CSRA Quarterbacks Eyeing Bigger Numbers in Week 2

Who said they don't throw the football in the CSRA?   OK, maybe nobody actually said that, but it's never been a secret that teams in the zone love to pound the rock and send running backs to the next level year after tear after year.   We teased before the start of the season that this could be <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/07/csras-best-zones-top-storylines-for-2026/">the year of the quarterback in the Central Savannah River Area</a>, and the first Friday of the season was certainly a good start for several local signal-callers.   Some of it was by design, some of it was out of necessity, nearly all of it was really, really good. Needless to say, we expect that to continue in Week 2, and we're also looking forward to seeing some bounce-back efforts from the ones that didn't start as fast.   [player_tooltip player_id='1853105' first='Tanner' last='Padgett'] Aiken   What a start to the season for Padgett, who lit up Lakeside (Ga.) to the tune of 240 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes to five different receivers, with [player_tooltip player_id='1614255' first='Allen' last='Cummings'] emerging as his favorite target with eight snags for 113 yards and a score. We knew Aiken would want to play a little more pitch and catch this year after a run-heavy 2025, and Padgett showed last year in spurts that he was capable of an increased workload. He proved it last week, and he'll get another chance to this week against Swansea.    [player_tooltip player_id='644030' first='Xavier' last='Geter'] Midland Valley   Midland Valley's magician was at it again last week, guiding the Mustangs to a thrilling 49-42 victory over Lexington. He completed 15 of 22 passes for 191 yards and no interceptions, and in true dual-threat style he added 135 rushing yards and a trio of touchdowns on 19 carries. When he has both elements of the game working like that, defenses are in for an awfully long Friday night. He'll look to continue Lakeside's misery when Midland Valley crosses the Savannah River this week.   [player_tooltip player_id='1819537' first='Collin' last='Tillman'] North Augusta   It's not going to be remembered by Tillman as a successful first game as North Augusta's cemented starter, but there were signs in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/rouse-holmes-catapult-strom-thurmond-past-north-augusta/">Jackets' 21-7 loss to defending 2A state champion Strom Thurmond</a> that he's got the potential to still take the Jackets a long way. He passed for 208 yards and North Augusta's lone score, which briefly made it a one-possession game before the Rebels housed the ensuing kickoff. It was clear the Jackets were going to have to throw the ball to make up the deficit, and Strom Thurmond was not shy about sending pressure Tillman's way. He stood in there, took hit after hit and still put a lot of passes right where they needed to be, which is a big reason why we like him to bounce back this week against Lexington.   [player_tooltip player_id='1704301' first='Tommy' last='Burns'] South Aiken   Burns and the T-Breds made light work of Silver Bluff in a 59-6 thrashing that was essentially over by the end of the first quarter. Burns was only needed for one half of football, during which he completed eight of nine passes for 160 yards and four touchdowns to <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/week-1-lower-state-game-balls/">properly begin his second season as starting quarterback</a>. He certainly looked comfortable guiding the ship in Week 1, and in Week 2 he'll see a familiar foe on the road in former region opponent Airport.   [player_tooltip player_id='1827442' first='AJ' last='Hillary'] Strom Thurmond   Hillary's first pass attempt as a Rebel looked to be a promising sign of things to come. He had [player_tooltip player_id='1162969' first='Jakari' last='Gordon'] wide open down the home sideline and launched the ball for what would have been a wild opening score. Instead, in what became the theme of Hillary's night, somehow the connection was missed and the Rebels had to disappointedly return to the huddle. It was a tough game, facing arguably the state's best defensive line - not to mention it was his former team - and a secondary loaded with playmakers. Could there have been nerves? Absolutely. Might there be more this week at Abbeville? Perhaps, but we feel safe in assuming a much more Hillary-like performance this time around.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822457' first='Brian' last='McMillan'] Bamberg-Ehrhardt   Speaking of starting off year two as QB1 on the right foot, McMillan carried his brilliance from last year right into defending Class A champion Bamberg-Ehrhardt's 62-6 drubbing of Hunter-Kinard-Tyler. He completed eight of 10 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns, and he added two more scores and 60 yards on only four carries. Now he'll look to take a big swing at a bigger opponent in one of the state's biggest games when 4A Hilton Head (with [player_tooltip player_id='1664222' first='Derrick' last='Raniszewski'] coming off a 299-yard, four-touchdown all-purpose performance in a big win over South Florence) sets its GPS for Red Raider Drive.   [player_tooltip player_id='1819829' first='Vincent' last='Gibson'] Barnwell   Welcome back, Mr. Gibson. An injury cut short his 2025 season, and a good start to his senior season is a great sign for a Barnwell team that needs all hands on deck to give [player_tooltip player_id='1822357' first='Torye' last='Pickens'] the occasional breather. That's exactly what Gibson did in the Warhorses' 33-12 win over Buford, completing five of seven passes for 71 yards and a couple of touchdowns while also rushing for two scores and 61 yards on 11 carries. He'll look to build on that this week when Barnwell hits the road again to face Pelion.   [player_tooltip player_id='1818944' first='Zyviaire' last='Denny'] Ridge Spring-Monetta   Ridge Spring-Monetta showed off its firepower in a 48-34 win at Ware Shoals, and it was the 6-foot-4 Denny who lit the fuse from start to finish. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns, and it wasn't just a two-man game between he and older brother [player_tooltip player_id='1648648' first='Kymani' last='Denny'] for the Trojans. Not too bad for game one of his sophomore season. It's a hard stat line to top, but he'll take his aim at McCormick this week in another road game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822723' first='Zamien' last='Capers'] Wagener-Salley (pictured)   Wagener-Salley gave new head coach E'Mond Brown his first win in emphatic fashion, blanking Great Falls 48-0. Capers, who has played just about everywhere for the War Eagles during his high school career, picked up where he left off at the Aiken County Jamboree by making big plays from every angle on the win. He passed for 101 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 53 yards and two more scores, and for good measure he added four tackles (one for loss) with an interception on defense. Now he'll look to leave his stamp on the War Eagles' final game on their old home field against a Branchville team that just survived a track meet with Whitmire.

Who said they don't throw the football in the CSRA?