Predicting Every Team’s 2023 MVP: Region II-5A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With SCHSL football spread over five classifications and 36 regions, the talent pool in South Carolina is as vast as it is diverse.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're going to tackle it unlike ever before.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Red Zone South Carolina team is going to predict every team's MVP for the 2023 football season. Over the next several weeks, you're going to be able to read about which player is leading the way for his team. We'll even give you a whole bunch of highlight films to back up our predictions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Are you ready?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Region II-5A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Boiling Springs Bulldogs</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>JoJo Barrett</strong> LB/DB - In their second year under coach Matt Reel, the Bulldogs have a ton of young talent. QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012707' first='Lincoln' last='Huskey']</strong> is back and will look to improve on last year's performance, and transfer DB [player_tooltip player_id='473009' first='Jeremiah' last='Favorite'] is expected to be an impact player immediately. However, Barrett might be the heart of the Bulldogs' defense. He's a little undersized, but makes up for it by playing with reckless abandon. He's got legit sprinter's speed and brings a hard-hitting, physical edge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Byrnes Rebels</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='272705' first='Armoni' last='Weaver'] ATH - Byrnes is loaded, and any number of players could fill this spot. [player_tooltip player_id='272708' first='Chamarryus' last='Bomar'] is electric, <strong>Will Fowler</strong> has a nose for the football, and [player_tooltip player_id='267454' first='Chris' last='Foster'] is a beast up front, and those are just a few of Byrnes' key names. But Weaver does so many things so well, it's impossible to overlook his incredible upside. He's a nightmare matchup at receiver, particularly in space. He uses his speed in the return game. And when he plays defense, he's one of the best cover guys in the Region. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15372080/6308024ad468b9032c8c807d' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6468d23976e3d"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Dorman Cavaliers</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='809750' first='Landon' last='Greene'] OL - "Most Valuable" doesn't always require eye-popping stats. Dorman will have a new coach for the second time in as many years as Jake Morris takes over, and while the Cavaliers will have a new look in many facets, one thing will likely remain the same - Greene in the middle of the offensive line. As a sophomore, he fit right in on a line that produced a pair of D1 talents, and he looks to be more than capable of continuing that leadership this season. He's enormous, physical, quick, and smart, and can play both center and guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Gaffney Indians</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='605522' first='Andrew' last='Ruppe'] LB - On last year's suffocating Gaffney defense, there were talented seniors up front and in the backfield. Right in the middle, thought were sophomore LBs in [player_tooltip player_id='605523' first='Clay' last='Cook'] and Ruppe. They combined for more than 150 tackles, with 71 of them to Ruppe's credit. The 6-1, 220-pound standout added 13.5 tackles for loss, a sack, broke up five passes, and blocked a punt. Continuing that level of play is crucial to the Indians' success.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Spartanburg Vikings</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='624354' first='Cam'Rich' last='Smith'] LB - Spartanburg is loaded on the defensive side of the ball, and this spot easily could've gone to a guy like [player_tooltip player_id='448978' first='Bennie' last='Littlejohn'], who's going to be a terror. But Smith made such a huge impression and a huge jump in our rankings, and he's impossible to ignore. He's coming off a season with 125 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries, all as a sophomore. His frame indicates he can get even bigger and stronger, which is a scary proposition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->