This Saturday, the top senior football players in the area will square off in Border Bowl IX. The event, presented by WJBF News Channel 6, has become one of the premier sports events in the CSRA.
The game pits the top players from Georgia against the best South Carolina has to offer in a “Battle for the Paddle.” Last year’s game had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, so this will be the first time the game is played since Team South Carolina rallied to top Team Georgia 23-20 in 2020.
MORE: Ashley Brown selects his all-area high school football team
That day, Saluda Quarterback Noah Bell threw for a Border Bowl-record 249 yards and 3 TDs as Team South Carolina erased a 20-10 deficit to pick up South Carolina’s fourth consecutive win in the series. They lead the all-time series record 5-2 over Team Georgia.
Both teams are brimming with talent this year. Team Georgia will feature talented quarterbacks in Brooks Pangle (Greenbrier) and Dalen Cobb (Washington-Wilkes). In two seasons as a starter, Pangle threw for over 5,600 yards and 52 touchdowns.
Cobb was The Augusta Press Player of The Year for the entire CSRA. He accounted for 38 touchdowns (17 passing and 21 rushing) this season. On defense, Team Georgia will have one of the top defensive backs in the Peach State in Westside standout Kaleb Hutchinson. Hutchinson has a nose for the football and seems to always make a play when his team needs it. The versatile safety has signed to play at Coastal Carolina.
Team South Carolina is equally loaded for Saturday’s contest. Quarterback Rem Leaphart of Ridge Spring-Monetta is certainly someone to watch on offense. This season, he threw for over 2,200 yards and notched 26 passing touchdowns. He rushed for another 10 scores.
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Defensively, Silver Bluff’s Jaden McCleod is someone Team Georgia will need to account for. This season, he piled up an astounding 33 tackles for loss. If the game is close, Team South Carolina may have an advantage thanks to North Augusta’s Drew Stevens. The Iowa signee had six field goals of 40 yards or more, including two successful kicks of more than 50 yards.
The game will be broadcast live on WJBF News Channel 6. However, they expect a large crowd in person as well. Come out and support these terrific athletes as they officially complete their high school careers. On top of getting a chance to see these promising young athletes perform, all proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Here are all the event details:
WJBF’s Border Bowl IX
Coaches: Team Georgia – Lyle Burns (ARC)
Team South Carolina – Derek Youngblood (Barnwell)
When: Saturday, Jan. 8. Kickoff at 1 p.m. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. Pre-Game at 12:25 p.m.
Where: Lucy C. Laney Memorial Stadium. 1339 Laney-Walker Blvd. Augusta, Ga.
Admission: $10
Children age 5 and under get in free
Purchase Tickets: wjbf.com/BORDERBOWL
And here is a look at the rosters:
Team Georgia Roster
QB 14 Brooks Pangle, Greenbrier
QB 7 Dalen Cobb, Washington-Wilkes
QB/WR/DB 10 Tay Martin, Thomson
RB 24 Joe Hampton, Evans
RB 33 Tylik Gilmore, Washington County
RB 42 Dax Reese, Briarwood
RB/LB 29 Tevin Gartrell, Lincoln County
RB/DL 19 Ivan Arroyo, Burke County
RB/LB 16 CJ Zellars, Lincoln County
LB 21 Joc Albright, ARC
WR 17 Maurice Freeman, ARC
WR 36 Davin Driskell, Greenbrier
WR 9 AJ Hagans Washington, County
OL 75 Keith Moss, Burke County
OL 50 Trey Morris, Evans
OL 54 Amari Wilcher, Jefferson County
OL 52 Donald Owens, Lincoln County
OL 77 Daijuan Kendrick, Thomson
OL 66 Justin Brett, Washington County
OL 64 Timothy Hill, Westside
OL 79 Charles Phillips, Westside
OL/RB 55 Khelton Ingram, Washington County
OL/DL 49 Flip Carswell, Washington County
K 1 Connor Askew, Thomson
DL 68 Vandre Thomas, Harlem
DL 48 Kevin Sapp, Lakeside
DL 44 Michael Boyd, Screven County
DL 74 O’Marion Jackson, Warren County
DL 39 Charles Dawson, Westside
LB 12 Richard Edwards, Aquinas
LB 20 Quan Rogers, Thomson
LB 32 Jo’Vares Harden, Washington-Wilkes
DB 3 Paul Reed, ARC
DB 4 Rashad Myers, Warren County
DB 5 Kaleb Hutchinson, Westside
DB 6 Demetrius Williams, Hephzibah
P 2 Brett Sterner, Harlem
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Team South Carolina Roster
QB 9 Rem Leaphart, Ridge Spring-Monetta
QB 10 Weston Sandifer, Barnwell
RB 36 Montrevious Baker, Saluda
RB 19 Trenton “TJ” Williams, Jr., Denmark-Olar
RB 14 Darius Dixon, Silver Bluff
RB 4 Mario Jones, Barnwell
WR 30 Nicholas Brown, Silver Bluff
WR 8 Adam Bussey, Augusta Christian
WR 15 A’Jani Mainer, Midland Valley
WR 12 Bret Smith, Ridge Spring-Monetta
WR 17 Mikeal Sullivan, Augusta Christian
WR 1 Chandler O’Bannon, Fox Creek
Athlete 44 Amah-Dre Leaphart, Batesburg-Leesville
OL 58 Connor Barton, Silver Bluff
OL 60 Christian Draper, Bamberg-Ehrhardt
OL 64 Corey Heath, Silver Bluff
OL 66 Noah Patterson, Strom Thurmond
OL 68 Jerome Simmons, Bamberg-Ehrhardt
OL/RB 5 Chase Tillman, North Augusta
OL 77 Nick Williams, Fox Creek
OL 74 Austin Turek, Barnwell
K 32 Drew Stevens, North Augusta
DL 48 Jaden McLeod, Silver Bluff
DL 39 DJ Simmons, Aiken
DL 75 Jamari Stroman, Wagener-Salley
DL 54 Britten Sturkie, Barnwell
DL 55 Michael Torres, South Aiken
DL 50 Quincey Wells, Fox Creek
DL 52 Chris Wilson, Blackville-Hilda
LB 33 Quincy Bias, Bamberg-Ehrhardt
LB 3 Zack Blackwell, Augusta Christian
LB 42 Jake Burch, Augusta Christian
LB 31 De’Maurion Ginn, South Aiken
LB 29 Javarious Stevens, Saluda
DB 18 Willie Felder, Denmark-Olar
DB 2 Simeon Henry, South Aiken
DB 20 Bryce Washington ,Williston-Elko
DB 23 Dontavious Whitfield, South Aiken
DB 24 Zaden Davis, Silver Bluff
Honorary Jack Greenway, North Augusta
Injured Dakota Hammett,* Barnwell
Ashley Brown covers sports for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Ashley.brown@theaugustapress.com
