PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Brookland-Cayce upsets Hanahan

At Hanahan, A.J. Brown scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns as Brookland-Cayce upset Hanahan 34-31 Friday in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Hanahan, the Region 8-3A champion and a No. 1 seed in the Lower State 3A playoff bracket, ends its season at 8-3. The visiting Bearcats improved to 5-6 with the school’s first playoff win since 2004 and will travel to Georgetown for a second-round game next Friday.

The Bearcats trailed 14-7 but scored twice in the final six minutes of the half to take a 20-14 halftime lead. Charles Balkom, who rushed for 133 yards, scored on a 3-yard run with 42 seconds left to put the Bearcats on top.

Both teams had drives in the third quarter but the only points came on a 34-yard field goal by Hanahan’s Sean Brady to cut the margin to three at 20-17 with 11:29 to play in the game.

Brookland-Cayce answered the field goal with a seven-play, 69-yard drive with A.J. Brown scoring on a 2-yard run with 7:55 to play.

Hanahan’s Sam Denmark returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 27-24, but the Bearcats answered yet again as Brown scored on a 15-yard run – set up by a 49-yard pass completion – to push the lead back to 10 at 34-24.

Hanahan was able to get a score with 46 seconds left as Colbert and Denmark combined on a five-yard pass but the Bearcats recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock for the win.

Chapman 31, A.C. Flora 13

At Inman, Chapman turned A.C. Flora over and over again for a playoff win.

The Panthers (8-3) forced seven turnovers in the win and will play at Seneca in the second round of the 3A playoffs.

Chapman’s defense held A.C. Flora (6-5) scoreless in the first half and got two fourth-down stops to get good field position for scores in building a 17-0 lead.

But the Falcons scored on the opening second-half drive on a 41-yard touchdown run by Brendan Greene to pull within 10.

The Falcons forced a three-and-out and then drove all the way to the Panthers’ 3, but missed a field goal.

On the Panthers’ first play of the fourth quarter, Richard Tucker caught a 10-yard pass from quarterback Colton Bailey near midfield 52 yards for a touchdown with just over seven minutes remaining to go up 24-7.

Chapman’s Shy’King Johnson returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown.

Greene connected with Thomas Hollingsworth for a 36-yard touchdown pass with just over three minutes remaining for the final score.

Batesburg-Leesville 43, Central 20

At Pageland, running back Terrence Wilson rushed for 210 yards and four touchdowns and returned a 69-yard punt return for a score as the Panthers snapped a three-game losing streak and advanced in the Class 2A, Division II playoffs.

B-L will travel to Abbeville next week in a rematch of a game won by Abbeville 30-13 on Oct. 16.

Myrtle Beach 41, Dreher 26

At Myrtle Beach, Drayton Arnold threw for 210 yards, and Brandon Sinclair rushed for 158 in the Seahawks’ victory in the Class 3A Lower State playoffs.

Dreher quarterback Avery Armstrong rushed for 130 yards, a touchdown and threw for 191 in his final high school game. Armstrong’s 3-yard run got Dreher within 21-20 in the third quarter but the Seahawks answered with three straight scores.

The Blue Devils (5-6) punted just twice in the game, but of their seven trips into Myrtle Beach territory, only three resulted in points (Dreher’s fourth touchdown came on a 99-yard Anthony Salters’ kickoff return).　

Jay Washington rushed for 67 yards and two scores for Dreher.

Saluda 30, Keenan 27

At Saluda, Dylan Strickland hit a 25-yard field goal with 3.6 seconds left to give Saluda the win over the Raiders.

Saluda stopped Keenan on the 11-yard line and got the ball back with 3:08 to drive for the game-winning field goal.

Keenan trailed 27-13 in the third, but tied it up in the fourth after touchdown runs by Tyreick Davis-Newton and Majerle Poole.

Davis Newton finished with 114 yards rushing and 65 receiving. Poole was 6-of-17 for 113 yards but was picked off twice.

Newberry 42, Pendleton 17

At Newberry, Amir Abrams had three touchdowns and Yafari Werts scored twice in a first-round win in the Class 2A, Division I playoffs.

Fairfield Central 42, Powdersville 7

At Winnsboro, Stanley McManus and Jerrell Suber-Oneal each rushed for more than 100 yards in the victory in the Class 2A, Division I playoffs.

McManus finished three touchdowns and Suber O’Neal had two scores in the game. The Griffins will host Woodruff in a second-round game next week.

Strom Thurmond 45, Mid-Carolina 13

At Johnston, Tay Merriweather returned the second-half kickoff 98 yards and the Rebels used a 24-point third quarter to defeat Mid-Carolina in the first round of the Class 2A Divsion I playoffs.

ST’s DeAndre’ Ryan caught four passes for 107 yards and a TD and also threw a touchdown pass.

MC’s Corey Stone threw for 114 yards and two TDs in the loss.

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 11:43 PM.