Weekly previews: Wren has chance to take driver's seat in Region 2-AAA against Emerald

      Sumter – Simply put, the Wren High School football team can put itself firmly in the driver’s seat to win the Region 2-AAA title with a win over Emerald on Friday.

    Now that may be a lot easier said than done. Both teams are 6-1 on the season and 1-0 in Region 2. EHS is ranked fourth in the latest High School Sports Report AAA poll while the Hurricanes are ranked sixth.

    Why a victory would put WHS in a prime position is its first region win was a 34-10 triumph over Powdersville, year in and year out a solid-to-strong AAA program. That would leave Wren with a a road game against 3-4 Palmetto, which Emerald beat 41-3 last week, and a home game against 2-time defending AAA state runner-up Belton-Honea Path, which is 4-2 and has yet to play a region contest.

    The Vikings will still be in an advantageous position with a win over the Hurricanes, but they will still have to face both Powdersville and BHP. However, after a bye week, they will take on both at home, Powdersville on October 23 and BHP on October 30.

    Wren passes for an average of 168.0 yards per game while rushing for 188.7. Junior quarterback Jacob Owings has completed 70 of 111 passes for 1,174 yards and 13 touchdowns and is the third leading rusher with 190 yards and two scores on 32 carries.

    Senior Muntu Brown has rushed for 539 yards, and fellow senior Josiah Mosley is three yards back with 536. Both have rushed for nine TDs, Brown on 89 carries and Mosley on 43.

    Senior Caiden Hill is the leading pass catcher with 23 for 360 yards and five touchdowns, Junior Jack Hughes has 20 receptions for 482 yards and five scores, and junior Matthew Oliveira has 12 catches for 142 yards.

    Defensively, Wren has 44 tackles for a loss and 17 quarterback sacks. Junior outside linebacker Travys Woodard leads with 11 TFLs and four sacks, while senior defensive end JT Forrester has eight TFLs and three sacks. Woodard also has 12 quarterback hurries.

    Junior Hayes Reid leads in tackles with 51.

    The Hurricanes will be going against an Emerald offense that is averaging 47.1 points. Like WHS, the Vikings both run and pass the ball very well.

    EHS averages 248.4 rushing yards and are led by junior Jamerion Moore. He is averaging an even 148.0 yards a game with 1,036 yards and 19 touchdowns on 114 carries. Junior quarterback Beau Hite has 313 yards and a score on 34 attempts.

    Hite has completed 89 of 134 passes for 1,462 yards and 16 touchdowns. Junior Desiray Christian Jr. has 28 catches for 471 yards and four scores, junior Coleson Marino has 26 catches for 398 yards and five TDs, and junior Keirion Brown has 23 grabs for 416 yards and six touchdowns.

    Emerald’s defense has 59 TFLS and 17 sacks. Senior defensive end Tyrell Cloud has over a third of the TFLs with 20. Junior defensive end Rykevious Lyles has seven TFLs, and junior defensive tackle Jeremiah Johnson has six.

    Cloud is the sacks leader with 6 ½ to go with 11 hurries, while Lyles has four sacks. Junior linebacker Hayden Doerflein is the tackles leader with 82.

Northwestern (5-1) at Dorman (6-0)

 It’s another week, another game against a highly-ranked team for Northwestern. The 5-1 Trojans will be traveling to Roebuck to take on undefeated Dorman in a key Region 2-AAAAA showdown.

    NHS, the 2-time defending AAAAA

Division II state champion, has knocked off two then-undefeated teams in Berkeley and Boiling Springs and one once-beaten team in South Pointe over the past three games. Not only has Northwestern won the games, it has done so in dominant fashion.

    The Trojans went on the road to beat Berkeley 67-21 before going across town in Rock Hill to beat defending AAAA state champion South Pointe 56-21. They opened region play last week with a 58-3 win over Boiling Springs.

    The Cavaliers are 6-0 and 1-0 in region play and are ranked third in the HSSR AAAAA poll. NHS is right behind at No. 4.

    Senior Shrine Bowl quarterback Xavier Means is having an outstanding season. The East Carolina commitment has completed 79 of 108 passes for 1,356 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 379 yards and five scores on 64 carries.

    Senior Daylen Shankle is the leading rusher with 478 yards and five TDs on 66 carries.

    Senior Malik Ratliff is the leading receiver with 26 catches for 434 yards and eight touchdowns. Senior Payton Vining has 18 catches for 413 yards and five scores, while senior Kadin Vassel has 17 receptions for 225 yards and one touchdown.

    Shrine Bowl inebacker KJ Burg leads the defense.

    Dorman handed a team its first loss of the season last week as well, beating region foe Fort Mill 28-24. The Cavaliers are led by senior running back Nick Means, senior wide receiver Dai’shion Watkins-Hymes and junior quarterback Cooper Patterson. The defense is led by Shrine Bowl defensive lineman James Porter.

Berkeley (5-1) at Carolina Forest (5-1)

    While there will still be work to be done, the winner of this game will put itself in position to win the Region 6-AAAAA title. Berkeley and Carolina Forest are both 5-1 overall and 1-0 in region, the only teams in the 6-team region above .500.

    The Stags, who are ranked sixth in the HSSR AAAAA poll, are led by senior quarterback Henry Rivers. He has completed 85 of 142 passes for 1,213 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for a team high 467 yards and five touchdowns on 61 carries.

    Berkeley has three others who are big contributors to the rushing attack. Junior Bryson McGee has 391 yards and three scores, senior LJ Washington has 200 yards and four TDs, and junior Rashad Davis has 186 yards and four touchdowns.

    Senior Malik Callen is the leading receiver with 18 catches for 286 yards and three scores. McGee has 17 for 190 yards, junior Elijah Mitchell has 16 for 322 yards and three TDs, and senior John Cleveland has 10 catches for 173 yards and three touchdowns.

    The Panthers opened region play last week with a 41-6 triumph over Goose Creek that wasn’t as close as it sounds. They led 41-0 at halftime.

    Running back Christian Bennett led the way for CF, running for four touchdowns. Quarterback Matthew Kellner and Brady McDowell connected on a 99-yard touchdown pass and had completions of 32 and 37 yards to set up two other scoring drives.

    Carolina Forest’s final touchdown came on a 30-yard interception return by

Haiden Collier.

Boiling Springs (5-1) at Rock Hill (5-1)

    Rock Hill responded to its first loss of the season with a 42-28 triumph over Spartanburg last week. The Bearcats will be playing host to Boiling Springs this week, which suffered its first loss of the season, of course, feeling the wrath of Northwestern.

    It was the Region 2-AAAAA opener for both teams. so if Boiling Springs wants a shot at a region title a victory is a must. The 5-1 Bulldogs are ranked fifth in the most recent HSSR AAAAA poll.

    A pair of seniors, Jalen Culp and Braiden Watkins, share the quarterback duties for Rock Hill, which is ranked ninth. Culp is 35 of 61 for 656 yards and three touchdowns, while Watkins is 21 of 30 for 384 yards and three scores.

    Watkins is much more of a running threat as he leads the Bearcats with 300 yards and three TDs on 25 carries. Senior Zymier Gorden-Miles has 200 yards and three touchdowns, and junior Devan Erby has 189 yards and a score.

    Senior Nigel Lightner is the leading receiver with 20 catches for 256 yards and a TD. Senior Myles Brooks has 10 catches for 363 yards and three touchdowns. There are seven other receivers with at least five catches.

    The Bulldogs are a run-first team, spreading the wealth among four players. Junior RJ Byrd has 236 yards and four scores on 38 carries, senior quarterback Imri Logan has 37 carries for 222 yards and six TDs, senior Kyron Tobler has 200 yards and two touchdowns on 50 carries, and sophomore Malik Wannamaker has 135 yards on 27 carries.

    Logan has completed 35 of 60 passes for 626 yards and six scores. Sophomore Deion Suber has 14 catches for 264 yards, senior Djay Leaker has 12 receptions for 156 yards and two scores, and sophomore Jaydn Jones has eight grabs for 188 yards and two TDs.

Lamar (5-1) at Cheraw (5-2)

    The winner of this game will put itself in a prime position to win the Region 5-Class A championship. Lamar, the defending Class A state runner-up, is 5-1 overall and 2-0 in region play. Cheraw is 3-0 in region play and 5-2 overall.

    They are in a battle for the region crown along with Central, which is 6-0 and 2-0. All three are ranked: Lamar is ranked second in the HSSR Class A Division II poll, while Central and Cheraw are ranked third and seventh, respectively, in the DI poll.

    The Braves’ two losses have come by a combined five points, 13-12 to AA Andrew Jackson High and 32-28 to AA Dillon. Sophomore quarterback Koni McDonald leads the offense. He has completed 60 of 98 passes for 1,096 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 121 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries.

    McDonald’s top target is senior Nick Gordon. He has 29 catches for 654 yards and seven TDs. Senior Derrick Isaac has 10 catches for 163 yards and one score, and Kamari Cue has eight grabs for 141 yards and a touchdown.

    Freshman Darryl Hersey is the leading rusher with 459 yards and five TDs on 92 carries.

    Lamar’s only loss came in its season opener, dropping a 19-14 decision to AAA Darlington. The Silver Foxes depend mainly on their running game, averaging 222.8 yards per game. Senior Jaquez Dargan was leading the way through five games with 405 yards and three touchdowns. Junior quarterback Jaylen Morris had 174 yards and four scores, senior Torin Carroway had 154 yards and one TD, and junior TJ Samuel 146 yards and one TD.

    Morris had completed 30 of 69 passes for 422 yards and six touchdowns. Junior Mont Williams had 13 catches for 275 yards and four scores.

    Gray Collegiate (3-4) at Sumter (4-3)

    The records aren’t what either of these teams came into the season hoping to have at this point. Gray Collegiate Academy is 3-4 while Sumter is 4-3.

    However, each one won its Region 4-AAAA opener. The winner of this game will put itself in position to likely do battle with Ridge View for the region crown.

    GCA piles up the yards on offense, passing for 216.9 yards a game and rushing for 208.0 yards. War Eagles sophomore quarterback Xavier Wright throws 25 passes a game, completing 96 of 175 passe for 1,518 yards and eight touchdowns.

    Senior Corey Gleaton is the top pass catcher with 30 for 574 yards and four TDs. Senior Shrine Bowl selection Royce Williamson has 19 catches for 262 yards and three scores, sophomore David Quattlebaum has 16 receptions for 221 yards, Trevon Williamson has 12 grabs for 204 yards and a touchdown, and senior Jhais McKiever has 12 receptions for 174 yards.

    Trevon Williamson is the leading rusher with 839 yards and nine scores on 120 carries.

    The Gamecocks average less than 10 passes a game but make up for it by rushing for 297 yards a game.

    Freshman Jamarion Witherspoon has 713 yards and eight TDs on 79 carries, while junior Reggie Shannon has 644 yards and 10 touchdowns on 111 carries. Senior quarterback Franklin Richardson, who has Power 4 conference offers but has been hampered by injuries, has 302 yards and five TDs, and Cleveland Pinkney III has 190 yards and a touchdown.

    Hilton Head Christian (6-1) at Bethesda (4-1)

        Bethesda Academy is ranked No. 1 in the SCISA AAA poll with a 4-1 record, while Hilton Head Christian Academy is 6-1 and ranked second in AAA.

    This will be the Region 2 opener for both teams so it won’t decide the region title. Also, another region team is 6-1 First Baptist, which is 1-0 in region play and ranked fourth in AAA.

    The Blazers, who are the defending AA state champions but moved to AAA via reclassification, are led by junior quarterback Jordan Turner. He’s averaging 120.2 rushing yards per game, picking up 601 yards and scoring nine times on 42 carries. He’s completed 62 of 103 passes for 11 scores and 910 yards.

    Senior Zhyir Witcher leads in receiving with 18 catches for 280 yards and one TD. Senior Dezrin Davis and Senior MJ Scott both have 13 catches, Davis for 147 yards and a touchdown and Scott for 253 yards and five scores.

    Junior Jeffrey Armstrong has 238 and four scores on 35 carries.

    Like Bethesda, HHCA’s offense revolves around its quarterback. Kres Langhals has completed 73 of 119 passes for 1,297 yards and 16 TDs while rushing for 527 yards and six touchdowns on 75 carries.

    Langhals spreads the wealth among four receivers. Senior Jackson Richardson leads the way with 23 receptions for 489 yards and eight TDS, Joseph Houpt has 21 catches for 382 yards and five scores, and junior Sam Strum has 13 catches for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Wes Langhals, Kres’ younger brother, has 12 receptions for 165 yards and a score.

Northwood (5-2) at Pinewood Prep (7-0)

    The winner of this game will put itself in position to win Region 2-AAAA. Northwood Academy is 5-2 and ranked third in the HSSR AAAA poll. Pinewood Prep is undefeated in seven games and ranked second.

`   Like HHCA and Bethesda, these two teams are driven by their quarterbacks. NA, the defending AAAA champ, is led by senior Kevin Johnson. He’s hit on 80 of 148 passes for 1,292 yards and 17 touchdowns.

    Senior Silas Brawner sets the pace for the Panthers, who are the defending AAA champions. He has tossed 28 touchdown passes and thrown for 2,193 yards, completing 120 of 175 passes.

    Senior Drew Wolfe has 29 catches for 11 touchdowns and 700 yards to lead Northwood. Junior Scott Geisel has 22 receptions for 232 yards and one score.

    Pinewood has four players with at least 19 catches, led by senior Tre Green with 40 receptions for 765 yards and 10 scores. Senior Lavoris Lucas has 28 catches for 711 and 13 scores, senior Heyward Moore has 20 grabs for 345 yards and five TDs, and sophomore Colten Fuller has 19 catches for 240 yards.

    Both teams can run the football as well. The Chargers are led by senior Michael Polite. He has 751 yards and eight TDs on 132 totes. Pinewood is led by sophomore Jeremy Kendall with 473 yards and eight scores. Senior Grayson Salego isn’t far behind with 398 yards and six scores.