SCHSL 4A 1st Round
South Pointe 63, Beaufort 13
Any hopes that the Eagles’ defense could keep them in the game were dashed when South Pointe returned two punts for touchdowns en route to a 28-0 lead after one quarter and kept the pedal down on offense. South Pointe quarterback J’Zavien Currence, the top recruit in the state and a South Carolina commit, was 10-for-16 for 173 yards and three touchdowns and added 103 yards on four carries with a 73-yard touchdown run. The Stallions’ defensive front brought the heat all night, racking up 16 tackles for loss and five sacks and forcing Braydon Moyd-Smalls into two interceptions.
SCHSL 3A 1st Round
Loris 59, Battery Creek 19
The Dolphins were no match for the undefeated Lions, who forced four turnovers and converted short fields into touchdowns early and often. Zamire Gerald threw a pair of touchdown passes and rushed for two scores, and Makel Stephens racked up 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Loris, which led 56-12 at halftime.
SCHSL 2A 1st Round
Philip Simmons 57, Whale Branch 12
Miscues in the kicking game derailed a quick start for the Warriors, and Omonte Taylor and the Iron Horses’ ground game got rolling to help Philip Simmons plow past Whale Branch for the second time this season. Whale Branch grabbed a quick 6-0 lead as the teams traded scores early, but the Warriors’ next two possessions ended in disaster, as the Iron Horses blocked a punt and returned it for a score and returned another punt for a touchdown. Philip Simmons took over from there with Taylor piling up 130 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries.
SCISA 3A 1st Round
Florence Christian 28, John Paul II 12
A sluggish start doomed the Golden Warriors on the road, as Florence Christian pounced on a pair of first-half interceptions and a blocked punt to jump out to a 21-0 halftime lead and held off JPII’s second-half rally. The Golden Warriors found a rhythm in the second half behind strong efforts from Jadon Inabinett and Merrick Baroni, who each found the end zone. The defense tightened up as well, allowing only seven points after the break, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.
SCISA 1A 1st Round
Dorchester Academy 36, Beaufort Academy 20
The postseason rematch went much like the regular-season original, as the Eagles traded punches for much of the night before John Whetsell and the Raiders’ power running game wore them down. BA pulled within a score at 22-14 in the third quarter, but the Eagles couldn’t get enough stops down the stretch, sending Dorchester into a semifinal matchup at Colleton Prep.
— LowcoSports.com
