Upstate Games To Watch In Week 11

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The extra week of the SCHSL season created by Hurricane Helene is particularly active in the Upstate. Though a bunch of region races have been decided, there are a few games that have an impact on region titles, and on playoff positioning. Here's a look at three of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hillcrest at T.L. Hanna</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Region I 5A is a mess, as far as handing out the region title trophy. Hanna has beaten J.L. Mann, which has beaten Hillcrest, which has also lost to Greenwood, which has lost to Mann and beaten T.L. Hanna.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Confused yet?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It boils down to this: Mann, Greenwood, and Hanna all have one loss, and a tiebreaker will certainly come into play. What kind of tiebreaker depends on Mann and Greenwood taking care of business this week, and whether or not Hillcrest beats Hanna. So lets get to that game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams have been way up this season, except in the two games they've lost, where they've looked out of sync on offense. This week, they'll need a big game from QBs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809746' first='Kalab' last='Sutton']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604046' first='Jackson' last='Free']</strong>. Both have played a lot, and frequently switch, and they've combined for 1,800 pass yards, more than 300 on the ground, and 24 total touchdowns. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1359171' first='Frank' last='Starks']</strong> carries the mail for the Rams, with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='347516' first='Weston' last='Willis']</strong> as their big target outside and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346198' first='Bryce' last='Rainwater']</strong> helping to lead the way up front. Defensively, <strong>Antrez Nance</strong> is a menace, with 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and 20 hurries. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1046263' first='Caleb' last='Costantino']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254134' first='DJ' last='Henderson']</strong> have also played well for the Rams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hanna, as usual, is getting it done on the ground. The Yellow Jackets have a bunch of guys who notch yards and carries, with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1157743' first='KD' last='Patterson']</strong> as one of the most talented. He also draws most of the attention, and Hanna has guys like <strong>Daylin Williams</strong> who can easily step in and pull the weight. When the Jackets throw it, <strong>Walker Kelly</strong> is a go-get-it guy at WR. Defensively, Shrine Bowler <strong>Cam Strong</strong> is the key for T.L. Hanna.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Spartanburg at Gaffney</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This one is the most straightforward on the list, particularly with 5A's reliance on RPI standings. The winner is the Region II-5A champion, and Gaffney lifts out from the rest of the region down to Division II.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The game will match what's been one of 5A's best defenses all year against the region's hottest team. Spartanburg has been playing lights-out since the pause in the schedule. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592374' first='Trey' last='Burke']</strong> is getting more and more confident every week at quarterback, and RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1172345' first='Trenton' last='Lynch']</strong> is one of the best in his class. The Vikings are good up front as well, led by C <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1278414' first='John' last='Hammond']</strong>. Defensively, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624354' first='Cam'Rich' last='Smith']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1249806' first='Peyton' last='Jones']</strong> (pictured) lead a fast, physical Spartanburg squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gaffney has been uneven on offense, especially against good defenses like Dorman and Byrnes. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284134' first='Jayvon' last='Gilmore']</strong> will look to recapture his early-season form, and having a healthy <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473029' first='Jaiden' last='McDowell']</strong> returning at RB should help, as he'll run behind standout OL <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='797158' first='Shedrick' last='Sarratt']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='212409' first='Scottland' last='Dover']</strong>. And <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254122' first='Jamarcus' last='Smith']</strong> is just a playmaker, whether it's at WR, RB, or taking snaps. Defensively, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='605522' first='Andrew' last='Ruppe']</strong>, <strong>Zyon Ratchford</strong>, and <strong>Josh Corry</strong> continue to lead the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Daniel at Seneca</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This one's intriguing because a Seneca win (paired with a Greer win over Travelers Rest) could throw Region II-4A into a three-way tie. A Daniel win gives the Lions another outright region title, this time a classification up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Daniel has an explosive offense behind sensational sophomore QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='309825' first='Grayson' last='Clary']</strong>. He's thrown for nearly 1,900 yards and 26 TDs, and has added five touchdowns on the ground. The Lions' ground game is by committee, with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='986041' first='Tremaine' last='Davis'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1157945' first='Spencer' last='Conn']</strong> leading the way with more than 300 yards and five TDs each. Four Lions have more than 350 receiving yards, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360192' first='Jason' last='Bish']</strong> with nearly 500 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, Conn is a tackle machine, with 78 stops and nine tackles for loss. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592019' first='Dexter' last='Johnson']</strong> has 58 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seneca is led by a talented QB as well, as <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165153' first='Gavin' last='Thoma']</strong> controls the Bobcats' offense. He spreads it around to a bunch of receivers, with freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1615026' first='Jeremiah' last='Hunter'] </strong>as a huge playmaker and <strong>Landon Crawford </strong>one of his most reliable targets. In the backfield, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1158147' first='Payson' last='Jones']</strong> and <strong>Amari Verner</strong> split series and carries, and whoever has the hot hand tends to control the game. Both are physical runners with plenty of speed. Defensively, LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1253936' first='Rafael' last='Little']</strong> makes plays all over the field, and huge DT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360008' first='Avery' last='Butler']</strong> controls the line of scrimmage and doubles as Seneca's short-yardage back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->