Rivers, Berkeley Outlast Carolina Forest

MYRTLE BEACH | With a crucial region game slipping through its fingers, Berkeley put the ball in the hands of its dynamic quarterback.   Stag signal-caller [player_tooltip player_id='1036733' first='Henry' last='Rivers'] rushed for three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter, as Berkeley scored the final 13 points in a 36-24 win at Carolina Forest on Friday night.   “I was just able to find the little creases that were there,” Rivers said after the win.  “They had a good defensive line, and they brought a lot of pressure. I was just taking what they gave me and making the most out of it.”   Berkeley made the most of its opportunities in the first quarter as a punt return touchdown from [player_tooltip player_id='1426798' first='Cameron' last='McCue'] and a keeper from Rivers (pictured) put the Stags up 13-0. Carolina Forest got on the board with 2:38 left in the first quarter when quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1823591' first='Matthew' last='Kellner'] scored on a one-yard keeper.   A 29-yard field goal from [player_tooltip player_id='1818328' first='Max' last='Long Nguyen'] pulled the Panthers within three points with 4:30 to go in the half and Carolina Forest's defense made a critical red zone stop late in the second quarter as a missed field goal kept the Panthers within three points.   However, the Stags struck on special teams again when [player_tooltip player_id='1151306' first='Bryson' last='McGee'] returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give Berkeley a 20-10 advantage.   “We have really dynamic returners,” head coach Eric Lodge of McCue and McGee. “Those guys are nice to have on our side of the ball.”   Carolina Forest answered with a 65-yard touchdown drive late in the third quarter, highlighted by two key catches from [player_tooltip player_id='1672894' first='Brady' last='McDowell'] to put the Panthers at the one-yard line of Berkeley. From there, [player_tooltip player_id='1581470' first='George' last='Handley'] plowed over the goal line to make the score 20-17 with 1:28 remaining in the third period.   The Panther defense got a huge stop on fourth-down to open the fourth quarter, but Berkeley's defense immediately responded as [player_tooltip player_id='2332226' first='Avery' last='Everette'] picked off a screen pass to put the Stags deep in Carolina Forest territory. Once again, the Panthers held in the red zone as [player_tooltip player_id='1603784' first='Ryland' last='Curwen'] booted a 21-yard field goal to push Berkeley's lead to 23-17 with 9:16 to go.   After catching two passes at the one-yard line earlier in the game, McDowell finally found the end zone when Kellner hit him on a 44-yard post pattern to give Carolina Forest its first lead of the night, 24-23, with 5:07 remaining.   That's when Rivers took over, connecting with [player_tooltip player_id='2325398' first='Jonathan' last='Mitchell'] on a 46-yard pass down the Stag sideline on a critical third down before scoring on a 14-yard scamper with 3:49 left in the game to put the Stags back on top, 29-24.   “It was supposed to be a hitch,” Rivers said of the long pass. “I thought he was going to run a hitch because we just needed a couple of yards, but he played football. Just put it out there and let the playmakers do what they do.”   After Berkeley's defense picked off its second pass of the fourth quarter, Rivers delivered the dagger with a 19-yard touchdown run with just 48 seconds to go.   “When you come out to a really fast start,” said Lodge, “when you're young, you think ‘oh man, this is just easy.' That's not reality. Hopefully we learned a good lesson tonight, that you cannot lose respect for your opponent and your effort drop and you start to make mental mistakes, because football will humble you.”   “Our coach tells us all the time, ‘don't get too high, don't get too low,'” Rivers added. “In the beginning of the game, we were pretty high and then they made adjustments. We just had to come back and show some resilience.”   Berkeley Notables:   [player_tooltip player_id='2332471' first='Liam' last='Crisp'] DL, 2028 – Crisp anchored a Stag defensive front that kept the Carolina Forest ground game under wraps most of the evening. The junior provided good push up front as the Panthers found the going tough throughout the night between the tackles.     [player_tooltip player_id='1147123' first='Copeland' last='President'] LB, 2028 – President made his presence felt all night from his linebacker position, ranging sideline to sideline and arriving with authority on multiple hits. His tackle for loss thwarted Carolina Forest's attempt at a two-minute drive to end the first half.     [player_tooltip player_id='2325399' first='Chance' last='Coleman'] DL, 2028 – Coleman was very active from his defensive end spot, constantly crashing down and making life difficult for the Panther ball carriers. He also got had a deflection on the screen pass that Everette picked off in the fourth quarter.   [player_tooltip player_id='2113658' first='Jakai' last='Chapman'] DL/TE, 2027 – Chapman didn't have many targets in the passing game, but he was a difference maker on defense. The senior closed up several promising running lanes and drew oooohs from the crowd with a massive hit in the open field in the first half.    The Stags' boundary corner was tasked with keeping the Panther wide receiver opposite of McDowell quiet, a task that he carried out successfully most of the night   With his length and range, Smalls kept the Panthers from testing his side of the field for the majority of the contest. When they did, he made them pay, breaking out of zone coverage and plucking the final interception of the night to help Berkeley put the game away.      Carolina Forest Notables:   [player_tooltip player_id='1823607' first='Haiden' last='Collier'] DB, 2028 – Collier was a force in both run support and pass coverage, storming into the backfield on several occasions and making a crucial pass breakup on a fourth-down attempt early in the final quarter.     Kaiden Bridges RB, 2029 – Bridges provided a spark for the Panther ground game in the second quarter, breaking free for a 16-yard run that proved to be Carolina Forest's longest rush of the evening. The key third-down conversion help keep the Panthers in the game in the first half.   [player_tooltip player_id='1817004' first='Joshua' last='Walker'] DL, 2028 – With Berkeley having all the momentum early, Walker helped turn the tide with a sack of Rivers that backed the Stags up and got the home crowd involved again. Walker and the Panthers corralled Rivers consistently in the second and third quarter to give Carolina Forest a chance.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824542' first='Liam' last='Wilson'] TE, 2027 – Wilson delivered several impressive blocks throughout the game and served as an emotional leader for the Panther offense. Although he wasn't targeted often in the passing game, his physicality was undeniable.

MYRTLE BEACH | With a crucial region game slipping through its fingers, Berkeley put the ball in the hands of its dynamic quarterback.

Stag signal-caller Henry Rivers Henry Rivers 5'10" | 180 lbs | QB Berkeley | 2027 State SC rushed for three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter, as Berkeley scored the final 13 points in a 36-24 win at Carolina Forest on Friday night.

“I was just able to find the little creases that were there,” Rivers said after the win. “They had a good defensive line, and they brought a lot of pressure. I was just taking what they gave me and making the most out of it.”

Berkeley made the most of its opportunities in the first quarter as a punt return touchdown from Cameron McCue Cameron McCue 5'8" | 165 lbs | DB Berkeley | 2027 State SC and a keeper from Rivers (pictured) put the Stags up 13-0. Carolina Forest got on the board with 2:38 left in the first quarter when quarterback Matthew Kellner Matthew Kellner 5'8" | 160 lbs | QB Carolina Forest | 2027 SC scored on a one-yard keeper.

A 29-yard field goal from Max Long Nguyen Max Long Nguyen Carolina Forest | 2028 SC pulled the Panthers within three points with 4:30 to go in the half and Carolina Forest's defense made a critical red zone stop late in the second quarter as a missed field goal kept the Panthers within three points.

However, the Stags struck on special teams again when Bryson McGee Bryson McGee 5'6" | 140 lbs | RB/WR Berkeley | 2028 State SC returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give Berkeley a 20-10 advantage.

“We have really dynamic returners,” head coach Eric Lodge of McCue and McGee. “Those guys are nice to have on our side of the ball.”

Carolina Forest answered with a 65-yard touchdown drive late in the third quarter, highlighted by two key catches from Brady McDowell Brady McDowell 5'10" | 170 lbs | WR Carolina Forest | 2028 State SC to put the Panthers at the one-yard line of Berkeley. From there, George Handley George Handley 5'10" | 225 lbs | DL/LB Carolina Forest | 2027 State SC plowed over the goal line to make the score 20-17 with 1:28 remaining in the third period.

The Panther defense got a huge stop on fourth-down to open the fourth quarter, but Berkeley's defense immediately responded as Avery Everette Avery Everette 5'9" | 185 lbs | LB SC picked off a screen pass to put the Stags deep in Carolina Forest territory. Once again, the Panthers held in the red zone as Ryland Curwen Ryland Curwen 5'10" | 160 lbs | K Berkeley | 2027 State SC booted a 21-yard field goal to push Berkeley's lead to 23-17 with 9:16 to go.

After catching two passes at the one-yard line earlier in the game, McDowell finally found the end zone when Kellner hit him on a 44-yard post pattern to give Carolina Forest its first lead of the night, 24-23, with 5:07 remaining.

That's when Rivers took over, connecting with Jonathan Mitchell Jonathan Mitchell 5'10" | 168 lbs | WR SC on a 46-yard pass down the Stag sideline on a critical third down before scoring on a 14-yard scamper with 3:49 left in the game to put the Stags back on top, 29-24.

“It was supposed to be a hitch,” Rivers said of the long pass. “I thought he was going to run a hitch because we just needed a couple of yards, but he played football. Just put it out there and let the playmakers do what they do.”

After Berkeley's defense picked off its second pass of the fourth quarter, Rivers delivered the dagger with a 19-yard touchdown run with just 48 seconds to go.

“When you come out to a really fast start,” said Lodge, “when you're young, you think ‘oh man, this is just easy.' That's not reality. Hopefully we learned a good lesson tonight, that you cannot lose respect for your opponent and your effort drop and you start to make mental mistakes, because football will humble you.”

“Our coach tells us all the time, ‘don't get too high, don't get too low,'” Rivers added. “In the beginning of the game, we were pretty high and then they made adjustments. We just had to come back and show some resilience.”

Berkeley Notables:

Liam Crisp Liam Crisp 5'10" | 245 lbs | DL SC DL, 2028 – Crisp anchored a Stag defensive front that kept the Carolina Forest ground game under wraps most of the evening. The junior provided good push up front as the Panthers found the going tough throughout the night between the tackles.

Copeland President Copeland President 5'9" | 180 lbs | DB Berkeley | 2028 State SC LB, 2028 – President made his presence felt all night from his linebacker position, ranging sideline to sideline and arriving with authority on multiple hits. His tackle for loss thwarted Carolina Forest's attempt at a two-minute drive to end the first half.

Chance Coleman Chance Coleman 6'0" | 230 lbs | DL Berkeley | 2028 SC DL, 2028 – Coleman was very active from his defensive end spot, constantly crashing down and making life difficult for the Panther ball carriers. He also got had a deflection on the screen pass that Everette picked off in the fourth quarter.

Jakai Chapman Jakai Chapman 6'3" | 210 lbs | DL/TE Berkeley | 2027 State SC DL/TE, 2027 – Chapman didn't have many targets in the passing game, but he was a difference maker on defense. The senior closed up several promising running lanes and drew oooohs from the crowd with a massive hit in the open field in the first half.

Antonio Smalls

HEIGHT 6'2"

WEIGHT 170

POS ATH

CLASS 2028

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Antonio Smalls

State: South Carolina

School: Berkeley

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Highlights

Carolina Forest Notables:

Haiden Collier Haiden Collier 6'2" Carolina Forest | 2027 SC DB, 2028 – Collier was a force in both run support and pass coverage, storming into the backfield on several occasions and making a crucial pass breakup on a fourth-down attempt early in the final quarter.

Kaiden Bridges RB, 2029 – Bridges provided a spark for the Panther ground game in the second quarter, breaking free for a 16-yard run that proved to be Carolina Forest's longest rush of the evening. The key third-down conversion help keep the Panthers in the game in the first half.

Joshua Walker Joshua Walker 6'0" Carolina Forest | 2028 SC DL, 2028 – With Berkeley having all the momentum early, Walker helped turn the tide with a sack of Rivers that backed the Stags up and got the home crowd involved again. Walker and the Panthers corralled Rivers consistently in the second and third quarter to give Carolina Forest a chance.

Liam Wilson Liam Wilson 6'0" | 205 lbs | TE Carolina Forest | 2027 SC TE, 2027 – Wilson delivered several impressive blocks throughout the game and served as an emotional leader for the Panther offense. Although he wasn't targeted often in the passing game, his physicality was undeniable.