Camden QB Grayson White’s home heroics fuel Bulldogs to playoff win over Gilbert
Camden High four-year starter Grayson White has made many memories at Zemp Stadium. It will be hard to top Friday’s performance.
The senior quarterback scored the go-ahead touchdown and then came up with a sack on defense on the final play of the game to help the Bulldogs to a 35-28 win over Gilbert in the Class 3A Lower State playoffs.
Camden will travel to Brookland-Cayce next week for the state semifinals, with the winner advancing to the state championship. It’s the Bulldogs’ fourth semifinal appearance in the past five years, with White the quarterback for four of them.
“As many playoff games I have played at Zemp, the last one definitely goes at the top,” said White, who went over 3,500 all-purpose yards for the season Friday.
The Bulldogs have won 11 of their last 12 home playoff games. White was 17-of-25 passing for 195 yards, two touchdowns to Jah Mayrant and also rushed for 14 times for 82 yards, two TDs.
Camden trailed 28-21 with 9:27 left after Gilbert’s Trevon Williamson scored on a 5-yard touchdown run.
The Bulldogs answered with a quick three-play drive, capped off by White’s shovel pass to Mayrant to tie it at 28 with eight minutes left.
Mayrant finished with 144 all-purpose yards and also had a big interception to end a Gilbert drive late in the first half.
White, who also plays defensive end, pressured Gilbert’s Drake Braddock to force a punt on the Indians’ next drive. Gilbert tried a fake punt but Braddock overthrew his receiver to give the Bulldogs the ball near midfield.
Camden (10-3) marched down the field for a drive that ended with a White TD run.
Gilbert got the ball into Camden territory on the next drive, but Jojo Crim picked off Braddock on fourth down with 1:47 left. The Bulldogs’ defense, which came up with three interceptions Friday, has a school-record 43 takeaways this season.
Camden couldn’t pick up a first down and had to punt on the next drive, giving Gilbert one last shot with no timeouts and 33 seconds left. The Indians got it to Camden 47 with one second left, but White sacked Braddock to end the game.
“Our guys were resilient. I am really proud of them,” Camden coach Brian Rimpf said. “This is our fourth state semifinal appearance in five years, and I think our resiliency showed at the end.”
Gilbert jumped out to a 14-0 lead by scoring on its first two possessions. Braddock hit Matthew Edwards on a 40-yard touchdown and then connected with Williamson on a 67-yard pass to make it 14-0 with 4:52 in the first quarter
The Indians were driving to extend the lead, but Wyatt Thompson picked off Braddock deep in Bulldogs territory. Thompson was put at quarterback on Camden’s next drive when White’s helmet came off and he had to go out for a play. Thompson took the snap and raced 62 yards to cut the lead to 14-7.
“I’m glad there wasn’t a penalty because I sure wouldn’t have run it like that,” White said of Thompson.
White tied it up at 14-14 with a 6-yard run on the left side with 1:35 left in the first half.
Gilbert finishes the season at 11-2.
Braddock was 15-of-32 for 245 yards and three TDs. Williamson finished with 125 yards rushing and two total touchdowns.
“Our guys have nothing to hang their heads about,” Gilbert coach Chad Leaphart said. “It was back-and-forth and we had our chances. But I’m not disappointed with our guys with their effort. Just a good high school football game. That is what it is all about.”
Dutch Fork does it again
Subbing in for an injured Jon Hunt for second straight week, sophomore quarterback Ethan Offing turned in another strong showing Friday.
Offing ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as Dutch Fork defeated Gaffney, 35-10, in the Class 5A Upper State playoffs in a matchup of perennial powerhouses.
The Silver Foxes will host JL Mann in the semifinals next week. After a 2-5 start, the Silver Foxes (8-5) have won six straight games.
Offing was 17-of-28 passing for 188 yards and also ran for 51 yards. His 10-yard run put the Silver Foxes up 14-10 with 6:44 left in the second quarter. Maurice Anderson added a TD run later in the quarter to make it 21-10.
Trent Lodge had a pair of scores in the second half for the Silver Foxes and finished with 114 total yards.
Dutch Fork’s defense held Gaffney to just 37 yards in the second half in eliminating the Indians from the playoffs for the second straight year.
White Knoll rolls into semifinals
Quarterback Landon Sharpe threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score as White Knoll (13-0) defeated Sumter, 35-7, on Friday in the third round of the Class 5A Lower State playoffs.
The undefeated Wolves will host top-ranked Summerville in the state semifinals next week. It is White Knoll’s second semifinal appearance in school history with the other coming in 2012.
Sharpe was 16-of-25 for 146 yards passing and also ran for 33 more. Running back Sean Evans rushed for 88 yards and a TD.
White Knoll’s defense picked off three passes with Mondo Domenech returning one for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Demencio Banks also blocked a field goal and Devin Geronomi returned for a touchdown to give the Wolves a 7-0 lead in first quarter.
Dominant Irmo moves on
Unbeaten Irmo (13-0) earned its first state semifinal appearance since 2010 with a 34-7 win Friday over James Island in the 4A Lower State playoffs. The Yellow Jackets travel to defending champion South Florence next week.
Quarterback AJ Brand ran for two touchdowns and threw one to Caleb Alexander. Running back Jaden Allen-Hendrix added a TD run for Irmo. Brand was 14-of-20 passing for 158 yards and also carried it 13 times for 131 yards. Brand went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season in the game.
Allen-Hendrix rushed for 180 yards and eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark for the season.
Jose Villanueva kicked two field goals for the Yellow Jackets, who led 10-0 at halftime.
Bearcats roll past Knights
Brookland-Cayce won its ninth straight game and earned a spot in the Class 3A Lower State final with a win over Crestwood, 53-27. B-C will host Camden in the 3A Lower State final next week.
It’s the Bearcats’ third state semifinal appearance in school history and first since 2017.
Quarterback Will Young rushed for 315 yards and five touchdowns for the Bearcats. Running back Deshaun Washungton added 202 yards and three touchdowns.
B-C (11-2) led 18-7 at halftime before Crestwood returned the opening kickoff of the second half to cut it to 18-14. But B-C answered with a 14-play, 80-yard drive capped off by Young’s 3-yard run to make it 25-7.
Gray wins, sets up matchup with Abbeville
Blake Croft returned an interception for a touchdown with less than a minute left as Gray Collegiate (14-3) defeated Strom Thurmond, 35-28, in the Class 2A Upper State playoffs.
The War Eagles host defending state champion Abbeville in the semifinals next week in a matchup of the top-two-ranked teams in Class 2A. It’s Gray’s third state semifinal appearance in school history.
Gray led 28-25 late in the fourth quarter when Croft took a tipped pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown with 55 seconds left.
The Rebels kicked a field goal with 11 seconds left, but Gray recovered the onside kick to seal it.
Running back BJ Montgomery ran for 180 yards and three touchdowns for Gray. Tyler Waller added a TD pass to Zai Offord.
This story was originally published November 17, 2023 at 11:47 PM.
