The State’s best: Meet the 2022 all-area high school Midlands football team
A look at The State’s all-area football team from Midlands-area high schools for the 2022 season.
Top honors
The State’s Offensive Player of Year: Jarvis Green, Dutch Fork
Offensive Player of Year (Fan Vote): Cooper Johns, River Bluff
The State’s Co-Defensive Players of Year: Edward Robinson, Blythewood; and Xzavier McLeod, Camden
Defensive Player of Year (Fan Vote): Jordan Smith, Gilbert
First Team
——Offense——
▪ Quarterbacks
AJ Brand, Irmo: Sophomore was Class 4A all-state selection and had more than 2,400 yards of offense and 25 total touchdowns.
Cam McMillion, QB, Fairfield Central: Freshman was Class 2A all-state selection after throwing for 3,319 yards and 33 touchdowns. He completed 59% of his passes on the season.
Hernandez O’Neal, QB, Keenan: Senior all-state selection completed 69% of passes for 2,874 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also ran for 983 yards and eight touchdowns.
Taiden Mines, Lexngton: Junior was Class 5A all-state selection. He completed 69% of his passes for 2,240 yards and 23 touchdowns. Mines also rushed for 397 yards and six scores.
Grayson White, Camden: Junior was a Class 3A all-state selection and completed 62% of his passes for 2,157 yards and 20 TDs. White also rushed for 887 yards and 13 TDs.
▪ Running backs
Jaden Allen-Hendrix, Gilbert: Junior was Class 3A all-state honorable mention, was second on team with 1,610 yards rushing and had team-high 26 touchdowns. He also had 271 yards receiving, three touchdowns.
Alias Graham-Woodberry, Gilbert: Senior was Class 3A all-state selection and led the team with 1,801 yards rushing and was second with 22 touchdowns.
Jarvis Green, RB, Dutch Fork: Senior was Region 4-5A Player of Year, all-state selection and Mr. Football finalist. He finished his career as the school’s second-leading rusher of all time. This season, he rushed for 2,272 yards, 33 touchdowns and also caught 36 passes for 527 yards and six scores plus returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. Signed to play at Clemson.
Cooper Johns, RB, River Bluff: Senior was 5A all-state selection and Region 4-5A Offensive Player of the Year. He rushed for 1,871 yards, 25 total touchdowns and 2,157 all-purpose yards.
Jonah Norris, RB, Lexington: Senior running back was 5A all-state selection and Mr. Football finalist. He had 2,059 all-purpose yards, including 1,950 rushing and 27 total touchdowns this season.
Markel Townsend, RB, AC Flora: Senior was 4A all-state selection, Richland County Mr. Football winner and rushed for 2,660 yards and 40 touchdowns. He also caught two touchdown passes and threw one. Committed to Lehigh.
▪ Receivers
Zion Agnew, Ridge View: Senior was Class 4-A all-state and Shrine Bowl selection. Led Blazers with 53 catches for 870 yards and 10 TDs. Signed to play at East Carolina.
Mekhi Campfield, Lower Richland: Senior was Class 3A all-state and Shrine Bowl selection. Campfield led the team with 57 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns.
TyDarian Greer, Fairfield Central: Sophomore was Class 2A all-state selection and led the team with 73 catches for 1,110 yards and nine touchdowns. He also rushed for 320 yards and four touchdowns.
Tyleke Mathis, Saluda: Senior was Class 2A all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. Mathis caught 39 passes for 634 yards, nine touchdowns and also rushed for 767 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Kmadi Maxwell, Lexington: Senior was Class 5A all-state selection and led the team with 54 catches, 935 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Deon Tyler, Blythewood: Senior was Class 5A all-state selection and caught 35 passes for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns.
▪ Tight End
Tracy Stephens, Ridge View: Senior was Class 4A all-state selection and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. Signed to play at Marshall.
▪ Offensive Line
Jacob Beasley, Dutch Fork: First-team Class 4A all-state selection
Tyrell Brown, Newberry: Class 2A Upper State lineman of the year by SC Football Coaches Association.
Blake Cooke, Gilbert: Senior was first-team all-state and picked for Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl
Ben Holmes, AC Flora: Senior was all-state selection and signed to play at Wofford.
Kendarious Kinard, AC Flora: Class 4A Lower State State lineman of the year by SC Football Coaches Association. Signed to play at Charleston Southern.
Ryan McFarland, Lexington: Region 4-5A Lineman of Year and all-state selection.
Elijah Radden, Gray Collegiate: Senior was 2A all-state selection and picked to play in Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl.
Patrick Swygert, Batesburg-Leesville: Senior was Class 2A all-state selection
▪ Athlete
Nate Branch, Lower Richland: Senior was Class 3A all-state selection, Lower State Back of Year and played in Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl. Branch had 26 catches for 551 yards, four touchdowns. He also had 23 tackles and an interception on defense.
Apollos Cook, Airport: Senior was Class 4A all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. Cook caught 40 passes for 785 yards, seven touchdowns and also had 15 tackles, four pass break-ups on defense. Signed to play at Duke.
Noah Jennings, Westwood: Senior was Class 4A all-state and Shrine Bowl selection. Jennings caught 36 passes for 641 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 16 tackles and two interceptions on defense.
Chris Lofton, AC Flora: Senior caught 54 passes for 804 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 15 tackles, eight pass break-ups, interception and also averaged more than 25 yards per return on kickoffs and punts. Signed with James Madison.
Nazahekial Mays, Brookland-Cayce: Senior rushed for 1,274 yards and 17 touchdowns and had six pass break-ups. Committed to play at North Greenville.
Dawan Rice, CA Johnson: Senior rushed for 1,113 yards, 15 touchdowns, caught 22 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns. On defense, he had 47 tackles and eight sacks.
——Defense——
▪ Defensive Line
David Copley, Camden: Senior was all-state selection and led Camden with 19 sacks, 19 quarterback pressures, 31 tackles for loss to go along with 68 tackles.
Max Drag, Chapin: Senior was all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. Drag had 35 tackles, seven for loss and three sacks. Signed with Appalachian State.
Damonti Garrett, Lower Richland: Senior was Class 3A all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. Garrett had a team-high 75 tackles and seven sacks.
Shymeik Jones, Camden: Senior was an all-state and Shrine Bowl selection. Jones had 41 tackles, seven sacks, 14 quarterback pressures and 13 tackles for loss. Signed with Georgia Tech.
Dakota Jordan, Dutch Fork: Junior was Class 5A all-state selection and had 62 tackles, 13 for loss and six tackles this season.
Xzavier McLeod, Camden: Senior was all-state selection, won S.C. Mr. Football and selected to play in the Under Armour All-American game. He finished with 54.5 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback pressures and 6.5 sacks this season. McLeod is committed to play at South Carolina.
Edward, Robinson, DL Blythewood: Junior was all-state selection and Region 3-5A Defensive Player of the Year. He had 115 tackles, school-record 25 sacks, 37 tackles for loss, nine forced fumbles and 29 QB pressures.
Anthony Thurman, Blythewood: Senior was Class 5A all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. Thurman had 85 tackles this season.
▪ Linebackers
Jylil Favor, Irmo: Junior was Class 4A all-state selection and had more than 100 tackles this season.
Jaylen Hinton, Dutch Fork: Senior led team with 147 tackles, including nine for loss.
Terrill Hopkins, CA Johnson: Senior was Class A all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. Hopkins had 86 tackles and team-high nine sacks.
Chandler Perry, Dutch Fork: Senior was all-state selection and picked to play in Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl. He finished the season with 82 tackles, nine for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. Perry also had four defensive touchdowns and returned a kick for a TD. Signed to play at Charleston Southern
Jashun Manning, Fairfield Central: Senior was Class 2A all-state selection and led the team with 133 tackles.
KD Outen, Lugofff-Elgin: Junior had 123 tackles, nine sacks, 7 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
Jordan Robinson, Gray Collegiate: Senior was Class 2A all-state selection and led team with 144 tackles.
David Wilson, LB, Spring Valley: Senior was all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. He had 171 tackles, three for loss, two sacks, an interception and three forced fumbles.
▪ Defensive Backs
Rucker Brannon, Hammond: Senior was SCISA all-state selection. He led Midlands with eight interceptions to go along with 74 tackles. Brannon also had four defensive touchdowns and blocked four kicks.
Jordan Chestnut, Spring Valley: Senior was Class 5A all-state selection. Chestnut had 35 tackles, five pass break-ups and four interceptions.
Landon Danley, Dutch Fork: Senior was Class 5A all-state and Shrine Bowl selection. Danley had 60 tackles, six pass break-ups and four interceptions. Signed to play at Virginia
Jacob Gary, Blythewood: Senior was Class 5A all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. He was second on the team with two interceptions.
Javon Gillespie, Ridge View: Senior was Class 4A all-state and Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl selection. He had 32 tackles, two sacks and an interception.
Jamel Patterson, Lower Richland: Junior was Class 3A all-state selection. Patterson had 64 tackles and four interceptions.
Jordan Smith, Gilbert: Senior was all-state and Class 5-3A co-defensive Player of the Year and finished with 137 tackles, three interceptions, two pass break-ups and seven QB hurries.
Donovan Watkins, Fairfield Central: Senior was Class 2A all-state and Touchstone Energy Bowl selection. Watkins had 45 tackles and two interceptions.
——Kicker/Punter——
Brady Orr, River Bluff: Senior was 6-of-9 on field goals and 46-of-49 on extra points this season.
Justin Welch, Dutch Fork: Sophomore was 7-of-9 on field goals and 83-of-88 on extra points this season.
Second Team
——Offense——
▪ Quarterbacks
Aliam Appler, Dutch Fork; Patrick Belk, Heathwood Hall; Riley Staton, Gray Collegiate; Tanner Staton, Brookland-Cayce; Landon Sharpe, White Knoll; Duncan Skehan, Cardinal Newman; Will Wilson, Richland Northeast
▪ Running backs
Aidan Canzater, Hammond; Bryce Craft, Ben Lippen; Sky Harter, Lugoff-Elgin; Averee Hickmon, Camden; Marcus Kelly,, Ridge View; Lamarion Person, Lower Richland; AJ Reyes, Cardinal Newman; OD Robinson, Newberry; Erick Tucker, Irmo; Dashaun Washington, Brookland-Cayce; Korey Williams, Batesburg-Leesville
▪ Receivers
Jai Boyd, Fairfield Central; Thompson Dubose, Heathwood Hall; Jaquarius Mayrant, Camden; Adonis McDaniel, Ridge View; Jarrod Mewborn, Lexington
▪ Offensive Line
Nate Cole, Ben Lippen; Bryant Ham, Irmo; Logan Locklear, Cardinal Newman; JT Sowell, Gray Collegiate
▪ Tight Ends
Michael Lindler, Mid-Carolina; Jack Moseley, AC Flora; Kendall Williams, Spring Valley
▪ Athlete
Josh Gary, Blythewood; Caleb Pearson, CA Johnson; Devin Johnson, Gray Collegiate; Cortez Lane, Camden; Dylan Richardson, Hammond; Anthony Wicker, Mid-Carolina
——Defense——
▪ Defensive Line
John Buetow, Dutch Fork; Nick Johnson, Heathwood Hall; JT Lott, Saluda; Connor Stephens, Hammond; Zeb Taylor, Gray Collegiate; Zarrion Williams, Blythewood
▪ Linebackers
Jared Acosta, Newberry; KenMane Brunson, Saluda; Dimencio Banks, White Knoll; Evan Javis, Spring Valley; Wilson Nash, Camden; Joshua Saddler, Ridge View; Christian Sexton, Lexington; Ricky Tyler Swansea; Kaine Williams, Gray Collegiate
▪ Defensive Backs
Harley Boatwright, Gilbert; Jojo Crim, Camden; Ja’Von Mack, Dutch Fork; Joshua Sims, Lower Richland; Bradyn Woolbright, Lexington; Will Young, Brookland-Cayce
——Kicker/Punter——
Sam Espinoza, Saluda; Will Frick, Heathwood Hall
This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 1:00 PM.
