Picks and previews for high school football state semifinals

Fort Dorchester (13-0) at Dutch Fork (11-1)

Players to Watch: FD: QB Dakereon Joyner, WR Justin Williams; DF: Bryce Thompson, LB Alex Smith

Notes: Second meeting of season between teams and fourth in past two years. Dutch Fork defeated Fort Dorchester twice last year, including 49-24 in Class 5A Lower State championship. Patriots defeated the Silver Foxes, 41-25, on Sept. 1. … Fort Dorchester quarterback Dakereon Joyner is a South Carolina commit and Mr. Football finalist. He has completed 122 of 186 passes for 2,183 yards and 30 TDs and rushed for 881 yards and 18 scores. … Joyner’s top two targets are Justin Williams (47 catches, 866 yards, 14 TDs) and Raquan Simmons (50 catches, 757 yards, 12 TDs). … A Dutch Fork victory would be the 200^th in school history. … Dutch Fork’s Bryce Thompson has 2,008 all-purpose yards and 36 TDs.

Pick: Dutch Fork

Brookland-Cayce (9-4) at Dillon (13-0)

Players to Watch: BC: QB Reed Charpia, RB Rasheed Taylor; D: DE Shamar McCollum, WR/DB Tyquan Porter

Notes: Second consecutive year teams have met in Class 3A Lower State championship. Dillon won, 34-21 last year at B-C and leads all-time series, 2-0. … Bearcats have won 21 games over past two years, best two-year stretch in school history. B-C’s Rasheed Taylor has rushed for 1,538 yards and 27 TDs this season. He had 171 and three TDs last week against Timberland. B-C quarterback Reed Charpia has completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 1,692 yards and 14 TDs. B-C’s defense is giving up just 88.2 yards per game through the air. … Brookland-Cayce has given up just 22 points in the third quarter this season. ... Dillon is appearing in its 10^th consecutive Lower State championship game and is looking for its ninth state title appearance in past 10 years. … Jalen Williams leads Dillon in rushing with 1,533 yards and 15 TDs.

Pick: Dillon

Last Week: 5-4

Season: 232-59

This story was originally published November 23, 2017 at 9:49 AM.