Coast's Lower Classification Players To Watch For Week 4

There are well over 200 football-playing schools that are a part of the SCHSL and sometimes the lower classifications don't receive the same type of attention as the larger classifications.   But it's our goal and mission to find as many players as possible, regardless of where they play.   While we're still early in the season, we decided to not look at teams from Class 5A or 4A. We compiled a list of the three smallest classifications and tried to bring some light to the success we've seen from players that you might not hear about every Friday night.     We understand it's not a complete list, but we feel good about the players we've highlighted in this week's Players to Watch from the Coastal/Pee Dee regions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1036774' first='Amare' last='Patterson'] Bluffton   We knew a lot about Patterson coming into the season and he has not disappointed. The UNC commitment is off to a strong start to the season with 26 receptions for 390 yards and five touchdowns. He's done a lot of his work on yards after catch and he's a threat anytime he touches the ball. As long as Patterson stays healthy, he's going to obliterate his season numbers from last year when he caught 51 passes for over 900 yards. To top things off, he's averaging almost 34 yards per kickoff return and if teams continue to kick it to him, it's only a matter of time before he takes one to the house.    [player_tooltip player_id='1172368' first='Andrew' last='Massey'] LB/DB Hilton Head   The Seahawks have played one of the tougher schedules in the start and have done so while not being fully healthy. But one consistent player has been Massey. He leads the team with 27 tackles and has added five tackles for loss. He flies around and makes plays all over the field. The senior is coming off of a season in which he had 93 tackles and he's likely to reach or surpass that number this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1763191' first='Tony' last='Cooper'] RB, May River   The Sharks have already attempted more passes than they did all of last season, but the running game is still the calling card. Cooper is leading the way but [player_tooltip player_id='1763286' first='Luc' last='Tran'] and Mason Sweight have more than assisted in the early success. Cooper has 236 yards and two touchdowns with Tran and Sweigart tied for the team-lead with three each so far. Sweight only has five carries but has run for 103 yards and his three scores. If these three keep the chains moving, the Sharks have an offense that will give a lot of people trouble.   [player_tooltip player_id='1422632' first='Makel' last='Stephens'] RB/DB, Loris   Stephens (pictured above) is one of the top scorers in the state with nine touchdowns already. He has scored nine of the 12 rushing touchdowns for the Lions in the early going. The senior is averaging over 16 yards per carry with 370 yards on just 23 attempts. He doesn't have more than 11 carries in any game this season, but he has two 100-yard performances in limited touches. Stephens will likely see his touches increase as the season moves along but he's a threat to take it the distance any chance he gets.     [player_tooltip player_id='1582108' first='Trevor' last='Tonon'] ATH, Bishop England   The Bishops have created some momentum with a 3-0 start and Tonon has been a huge part of that success. The junior leads the way on the ground with 152 yards and a touchdown, but he might be making a larger impact on defense in the early going. He has 18 tackles to tie for the team lead while adding five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Tonon plays fast and physical and that allows the defense that is allowing nine points per game to come at offenses from a lot of different positions.    [player_tooltip player_id='1819697' first='Grayson' last='Mathes'] WR and [player_tooltip player_id='1222230' first='Quamell' last='Grant'] WR, Hanahan   The Hawks are flying off to a hot start with an offense that is averaging 44 points per game. [player_tooltip player_id='1615084' first='Tripp' last='Gallus'] is the trigger man at quarterback, but you can't discount the play of his two receivers. In the first two games of the season, they each caught eight passes with Mathes averaging 33 yards per reception (264 yards on the season) and Grant covering 25 yards per catch (199 yards). That's big-play potential from two guys that doesn't allow the defense on stopping just one of them.   [player_tooltip player_id='1817380' first='Cedric' last='Burkes'] LB North Charleston   The Cougars are off to a 2-1 start and Burkes has been one to help the defense round into shape early. The senior is tied with [player_tooltip player_id='1818640' first='Tion' last='Blackney'] as the leading tacklers with 25 each, it's the ability of Burkes to create havoc behind the line of scrimmage that stands out. He has seven tackles for loss and four sacks through three games. He's also contributing on offense in spot duty but he's making his name on the defensive side of the ball.   Xykenan Hickson WR/DB, Lake City   The sophomore has exploded onto the scene with a hot start to the season. He's a big-play receiver that is averaging over 22 yards per catch and has 251 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions in three games. Hickson had playing time on the varsity level a season ago but he's turning into a bona fide go-to option this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821469' first='Owen' last='George'] RB, Academic Magnet   It's easy to say George picked up right where he left off last season. The Raptors quarterback ran for over 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns a season ago while throwing for 706 yards. He's on pace to top those numbers this season. Academic Magnet has only played twice and George is already at 305 yards rushing and 137 passing and has accounted for five touchdowns.    Maybe one of the surprises of the season is the 0-3 start by the Iron Horses but that hasn't been because of the play of the 6-foot, 170 pound senior Irving. He's one of the state's leading tacklers through three games with 45 stops that includes 15 tackles for loss and a sack. He's coming off a 23-tackle performance on Friday in a 20-13 loss to Bishop England. Irving's reaction time is something special. He reads the play almost from the snap and rarely finds himself out of position. He plays closer to the line of scrimmage this year and he's involved in a lot of plays. At the rate he's going this season, he has a chance to flirt with reaching the 200 tackle mark.    [player_tooltip player_id='1664583' first='Jaquez' last='Dargan'] RB/LB and [player_tooltip player_id='1816096' first='Mont' last='Williams'] WR/DE Lamar   The Silver Foxes have a nice 1-2 punch on the offensive side of the ball to keep defenses honest. Dargan does his damage on the ground with 282 yards and a touchdown on 40 carries. He's averaging 94 yards per game and could easily see that number top 100 yards per game as we move into the heart of the schedule. Williams has been the top receiving target with eight receptions for 142 yards and three touchdowns.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824736' first='Colton' last='Gainey'] RB/LB, McBee   Gainey is off to a solid start for his sophomore campaign. Through the first two games of the season, he's been the Panthers leading rusher and tackler. In those two games, he's accounted for 139 yards on the ground and has added 12 tackles and a tackle for loss. Gainey is physical and doesn't mind contact so if he can continue to progress on both sides of the ball, that will help McBee as they enter region play.     [player_tooltip player_id='1818108' first='Arnez' last='Brewton'] LB/RB, Mullins   Brewton is making a name for himself on the defensive side of the ball. The Auctioneers senior has already recorded 26 tackles on the young season with two tackles for loss and a sack. He reads and reacts quickly, using his 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame as a missile when zeroing in on the ball carrier. He's smart and able to make plays all over the field.    [player_tooltip player_id='2151263' first='Keith' last='Rogers'] WR/DB, Scott's Branch   It's going to be easy to call the speedster Rogers the go-to receiver through the first two games. He paces the Eagles attack with 10 receptions for 213 yards and three touchdowns so far. That accounts for a third of the receptions and over half of the receiving yards so far this season. He's added 11 tackles and a forced fumble from his spot in the secondary.   [player_tooltip player_id='1819440' first='Nigil' last='Fripp'] RB, Hampton County   The Hurricanes like to run the football and so far, Fripp has accounted for nearly half the carries (58 of the 117 so far this season) and has accounted for 405 of the 692 rushing yards. The junior scored three of the eight rushing touchdowns. He's compact at 5-foot-7 and less than 160 pounds but that makes him slippery and easy to hide behind the offensive front until he finds a hole to break through.   Jamar Bronner QB, Whale Branch   The Warriors are off to a 0-3 start but it's not because of the play of the freshman Bronner. He's thrown for 150 yards while adding 157 yards rushing, both top numbers on the team. Bronner has split time under center but as he learns more and gets used to playing on the varsity level, we easily could see his playing time quickly increase.   Brayden Franklin QB, Baptist Hill   The Bobcats are off to a 2-0 start behind the play of Franklin from the quarterback position. The senior is completing over 62 percent of his passes and had 298 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. Kiylin Gordon and [player_tooltip player_id='1822332' first='Amaris' last='Carter'] each have four catches to lead the way. Three of Carter's four receptions have gone for touchdowns. Franklin has added 63 yards on just six carries and a touchdown on the ground. The offense is going to find success behind what Franklin brings to the table each and every week   Za'kyree Ravenel RB/DB, Burke   The Bulldogs have gotten off to a slow start but it's not because if the play of Ravenel. The sophomore is the leading rusher with 111 yards on 16 carries and he's added two receptions for 12 yards. Defensively, he leads the team with 16 tackles. He is going to garner more attention as the season grows longer but its been a nice start to the season for him individually even though the team is off to an 0-2 start.

There are well over 200 football-playing schools that are a part of the SCHSL and sometimes the lower classifications don't receive the same type of attention as the larger classifications.

But it's our goal and mission to find as many players as possible, regardless of where they play.

While we're still early in the season, we decided to not look at teams from Class 5A or 4A. We compiled a list of the three smallest classifications and tried to bring some light to the success we've seen from players that you might not hear about every Friday night.

We understand it's not a complete list, but we feel good about the players we've highlighted in this week's Players to Watch from the Coastal/Pee Dee regions.

Amare Patterson Amare Patterson 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Bluffton | 2027 State SC Bluffton

We knew a lot about Patterson coming into the season and he has not disappointed. The UNC commitment is off to a strong start to the season with 26 receptions for 390 yards and five touchdowns. He's done a lot of his work on yards after catch and he's a threat anytime he touches the ball. As long as Patterson stays healthy, he's going to obliterate his season numbers from last year when he caught 51 passes for over 900 yards. To top things off, he's averaging almost 34 yards per kickoff return and if teams continue to kick it to him, it's only a matter of time before he takes one to the house.

Andrew Massey Andrew Massey 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Hilton Head | 2027 State SC LB/DB Hilton Head

The Seahawks have played one of the tougher schedules in the start and have done so while not being fully healthy. But one consistent player has been Massey. He leads the team with 27 tackles and has added five tackles for loss. He flies around and makes plays all over the field. The senior is coming off of a season in which he had 93 tackles and he's likely to reach or surpass that number this season.

Tony Cooper Tony Cooper 5'7" | 160 lbs | RB May River | 2027 State SC RB, May River

The Sharks have already attempted more passes than they did all of last season, but the running game is still the calling card. Cooper is leading the way but Luc Tran Luc Tran 5'10" | 155 lbs | QB May River | 2027 State SC and Mason Sweight have more than assisted in the early success. Cooper has 236 yards and two touchdowns with Tran and Sweigart tied for the team-lead with three each so far. Sweight only has five carries but has run for 103 yards and his three scores. If these three keep the chains moving, the Sharks have an offense that will give a lot of people trouble.

Makel Stephens Makel Stephens 5'6" | 170 lbs | RB Loris | 2027 State SC RB/DB, Loris

Stephens (pictured above) is one of the top scorers in the state with nine touchdowns already. He has scored nine of the 12 rushing touchdowns for the Lions in the early going. The senior is averaging over 16 yards per carry with 370 yards on just 23 attempts. He doesn't have more than 11 carries in any game this season, but he has two 100-yard performances in limited touches. Stephens will likely see his touches increase as the season moves along but he's a threat to take it the distance any chance he gets.

Trevor Tonon Trevor Tonon 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB/RB Bishop England | 2028 State SC ATH, Bishop England

The Bishops have created some momentum with a 3-0 start and Tonon has been a huge part of that success. The junior leads the way on the ground with 152 yards and a touchdown, but he might be making a larger impact on defense in the early going. He has 18 tackles to tie for the team lead while adding five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Tonon plays fast and physical and that allows the defense that is allowing nine points per game to come at offenses from a lot of different positions.

The Hawks are flying off to a hot start with an offense that is averaging 44 points per game. Tripp Gallus Tripp Gallus 6'5" | 220 lbs | QB Hanahan | 2028 State SC is the trigger man at quarterback, but you can't discount the play of his two receivers. In the first two games of the season, they each caught eight passes with Mathes averaging 33 yards per reception (264 yards on the season) and Grant covering 25 yards per catch (199 yards). That's big-play potential from two guys that doesn't allow the defense on stopping just one of them.

Cedric Burkes Cedric Burkes 6'2" | 180 lbs | LB North Charleston | 2027 State SC LB North Charleston

The Cougars are off to a 2-1 start and Burkes has been one to help the defense round into shape early. The senior is tied with Tion Blackney Tion Blackney 5'8" North Charleston | 2027 SC as the leading tacklers with 25 each, it's the ability of Burkes to create havoc behind the line of scrimmage that stands out. He has seven tackles for loss and four sacks through three games. He's also contributing on offense in spot duty but he's making his name on the defensive side of the ball.

Xykenan Hickson WR/DB, Lake City

The sophomore has exploded onto the scene with a hot start to the season. He's a big-play receiver that is averaging over 22 yards per catch and has 251 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions in three games. Hickson had playing time on the varsity level a season ago but he's turning into a bona fide go-to option this season.

Owen George Owen George 5'11" | 195 lbs | QB Academic Magnet | 2027 State SC RB, Academic Magnet

It's easy to say George picked up right where he left off last season. The Raptors quarterback ran for over 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns a season ago while throwing for 706 yards. He's on pace to top those numbers this season. Academic Magnet has only played twice and George is already at 305 yards rushing and 137 passing and has accounted for five touchdowns.

Diavante Irving

HEIGHT 6'0"

WEIGHT 170

POS DB

CLASS 2027

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Diavante Irving

State: South Carolina

School: Philip Simmons

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Highlights

Jaquez Dargan Jaquez Dargan 5'5" | 165 lbs | LB Lamar | 2027 State SC RB/LB and Mont Williams Mont Williams DE Lamar | 2028 SC WR/DE Lamar

The Silver Foxes have a nice 1-2 punch on the offensive side of the ball to keep defenses honest. Dargan does his damage on the ground with 282 yards and a touchdown on 40 carries. He's averaging 94 yards per game and could easily see that number top 100 yards per game as we move into the heart of the schedule. Williams has been the top receiving target with eight receptions for 142 yards and three touchdowns.

Colton Gainey Colton Gainey 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB/LB McBee | 2029 State SC RB/LB, McBee

Gainey is off to a solid start for his sophomore campaign. Through the first two games of the season, he's been the Panthers leading rusher and tackler. In those two games, he's accounted for 139 yards on the ground and has added 12 tackles and a tackle for loss. Gainey is physical and doesn't mind contact so if he can continue to progress on both sides of the ball, that will help McBee as they enter region play.

Arnez Brewton Arnez Brewton 5'7" Mullins | 2027 SC LB/RB, Mullins

Brewton is making a name for himself on the defensive side of the ball. The Auctioneers senior has already recorded 26 tackles on the young season with two tackles for loss and a sack. He reads and reacts quickly, using his 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame as a missile when zeroing in on the ball carrier. He's smart and able to make plays all over the field.

Keith Rogers Keith Rogers SC WR/DB, Scott's Branch

It's going to be easy to call the speedster Rogers the go-to receiver through the first two games. He paces the Eagles attack with 10 receptions for 213 yards and three touchdowns so far. That accounts for a third of the receptions and over half of the receiving yards so far this season. He's added 11 tackles and a forced fumble from his spot in the secondary.

Nigil Fripp RB, Hampton County

The Hurricanes like to run the football and so far, Fripp has accounted for nearly half the carries (58 of the 117 so far this season) and has accounted for 405 of the 692 rushing yards. The junior scored three of the eight rushing touchdowns. He's compact at 5-foot-7 and less than 160 pounds but that makes him slippery and easy to hide behind the offensive front until he finds a hole to break through.

Jamar Bronner QB, Whale Branch

The Warriors are off to a 0-3 start but it's not because of the play of the freshman Bronner. He's thrown for 150 yards while adding 157 yards rushing, both top numbers on the team. Bronner has split time under center but as he learns more and gets used to playing on the varsity level, we easily could see his playing time quickly increase.

Brayden Franklin QB, Baptist Hill

The Bobcats are off to a 2-0 start behind the play of Franklin from the quarterback position. The senior is completing over 62 percent of his passes and had 298 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. Kiylin Gordon and Amaris Carter Amaris Carter 6'2" North Charleston | 2027 SC each have four catches to lead the way. Three of Carter's four receptions have gone for touchdowns. Franklin has added 63 yards on just six carries and a touchdown on the ground. The offense is going to find success behind what Franklin brings to the table each and every week

Za'kyree Ravenel RB/DB, Burke

The Bulldogs have gotten off to a slow start but it's not because if the play of Ravenel. The sophomore is the leading rusher with 111 yards on 16 carries and he's added two receptions for 12 yards. Defensively, he leads the team with 16 tackles. He is going to garner more attention as the season grows longer but its been a nice start to the season for him individually even though the team is off to an 0-2 start.