Brookland-Cayce rolls in playoffs opener. Dutch Fork, AC Flora among local winners
Not having two of its top players didn’t slow down Brookland-Cayce in its playoff opener Friday night.
Naahzeikial Mays rushed for four touchdowns as the Bearcats defeated Hanahan 36-7 in the first round of the Class 3A football playoffs. B-C will travel to Dillon next week for the second round.
“We’ve got players that are willing to step up,” Mays said. “When one man goes down, the next man steps up and keeps the horses going.”
It was the second-straight year the two teams have met in the playoffs. Last year, the Bearcats defeated the Hawks, 28-27, after Hanahan missed a game-tying extra-point.
Brookland-Cayce played Friday night’s game with starting quarterback Tanner Staton (shoulder) and running back Deshaun Washington (ankle). The two suffered injuries late in last week’s loss to Gilbert.
But B-C wasn’t unprepared without Staton, an Elon commit who missed a game earlier this season. Bearcats coach Rusty Charpia began planning for this kind of scenario during the season, shifting toward a more run-oriented attack if something were to happen to Staton.
“We started working on this package that we did a few years ago with Will Way,” Charpia said. “It is not difficult to teach. It is a lot of blocking down, kicking out and misdirection. … We have very good package and coach (Chris) Wright coming from Airport to coach the offensive line has done a tremendous job. He has got the kids being very physical.”
The Bearcats backs and offensive line executed well in Friday’s playoff win. Will Young scored on the first play of the game on a 59-yard touchdown run.
Mays then scored three of his four touchdowns in the first half to give the Bearcats a 28-7 lead. He finished with 163 yards on 14 carries.
Hanahan’s lone touchdown came on a kickoff return.
——Class 5A——
Dutch Fork 56, Mauldin 0
Quarterback Aliam Appler and running back Jarvis Green had big nights to help the Silver Foxes to win in the first round of the playoffs. Dutch Fork will host Dorman next week.
Appler threw for 193 yards, ran for 61 and had four total touchdowns. Green, the Mr. Football finalist, rushed for 151 yards, two touchdowns and caught five passes for 102 yards and a score.
Dutch Fork outgained Mauldin 558-104 and has three shutouts in its last five games. The Silver Foxes had five sacks in the game.
Blythewood 40, Boiling Springs 0
Chris Thomas had a touchdown catch and returned a punt for a score as the Bengals picked up their 10th win of the season. They will host Byrnes in the second round next week.
It is first time Blythewood has won 10 games in a season since 2007.
Quarterback Harrison Collins also threw two touchdown passes. Ryan Hart kicked a school-record four field goals and Deondre Williams had a TD run. The Bengals held Boiling Springs to 62 yards of offense.
Lexington 45, Wando 0
Quarterback Taiden Mines threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats won their playoff opener. Lexington will travel to Summerville next week.
Kmadi Maxwell caught 5 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown, and running back Jonah Norris rushed for 97 yards and a TD. Lexington’s defense held Wando to 74 yards.
TL Hanna 36, White Knoll 35
Keghan Cole returned an interception for a touchdown with 6:34 left to give Hanna a come-from-behind win over White Knoll.
White Knoll led 35-23 going into the fourth quarter but couldn’t hold on in the upset attempt.
The Timberwolves had a chance to win and got down to the 20-yard line. But after a 15-yard penalty backed WK up, it turned the ball over downs at the TLH 37-yard line.
Landon Sharpe threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns for White Knoll but was picked off four times. Hasan Lee had eight catches for 154 yards and a TD, and Austin Cunningham caught eight passes for 103 passes and two scores for WK.
Sumter 33, Chapin 14
Chapin jumped out to a 14-0 early lead but couldn’t hold on in the first-round loss. John Peoples had four touchdowns to lead the Gamecocks.
Quarterback Brady Albro had a TD pass to Zion Wallace, and Nathan Beerman had a TD run for the Eagles.
Carolina Forest 42, River Bluff 28
Scott Saylor threw for 270 yards and five touchdowns as the Panthers defeated the Gators. Carolina Forest had 516 yards off offense.
River Bluff running back Cooper Johns had 167 yards and a TD. Quarterback Parker Murray threw for 160 yards and two scores. One of the TDs went to Blaine Blose, who finished with five catches for 104 yards and a TD.
JL Mann 33, Spring Valley 21
Zion Fuller had two touchdown runs and Evan Javis had one in the loss for the Vikings.
——Class 4A——
AC Flora 49, Wilson 14
The unbeaten Falcons broke open a close game in the second half to advance in the postseason. AC Flora will host Hartsville next week.
The Falcons outscored the Tigers, 35-7, in the second half. Running back Markel Townsend ran for three touchdowns and caught a TD pass. Chris Lofton and Donovan Pettus also had TDs.
Irmo 14, North Myrtle Beach 7
AJ Brand hit Telvin Smith with the go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter in the Yellow Jackets win. Irmo is at James Island next week.
Brand finished with two TD passes, the other to Eric Tucker in the first quarter.
West Florence 52, Lugoff-Elgin 27
Darren Lloyd rushed for 360 yards and five touchdowns as the Knights ended the Demons’ season.
Sky Harter rushed for 121 yards and two TDs for L-E, which jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
South Florence 61, Richland Northeast 18
The top-ranked Bruins scored 35 points in the first quarter to eliminate the Cavaliers.
SF quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw five touchdowns in the win. Sophomore Will Wilson tossed a pair of TDs for RNE.
——Class 3A——
Camden 29, Loris 2
Quarterback Grayson White threw for three touchdowns, two to Cortez Lane in the Bulldogs’ win. Camden will host Lower Richland next week.
White threw for 112 yards and rushed for 91. Avaree Hickmon rushed for 122 yards and a TD.
Gilbert 49, Battery Creek 0
Alias Graham-Woodberry and Jaden Allen-Hendrix each had two touchdowns in the Indians’ victory. Gilbert will host Manning in the second round next week.
Drake Braddock and Chance Jennings each had TD passes for the Indians, who led 42-0 at halftime. Braddock finished with 148 yards passing and Jennings also caught five passes for 73 yards.
Lower Richland 35, Philip Simmons 21
The Diamond Hornets picked up the road playoff win and will travel to Camden next week.
Lamarion Pearson had two TD runs, while Marcus Smith and Trevon Benson each had one. Nate Branch returned an interception for a touchdown.
——Class 2A——
Gray Collegiate 54, Fox Creek 0
BJ Montgomery ran for 90 yards and three touchdowns in the War Eagles’ first-round win. Gray hosts Saluda next week.
Blaine Redmond rushed for 100 yards and threw a TD. Zai Offord also had a 90-yard kickoff return for a score.
Saluda 43, Liberty 7
Drew Arant threw for five touchdowns in the Tigers’ victory.
Arant was 12-of-14 passing for 204 yards in the game. Tyleke Mathis led Saluda with three catches, all for touchdowns and 92 yards receiving. Zion Wright caught a TD pass and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Keenan 62, Landrum 29
The Raiders picked up the win on the road and will travel to Strom Thurmond next week.
Fairfield Central 28, Ninety-Six 7
The Griffins moved on in the playoffs and will travel to Silver Bluff next week.
Newberry 30, Batesburg-Leesville 20
Bryce Satterwhite threw a TD pass and O’Dareon Robinson and BJ Jones had TD runs in the Bulldogs’ playoff win.
Newberry is at Abbeville next week
——Class A——
CA Johnson 35, Ridge Spring Monetta 12
Quarterback Caleb Pearson accounted for five touchdowns as the Green Hornets advanced in the playoffs. CAJ is at Wagener-Salley next week.
——SCISA——
Hammond 49 Augusta Christian 7
Quarterback Dylan Richardson threw for 213 yards, two touchdowns and rushed for a TD in the Skyhawks playoff win. Hammond hosts Porter-Gaud in the semifinals next week.
Aidan Canzater rushed for 101 yards and a TD. William Hudson and Omari Bennett had TD receptions.
Trinity Collegiate 28, Ben Lippen 21
Carter Hardee’s TD run with 5:14 left helped the Titans knock off the second-seeded Falcons.
Taevian Copney had two touchdown runs and Dobson Ricks a TD pass for Ben Lippen.
Porter-Gaud 20, Heathwood Hall 17 (OT)
Heathwood had the ball first in OT and scored on William Frick’s field goal, but Porter-Gaud scored on a TD run on its first possession of overtime for the win.
The Highlanders trailed 14-7 with 1:51 left but tied it up on Patrick Belk’s 60-yard TD pass to Thompson Dubose. Belk had two TD passes to Dubose in the game.
Laurence Manning 28, Cardinal Newman 14
South Carolina baseball commit Tyler June had 257 yards of offense and three touchdowns in helping LMA over Cardinal Newman in the SCISA 4A playoffs.
Cardinal Newman quarterback Duncan Skehan had a TD pass to Jalil Garvin-Mingo.
