It is officially state playoff time on both sides of the border this Friday when the South Carolina teams enter the second round and Georgia kicks off its first round of postseason action. While more than a dozen area teams prepare to attempt the ultimate feat of winning a state title, let’s take a moment to consider at least one trait for each of the area’s seven region championship teams that led to success at that level in this week’s survey of the “Best of the Best,” region championship edition.
Thomson Utilizes All of its Weapons
After dropping their opener to No. 6 Burke County (class 4A), the No. 4 ranked Bulldogs of Thomson blitzed the rest of their competition, scoring 43.9 points per game for the season en route to nine consecutive victories and a class 2A, region 4 championship. A layman like me would find it tempting to hand senior star rusher Jontavis Curry the ball on almost every snap because of his ability to do this:
But fifth year head coach Michael Youngblood has used all of the weapons at his disposal in developing the area’s most explosive offense. The Bulldogs average 397 yards of total offense per game, with roughly two-thirds of it coming on the ground and the rest through the air. Three players have accounted for greater than 10 touchdowns as sophomore Anthony Jeffery has rushed for 862 yards (8.5 per carry) and 16 touchdowns, and in nine games Curry has rushed for 748 yards (11.5 per carry) and 12 touchdowns to go along with 160 yards and a touchdown receiving.
Junior Jordan Lane has accounted for 652 yards and 11 touchdowns combining rushing and receiving. Junior quarterbacks Noah Story and Jah’kiaus Jones have combined to toss 13 touchdown passes, including five to senior receiver Marcellus Brigham, a dangerous vertical threat who averages 18 yards per reception.
Barnwell Bumrushed the Show
Tyler Smith’s assault on the rushing records this year has been as overwhelming as the offensive line that clears the way for him as the Warhorses have sailed through the schedule undefeated into the second round of the class 2A playoffs. We recounted the regular season statistics for the South Carolina Mr. Football candidate when Smith was awarded Best of the Best honors last week, and they’re worth repeating here: 2,262 yards (9.9 per carry) and 37 touchdowns in 10 games. No. 2 Barnwell is the only area team to make it this far without losing, and the sight of the six-foot-one and 207-pound Smith coming at you from the wishbone formation with nine blockers in front must put fear into the defenders in the way of a state championship for the Warhorses.
Strom Thurmond’s Defense Shows No Fear
One defensive unit I can’t imagine backing down in the class 2A playoffs is that of Strom Thurmond. It’s a good thing because in addition to Barnwell’s rushing machine, the field still includes No. 3 Abbeville, whose offensive explosion in the first round deserves mention because of its absurdity. The Panthers scored 70 points on 11 offensive plays in a 70-14 win over Columbia.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the Rebels, winners of nine straight and champion of class 2A region 3. Since the beginning of region play, Thurmond has allowed opponents a measly average of 149 yards and 6 points per game. The assault on Silver Bluff quarterback Maleik Williams was complete in the team’s 17-7 region championship game win two weeks ago.
Harlem’s Strength in Numbers
Harlem’s 34-17 class 2A, region 4 championship game road win over Morgan County Friday proved that when it comes to the Bulldogs’ offense, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. Harlem’s first region championship since 1974, a 9-1 regular season record and a 5-0 sprint through region play was punctuated when the Bulldogs out-gained Morgan County, who also entered the season finale with a 4-0 region record, 447 to 235.
Third year head coach Mark Boiter told WJBF after Harlem’s 17-14 win over Hephzibah that he was confident the team’s commitment to the run would create opportunities in the passing game. He was right, and who knew that would be the last time Boiter’s Bulldogs would be challenged in region play? Harlem went on a 34-3 run during Friday’s win in Madison by employing the same philosophy Boiter had described weeks earlier.
Senior Jason Williams rushed 30 times for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns, and with the defense intensely focused on stopping Williams, both of Harlem’s quarterbacks and their receiving corps had a field day. Starting QB Ryan Newman completed 8 of 11 passes for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns. And backup Ethan Evangelista ran for 62 yards and passed for another 35 yards and a touchdown to Jackson Rockefeller.
Both of Newan’s touchdown tosses went to Johnathan Howard, a unique talent on the perimeter who caught 4 passes for 100 yards in the win. Newman also made a key conversion on third-and-ten in the third quarter when he connected with Keundris Williams on a 62-yard bomb. And with all due respect to the officials, the WRDW camera person and I agreed on Friday that Newman and Williams were robbed of one more touchdown completion when this pass was ruled incomplete.
North Augusta Has Been Tested
Speaking of offensive balance and using the running game to set up a passing attack, North Augusta’s offense has used a similar blueprint as Harlem to earn a class 4A, region 4 title as well as a first round playoff win Friday.
Like Jason Williams for Harlem, North Augusta’s featured back DJ Curry has rushed for 100 yards or more in every game except for one.
And Georgia Tech commit Colson Brown excels at reading defenses and delivering the ball on time and on target to receivers like Taylon Washington and Braelin Jackson.
Historic Lincoln County Program Back on Track
The reemergence of Lincoln County as a playoff contender was signaled this season when the Red Devils finished 8-2 overall and sailed through class 1A (Division II), region 8 with a 5-0 record and a region championship. After a key 28-24 victory over Aquinas, third year head coach Lee Chomskis told the Georgia High School Football Daily Newsletter that during his first season in charge only 25 players tried out for football. It’s an understatement to call that a surprise for the third all time winningest program in Georgia.
But Chomskis went on to say that the numbers have since doubled, and underclassmen would be wise to follow the example of team leader Trey Huff. From the quarterback position, Huff has accounted for 971 yards and 12 touchdowns, and on defense he is second on the team in total tackles (97) and tackles for loss (5).
The Red Devils are a good bet to continue to revert to their winning ways after this season because key contributors like junior Semaj Jenkins (11 rushing and 3 receiving touchdowns), sophomore Christian Crite (114 tackles and 8 tackles for loss) and freshman Mekhi Wade (4 touchdowns) will return.
Being Great at One Thing is Better than Being Average in All Things
Despite struggling with injuries and numbers, Wagener-Salley was able to win its first class 1A, region 4 championship since 2019 as senior Cam Davis piled up the rushing yards to set a school record in the category. The clinching win came in the season’s final week when the War Eagles posted 52 points in a win over Calhoun County, which had spent almost the entire season ranked in the top 10. Davis rushed for 276 yards in the victory and Wagener-Salley piled up 492 yards as a team on the ground without completing a single pass. Why complicate things needlessly, I suppose.
Follow Chad Cook’s coverage of local sports on Facebook and Instagram at @AugustaPressSports, and on Twitter at @AugPressSports.
