SCHL playoffs: South Florence holds off Irmo; Dutch Fork rallies

Rounding up all of the South Carolina football state semifinal playoff action

South Florence held off Irmo 28-21 for its 29th consecutive win and Dutch Fork rallied from nine points down with 2:21 remaining in SCHSL semifinal action Friday night.

There were 10 games played across the five classifications as pairings for the state championship games were decided. Here is what happened.

Class 5-A

White Knoll 21, Summerville 14

Tiyon Fanning ran for a pair of touchdowns and quarter Landon Sharpe ran for another as the undefeated Timberwolves advance to the title against defending champion Dutch Fork.

White Knoll (14-0) led 14-0 at halftime as Sharpe threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Earl and Fanning scored on a 4-yard run.

The Green Wave (13-1) cut the lead in half on Trae Green’s 3-yard run but White Knoll responded with Sharpe’s 3-yard keeper.

Jaden Cummings threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Yannick Smith as the Green Wave got back within a touchdown. But they couldn’t get any closer.

Dutch Fork 31, J.L. Mann 30

Justin Welch kicked a 39-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give Dutch Fork a stunning victory and the opportunity to repeat as state champions.

It seemed unlikely when J.L. Mann led 30-21 with 2:21 left. But the Silver Foxes (9-5) drew within two on Jon Hunt’s touchdown pass to Boykin Bickley. Dutch Fork’s defense forced a three-and-out and Jayden Westbrook’s 35-yard punt return put the Silver Foxes in position to win.

J.L. Mann wide receiver Mikel McClellan had 14 catches for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Class 4-A

South Florence 28, Irmo 21

Sy’Ree Livingston ran for a pair of touchdowns and 143 yards in the first quarter as defending state champion South Florence jumped to a big early lead before holding on for a 28-21 win over Irmo.

The Bruins (14-0) were up 28-7 after offensive lineman Justin ran 15 yards with a recovered fumble and Zion Gilbert scored on a 45-yard run.

Irmo (13-1) rallied and got within seven on A.J. Brand’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Murph.

South Florence lineman Barry McLaughlin (55) lifts quarterback Sy'Ree Livingston in celebration after one of Livingston's two touchdown runs in the Bruins' 28-21 win over Irmo

Westside 42, Greenville 35 (OT)

Tank Boston caught two touchdown passes and had an overtime interception in the end zone to preserve victory. Josh Williams also had two touchdown receptions. Cutter Woods threw four touchdown passes.

Greenville forced overtime when Bryson Drummond threw a touchdown pass to Carmello Canty with 54 seconds remaining.

Westside (13-1) faces defending champion South Florence for the state title.

Class 3-A

Camden 46, Brookland-Cayce 30

Quarterback Grayson White ran for four touchdowns and Averee Hickmon added two more as the Bulldogs advanced to the storied program’s 17th state title game. White threw for 309 yards and had 69 yards rushing.

Camden (11-3) will face Daniel in the state championship game. It will be the third time in five years that the two teams have played in the state title game.

Daniel 28, Belton-Honea Path 23

Kolton Chapman ran for a pair of touchdowns and threw for another as the undefeated Lions held on for a dramatic win.

The Bears had the ball at the Daniel 2 with a minute to go but turned it over on a fumble.
Class 2-A

Oceanside Collegiate Academy 42, Hampton County 21

The Landsharks were trailing 21-14 but roared back with 28 unanswered points to win going away and set up a state championship battle with Gray Collegiate.

Freshman quarterback Aiden Manavian threw four touchdown passes, with three coming in the third quarter.

C.J. Moskos caught a deflected pass and raced 87 yards to tie the score.

The Landsharks then took a 28-21 lead when Grayson Freeling scooped a blocked punt and returned it for a touchdown.

South Carolina high school football brackets: 2023 state playoffs scores, updates

OCA (11-2) extended its lead when Manavian threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Troy Brown after Hampton County fumbled the kickoff.

Manavian’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Will Virgilio made it 42-21 late in the third quarter.

OCA took an early 14-0 lead when Manavian threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Gaspar and Miles Robinson returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown.

Zion Dobson scored on runs of 1 and 6 yards in the second quarter as Hillcrest pulled even.

Hillcrest (12-2) took a 21-14 lead in the third quarter on Dobson’s 77-yard run.

Gray Collegiate Academy 27, Abbeville 12

Tyler Waller threw two touchdown passes while B.J. Montgomery had a rushing touchdown and returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown as the War Eagles (14-3) toppled the defending champions.

Abbeville had taken an early 6-0 lead when Demarcus Leach threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Karson Norman. Leach’s 80-yard touchdown run got Abbeville within 13-12 before Gray Collegiate pulled away.

Class 1-A

Christ Church 53, St. Joseph’s 20

Tucker Hendrix threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jackson Repp, who also had a touchdown run. Dashun Reeder added a pair of touchdown runs for the Cavaliers. Hendrix tossed a touchdown pass to Jude Hall and Hutch Paddock kicked a 46-yard field goal.

The defending champion Cavaliers (12-2) will take on Johnsonville in a rematch of last year’s title contest.

Johnsonville 20, Bamberg-Ehrhardt 10

Malik Shippy ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Flashes (11-2) rallied from a 10-0 deficit.

B-E had taken its lead on a 25-yard field goal by James McIntosh and Nick Folk’s 35-yard touchdown run.