Class 1A Upper State Third Round Preview

The third round of the Class 1A Upper State playoffs features teams who will want to line up, be physical and run the football. But they've also shown the ability to throw the ball when needed.  Add to the party that one of these games is a rematch.   What may be more important for both games is who can win the battle in the trenches to determine who will advance to next week's semifinal games as we are one step closer to the Weekend of Champions in Orangeburg. Let's talk about this week's games:   NO. 2 LAMAR (9-3) AT NO. 1 ABBEVILLE (10-1)   The Silver Foxes pulled away from Lee Central 22-12 in the second round. [player_tooltip player_id='1165108' first='Zori' last='Pierce'] (pictured above) had an efficient night, going 12-for-19 for 120 yards and one touchdown to [player_tooltip player_id='1253894' first='Zoom' last='Jackson']. Jackson has been the steady hand at receiver and at defensive back. [player_tooltip player_id='1462573' first='Alvion' last='Ward'] had an explosive night, rushing for 117 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns. The offensive line is led by ECU commit [player_tooltip player_id='762756' first='Kendall' last='Walton'] along with Tahj Johnson and [player_tooltip player_id='1267226' first='Devaughn' last='Locust'] for a run game that is averaging 148.1 yards per game. Keep an eye on Kamill McCoy and Kamon Miller at receiver along with Nygel Eaddy, who has proven to be a solid second to Jackson in the running game, averaging 37.8 yards per game.   Abbeville has been rolling all season, and that continued in last week's second round contest against Blackville-Hilda in a 41-13 rout. A lot of that has to do with the play of South Carolina commit [player_tooltip player_id='1249802' first='Damarcus' last='Leach'], who scored a touchdown on the ground and through the air going to Jaden Baylor for a 12-yard score and [player_tooltip player_id='1700046' first='Darius' last='Riley'] from 10 yards out. Will New up front is one of the anchors of the offensive line. Keep an eye on Altavious Patterson at linebacker on defense, who can swarm around and make plays. Thomas Ferguson is a sure tackler in space and is not afraid to get his hands dirty.   Matchup Within The Matchup: Lamar's defense will be going up against an Abbeville offense that is averaging 51 points per game, and with the exception of their loss to Batesburg-Leesville and a close win over Powdersville, no one has been able to slow them down. Lamar's defense will be led by Vernon Ervin, who is the team's leader in tackles per game, averaging 11.6. [player_tooltip player_id='1615075' first='Lamont' last='Williams'] is the team's sack leader as a freshman with 4 sacks and 18 quarterback hurries on the season. [player_tooltip player_id='1664583' first='Jaquez' last='Dargan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1422623' first='DQ' last='Green'] are tied with 8.2 tackles per game – all of them will be key in defending explosive skill guys like Riley, who had a 73-yard touchdown run last week, [player_tooltip player_id='1249809' first='Karson' last='Norman'] and Jha'Louis Hadden.   Underclassmen Impact: Kendall Cole is a junior workhorse for the Abbeville defense. He has shown the ability to go sideline-to-sideline and come up and make tackles, especially against teams that like to run the ball, like Dixie did a few weeks ago.    NO. 1 LEWISVILLE (11-1) AT NO. 1 HUNTER KINARD TYLER (10-1)   This game is a rematch of a non-region matchup from almost three months ago, where Lewisville defeated HKT 44-16 down in Neeses. Fast forward three months later, the stakes are greater as a spot in next week's Upper State semifinal is on the line.    Lewisville overcame a slow start and used a big second quarter to rout Ridge Spring Monetta 46-8 in the second round. [player_tooltip player_id='1165159' first='Jordan' last='Strong'] finished with two touchdowns, including a 31-yard touchdown run towards the end of the first. [player_tooltip player_id='1249747' first='Zach' last='Rogers'] is the straw that stirs the drink for the Lions at quarterback, and he found the endzone on a 36-yard run in the second quarter. JaCorreun Howze is a speedster on the outside and can also make plays defensively. [player_tooltip player_id='1158047' first='Elisha' last='Baker'] is also a difference maker on defense – he had an 11-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. Ty'Mon Hughes had a pick six.    Aiden Stroman is one of the leaders for the Trojans, and he'll need to have a big night if HKT is to advance. He is a two-way player who can drill the ball carrier at linebacker and carry it at running back as well. Ahmir Creer will be at the controls at quarterback and will manage the Trojans' option first attack. Naishawn Thomas is an impact player at wide receiver and excels on making plays to the outside on jet sweeps. The Trojans will be led up front by Emari Blue, Jaden Edwards and Pierre Folge on the offensive line.   Matchup Within The Matchup: Lewisville's offense is averaging 38.4 points per game, and one of their highest outputs of the season came in the first round against Calhoun Falls – a 66-0 victory. The Lions are playing their best at the right time with Rogers, Strong and Howze and [player_tooltip player_id='1548259' first='Ri'Quarius' last='Harris']. If the Trojans are going to keep pace with the Lions, they'll need to have a big night from Jaliel Way at safety, John Ross and Nykavien Peeples at the linebacker position.   Underclassmen Impact: Da'Rion Stroman is a junior defensive end who can clog up run lanes. He fights off blocks well to get into the backfield and affect the play before the runner can get going and build up momentum. We saw this several times when watching his film, especially with teams who like to run the ball taking the direct snap.

The third round of the Class 1A Upper State playoffs features teams who will want to line up, be physical and run the football. But they've also shown the ability to throw the ball when needed. Add to the party that one of these games is a rematch.