six carries for 98 yards and a touchdown. And Gunter, who also threw for 46 yards, had nine runs for 66 yards and a touchdown of his own. Lucy Beckham was fighting to keep hold of its top-five seeding in the Class 5A, Division II Lower State playoff field.    [player_tooltip player_id='1603740' first='Thaddeus' last='Czarnecki'] RB/LB, Hilton Head   Friday at home against Beaufort, Czarnecki put together a game for the ages. The junior two-way standout had another stellar offensive performance, rushing 14 times for 169 yards and three touchdowns while also hauling in a 14-yard reception. That was only part of what he did against the Eagles. Czarnecki also returned a punt 92 yard for a touchdown on special teams and - after teammate and fellow linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1172368' first='Andrew' last='Massey'] was injured early in the game - stepped up on defense, too. Czarnecki finished with eight tackles, four tackles for loss and a fumble recovery that he took back 65 yards for a fifth score.    [player_tooltip player_id='1577696' first='Connor' last='Ross'] [player_tooltip player_id='1823598' first='Matthew' last='Shook'] [player_tooltip player_id='1646942' first='Jayson' last='Smith'] [player_tooltip player_id='1820975' first='Anthony' last='Cunningham'] [player_tooltip player_id='1581470' first='George' last='Handley'] and Quillen Johnson Carolina Forest   The Panthers' defense has been coming at opponents in waves since the beginning of region play. And while most of the attention has been on the interception count [player_tooltip player_id='1596856' first='Jayden' last='Alston'] has been piling up, Carolina Forest hit another pressure point against Conway in the 49-0 regular-season finale. Ross, Shook, Smith, Cunningham, Handley and Johnson each recorded a sack in the game. Those six plays behind the line prevented the Tigers' offense from every getting going while playing with a third-string quarterback.    [player_tooltip player_id='1664589' first='William' last='Donato'] WR, Bishop England    The 6-foot, 170-pound junior has gone from catching passes to delivering them after starter [player_tooltip player_id='1592310' first='Quinn' last='Mahoney'] (illness) went down earlier in the month. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/10/donatos-big-night-leads-bishop-england-to-convincing-win/">In a thrashing of Colleton County</a>, Donato - a quarterback turned receiver and defensive back - showed he could still spin it. He finished with 143 yards and four touchdowns through the air on seven-of-11 passing. He also rushed it seven times for another 57 yards and another touchdowns.     [player_tooltip player_id='1819832' first='Jayden' last='Peeples'] ATH (pictured), and [player_tooltip player_id='1817436' first='Nehemiah' last='Brown'] RB Barnwell   Considering the Warhorses have attempted fewer than 40 passes all season, they're offense is reliant on ball carriers moving the chains. Peeples and Brown did that and then some in the 43-12 win at Whale Branch. Brown finished the game with 17 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Peeples went a step further. On top of 16 carries for 190 yards and two touchdowns, he also caught Barnwell's lone pass attempt of the night and took it 42 yards for a touchdown. For good measure, he had five tackles on defense and recovered an onside kick attempt.    [player_tooltip player_id='1823853' first='Anthony' last='Williams'] WR, [player_tooltip player_id='1094944' first='Aiden' last='Manavian'] QB and [player_tooltip player_id='402505' first='Romaum' last='Parson'] LB, Oceanside Collegiate   Oceanside beat up on previously unbeaten Orangeburg-Wilkinson, capping off an undefeated region slate with a 49-13 victory. In the process, Williams caught 11 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown and Manavian finished with 312 passing yards and four touchdowns and a rushing score. On the other side of the ball, Parson was everywhere. He had nine tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass break-ups and a sack.

The fireworks around South Carolina are slated to start with the commencement of the playoffs next week.