Peeples powers Fighting Hawks to OT win over War Eagles

As we come down the home stretch of the 2026 regular season, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe/">now is the perfect time to get in the game</a>. You can subscribe to Prep RedZone South Carolina today - and enjoy 40% off while you're at it. Simply use the offer code Guerin40 for significant savings on an annual membership. You'll gain access to all the content from our deeply embedded team of scouts across the Palmetto State, as well as our rankings and player evaluations.   WAGENER | [player_tooltip player_id='1819832' first='Jayden' last='Peeples'] didn't see anyone hanging their heads on the Blackville-Hilda sideline on Friday night.   There could have been reason to late in the game after a 20-6 halftime lead turned into a 28-all tie at the end of regulation, a game that went from firmly in the Fighting Hawks' grasp to nearly being wrestled away by Wagener-Salley.   Instead, Peeples and head coach Dwayne Garrick both saw a group that reined itself in, gritted its teeth and made the biggest plays of the night when absolutely necessary.   A fourth-down stop in overtime gave Blackville-Hilda the ball back with a chance to walk it off, and after an eight-yard run by [player_tooltip player_id='1856509' first='Kaiden' last='Davis'] there was Peeples, bashing his way into the end zone from the 2 for his fourth touchdown of the night and, most importantly, a 34-28 road win to open Region IV-A play.   "It feels good," Peeples said moments after delivering the game-winner. "I just put it in God's hands, just let God work. Just got to keep going, get better day by day so we can win a ring. That's our goal, so that's all. That's how I feel. I feel good."   Peeples, who came into the game as one of the state's most productive running backs with just shy of 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns, kept things right on schedule against a tough Wagener-Salley defense. He carried the ball 29 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns, and he added an 18-yard receiving touchdown that gave the Fighting Hawks that 20-6 halftime lead.   That score was a big answer to a big answer from Wagener-Salley, which after trailing 14-0 less than 9 minutes in on two Peeples touchdown runs had gotten onto the board when [player_tooltip player_id='1664511' first='Trenton' last='Summers'] took a direct snap 26 yards for a touchdown. What looked like a big momentum-builder for the War Eagles instead sent them into the locker room again facing a 14-point deficit, but they didn't return from it like a team that had just lost a good bit of steam.   Summers, who accounted for 102 yards of total offense on 12 touches, took another direct snap 30 yards to the end zone on the opening drive of the second half to make it a 20-12 ball game, only for Blackville-Hilda to answer right back with a rare aerial display.   Ahmad Brown faked the handoff, an easy move to bite on considering Peeples and Davis combined for exactly 300 yards, and found defensive end/tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1816136' first='Adrian' last='Saxon'] open downfield. Saxon caught the pass, flattened a defender and lumbered across the goal line for a 55-yard score for a 28-12 lead midway through the third quarter, and once again it appeared as though Blackville-Hilda was ready to put it on cruise control.   Once again, Wagener-Salley stomped the brakes on that idea. [player_tooltip player_id='1822723' first='Zamien' last='Capers'] ran for a 25-yard touchdown, then recovered a Blackville-Hilda fumble on the ensuing drive to put the War Eagles in business in a big way. Capers, an all-everything kind of player during his years at Wagener-Salley, had an all-everything kind of night, starting at quarterback and passing for 55 yards, rushing for 21 yards and the score, then moving to receiver and catching three balls for 50 yards to go with that fumble recovery.   The ensuing drive, though, ended with a turnover when [player_tooltip player_id='1856574' first='Kaleb' last='Brooks'] snared his fifth interception of the season when he picked off Channing Smith on fourth down.   Another opportunity to ice the game for the Fighting Hawks ended with another fumble, this time with Quentin Raiford falling on it to give the War Eagles another chance to tie. It didn't take long. Aden Coates zipped into the end zone from 34 yards out less than 3 minutes later, and Capers cashed in the two-pointer to tie it up with 4:52 remaining.   Then the War Eagles had a chance to win it. They stopped Blackville-Hilda on fourth down with 1:28 to go, but after a hectic sequence the clock hit triple zeroes to send it to overtime.   Garrick lamented his defense's tackling in key spots throughout the game, but they wrapped up at the most critical moments. Coates, who finished the game with 121 yards on 21 carries, picked up five on first down but Blackville-Hilda tightened things up from there, and the Fighting Hawks got the stop they needed on fourth down to set up the winning possession.   Brown, a sophomore, completed three passes for 80 yards and the two touchdowns. Peeples had his standard big night, and Davis returning to the lineup after nearly a month away due to injury has made the Fighting Hawks' run game even more lethal. [player_tooltip player_id='1856770' first='Travaris' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1816691' first='Traven' last='Wilson'] each had sacks, [player_tooltip player_id='1820087' first='Josh' last='Epps'] delivered some big hits and [player_tooltip player_id='1856560' first='Bryce' last='Collins'] all but locked up his side of the field in coverage.   Smith gave Wagener-Salley's offense a spark when he entered the game, immediately finding Capers for gains of 21 and 23 yards to start and extend a 93-yard touchdown drive. Smith finished the game 5-for-8 for 68 yards. Summers rushed for 58 and had 44 yards receiving, [player_tooltip player_id='1519361' first='Kaleb' last='Landy'] trucked his way to 51 yards on 10 carries, and Raiford and Capers had the fumble recoveries.   The win was a nice bounce-back for Blackville-Hilda, which dropped a 39-38 heartbreaker last week to Georgia's Portal High to end its undefeated start to the season. The Fighting Hawks host Calhoun County next Friday.   "I think the sting from last week was a pretty good sting," Garrick said. "We lost to a really good football team from Georgia. They scored with 1:20 to go, went for a two-point conversion and got it, all that good stuff. I'm just glad this one bounced our way. Any time you got two good football teams going at it, it's hard. It's all about which way that ball bounces."   Wagener-Salley is now feeling that sting after suffering its first loss of the campaign. The War Eagles will look for their own bounce-back next week when they host Barnwell.    In a game featuring all kinds of beef in the trenches, the 5-foot-8, 150-pound Dash showed no fear when it came to getting into the middle of it to mix it up with the big guys.   He showed plenty of quickness off the snap, as expected, from his outside linebacker position, and sought out contact rather than shielding himself away from it and waiting for someone else to clean up the mess. He'll continue to play a key role defensively for the Fighting Hawks, and there's no reason to think the sophomore won't earn some more carries at running back a little farther down the road.

As we come down the home stretch of the 2026 regular season, now is the perfect time to get in the game. You can subscribe to Prep RedZone South Carolina today - and enjoy 40% off while you're at it. Simply use the offer code Guerin40 for significant savings on an annual membership. You'll gain access to all the content from our deeply embedded team of scouts across the Palmetto State, as well as our rankings and player evaluations.

WAGENER | Jayden Peeples Jayden Peeples 5'9" | 165 lbs | ATH Blackville-Hilda | 2028 State SC didn't see anyone hanging their heads on the Blackville-Hilda sideline on Friday night.

There could have been reason to late in the game after a 20-6 halftime lead turned into a 28-all tie at the end of regulation, a game that went from firmly in the Fighting Hawks' grasp to nearly being wrestled away by Wagener-Salley.

Instead, Peeples and head coach Dwayne Garrick both saw a group that reined itself in, gritted its teeth and made the biggest plays of the night when absolutely necessary.

A fourth-down stop in overtime gave Blackville-Hilda the ball back with a chance to walk it off, and after an eight-yard run by Kaiden Davis Kaiden Davis 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Blackville-Hilda | 2027 State SC there was Peeples, bashing his way into the end zone from the 2 for his fourth touchdown of the night and, most importantly, a 34-28 road win to open Region IV-A play.

"It feels good," Peeples said moments after delivering the game-winner. "I just put it in God's hands, just let God work. Just got to keep going, get better day by day so we can win a ring. That's our goal, so that's all. That's how I feel. I feel good."

Peeples, who came into the game as one of the state's most productive running backs with just shy of 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns, kept things right on schedule against a tough Wagener-Salley defense. He carried the ball 29 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns, and he added an 18-yard receiving touchdown that gave the Fighting Hawks that 20-6 halftime lead.

That score was a big answer to a big answer from Wagener-Salley, which after trailing 14-0 less than 9 minutes in on two Peeples touchdown runs had gotten onto the board when Trenton Summers Trenton Summers 6'0" | 165 lbs | RB Wagener-Salley | 2027 State SC took a direct snap 26 yards for a touchdown. What looked like a big momentum-builder for the War Eagles instead sent them into the locker room again facing a 14-point deficit, but they didn't return from it like a team that had just lost a good bit of steam.

Summers, who accounted for 102 yards of total offense on 12 touches, took another direct snap 30 yards to the end zone on the opening drive of the second half to make it a 20-12 ball game, only for Blackville-Hilda to answer right back with a rare aerial display.

Ahmad Brown faked the handoff, an easy move to bite on considering Peeples and Davis combined for exactly 300 yards, and found defensive end/tight end Adrian Saxon Adrian Saxon DL Barnwell | 2027 SC open downfield. Saxon caught the pass, flattened a defender and lumbered across the goal line for a 55-yard score for a 28-12 lead midway through the third quarter, and once again it appeared as though Blackville-Hilda was ready to put it on cruise control.

Once again, Wagener-Salley stomped the brakes on that idea. Zamien Capers Zamien Capers 5'11" | 160 lbs | ATH Wagener-Salley | 2027 SC ran for a 25-yard touchdown, then recovered a Blackville-Hilda fumble on the ensuing drive to put the War Eagles in business in a big way. Capers, an all-everything kind of player during his years at Wagener-Salley, had an all-everything kind of night, starting at quarterback and passing for 55 yards, rushing for 21 yards and the score, then moving to receiver and catching three balls for 50 yards to go with that fumble recovery.

The ensuing drive, though, ended with a turnover when Kaleb Brooks Kaleb Brooks 6'1" | 160 lbs | DB SC snared his fifth interception of the season when he picked off Channing Smith on fourth down.

Another opportunity to ice the game for the Fighting Hawks ended with another fumble, this time with Quentin Raiford falling on it to give the War Eagles another chance to tie. It didn't take long. Aden Coates zipped into the end zone from 34 yards out less than 3 minutes later, and Capers cashed in the two-pointer to tie it up with 4:52 remaining.

Then the War Eagles had a chance to win it. They stopped Blackville-Hilda on fourth down with 1:28 to go, but after a hectic sequence the clock hit triple zeroes to send it to overtime.

Garrick lamented his defense's tackling in key spots throughout the game, but they wrapped up at the most critical moments. Coates, who finished the game with 121 yards on 21 carries, picked up five on first down but Blackville-Hilda tightened things up from there, and the Fighting Hawks got the stop they needed on fourth down to set up the winning possession.

Brown, a sophomore, completed three passes for 80 yards and the two touchdowns. Peeples had his standard big night, and Davis returning to the lineup after nearly a month away due to injury has made the Fighting Hawks' run game even more lethal. Travaris Johnson Travaris Johnson 5'8" | 200 lbs | LB Blackville-Hilda | 2029 SC and Traven Wilson Traven Wilson Barnwell | 2027 SC each had sacks, Josh Epps Josh Epps Williston-Elko | 2027 SC delivered some big hits and Bryce Collins Bryce Collins 5'10" | 135 lbs | DB SC all but locked up his side of the field in coverage.

Smith gave Wagener-Salley's offense a spark when he entered the game, immediately finding Capers for gains of 21 and 23 yards to start and extend a 93-yard touchdown drive. Smith finished the game 5-for-8 for 68 yards. Summers rushed for 58 and had 44 yards receiving, Kaleb Landy Kaleb Landy 5'10" | 245 lbs | ATH Wagener-Salley | 2027 State SC trucked his way to 51 yards on 10 carries, and Raiford and Capers had the fumble recoveries.

The win was a nice bounce-back for Blackville-Hilda, which dropped a 39-38 heartbreaker last week to Georgia's Portal High to end its undefeated start to the season. The Fighting Hawks host Calhoun County next Friday.

"I think the sting from last week was a pretty good sting," Garrick said. "We lost to a really good football team from Georgia. They scored with 1:20 to go, went for a two-point conversion and got it, all that good stuff. I'm just glad this one bounced our way. Any time you got two good football teams going at it, it's hard. It's all about which way that ball bounces."

Wagener-Salley is now feeling that sting after suffering its first loss of the campaign. The War Eagles will look for their own bounce-back next week when they host Barnwell.