Saturday Morning Punter: Playoff picture still muddy, but awards races coming into focus

To be perfectly honest, I don't know what to write about this morning.

I thought there would be plenty of material, because I had the rare opportunity to take in a high school football doubleheader last night -- swinging by Hilton Head Prep in the afternoon and heading over to Hilton Head High for the nightcap -- and both games had the potential to turn into shootouts between offenses that have been hitting on all cylinders.

Instead, Lowcountry football fans were treated to a couple of duds. Northwood Academy was up 42-6 on Prep by halftime, and with quarterback Matt Layman out of the game with an ankle injury, the Dolphins didn't stand much chance of mounting a comeback. And the Seahawks didn't put up much more of a fight, allowing the Cougars' interchangeable QB/WR duo of Denzel Myers and Corey Washington to shred them in a 42-14 loss.

All the excitement, it seems, took place on the road, where Beaufort High outlasted James Island in a wild 48-41 game, and Bluffton narrowly missed two opportunities to win before falling 26-25 at Lake Marion. Battery Creek and Thomas Heyward also pulled off big road wins that boosted their playoff hopes.

So with nothing much else to write about -- it's too early to start handicapping playoff chances -- let's take a snapshot of the season so far and see who would be on my all-area ballot if the season ended today. Now remember, this is only my ballot, and the entire sports staff votes for these awards, so it really doesn't mean much.

COACH OF THE YEAR

None of these races can change faster than this one, because this award usually is won at the end of the season, not at the beginning. A coach who leads his team to a second-half turnaround to win a region title and/or make a deep run in the playoffs will garner serious consideration.

1. Mark Clifford, Beaufort High: Even the biggest Eagles fans began the season with serious reservations about this team after losing so many key players from last year, especially on defense. But the Eagles are 5-1 and building toward another region title showdown with Summerville later this month.

2. Blake Raley, Hardeeville: The Hurricanes already have surpassed last year's win total, including big geographic rivalry wins over Bluffton and Ridgeland. They appear poised to make the playoffs for the first time in the school's brief history, and with a strong running game and a solid defense, they're built for postseason play.

3. Richard Kirkland, Ridgeland: The Jaguars have come back to earth a bit with consecutive losses to Hilton Head High and Silver Bluff, but even at 3-3 (and with wins over Bluffton and Battery Creek) they remain one of the biggest surprises of the season. If they knock off Pelion on Friday, the Jags will be in good shape to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2004 (as Jasper County).

4. Tommy Lewis, HHCA: Lewis is held back by high expectations. I only put him this low on the list because the Eagles haven't yet done anything they weren't expected to do. If they win a region and/or state title and these other upstart teams fade away, he will shoot up the list.

5. Nic Shuford, THA: Yeah, the Rebels are only 2-4, but given the injury woes they've faced with an already thin roster, it's a testament to Shuford and his coaching staff that they've won two games. One of those games was a big region win last night at St. Andrew's, which keeps Thomas Heyward in the playoff hunt in SCISAA Region 2-AA.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Again, though the player of the year awards are heavily based on statistics and body of work, we tend to weigh late-season heroics a bit more, so these could get shuffled around significantly. And besides, the top five is extremely close right now (and you could really go even farther than that before seeing a big drop-off), so it's anyone's award to win.

1. Josh McPherson, Beaufort High: McPherson has been near the top of my list all season, but last night's performance moved him all the way to the top. The thunder in the Eagles' thunder-and-lightning duo ran for 285 yards and five TDs in a win at James Island, putting him over 800 yards for the season and giving him 11 TDs.

2. Luke Sirgo, HHCA: When you look at Sirgo's stats, it's hard to believe the numbers are actually down from his sophomore year, in which he was our offensive player of the year. He went over 1,000 yards passing last night and has thrown 14 TD passes and run for four more TDs. More important, he has the Eagles at 5-1 and poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.

3. Matt Layman, HHP: Before leaving last night's game in the first quarter with an ankle injury, Prep's junior quarterback was on pace to shatter all sorts of records -- and if he doesn't miss any time, he probably will stay on that pace. He has passed for almost 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns and added five more rushing TDs, so you can't blame Prep's 0-6 record on him.

4. DeAnte Scott, HHP: Call it a product of the system if you insist, but there's no denying the numbers. Scott has caught 53 passes for more than 600 yards in six games. Just incredible numbers for a high school receiver.

5. Lawrence Jenkins, HHH: The speedy back has emerged as a big-time threat for the Seahawks, rushing for more than 600 yards and 10 TDs and adding a receiving TD.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Once again, this award is up for grabs, though probably only between two people. Beaufort High's Justin Parker and Hilton Head High's Jack Duane are having outstanding seasons, and the line between them is razor thin. A number of players could lay claim to the Nos. 3-5 spots on my ballot.

1. Justin Parker, Beaufort High: I don't think I've ever seen a high school player who hits people harder than Parker. I mean, he crushes people. And he is the clear-cut leader of that defense, directing traffic and barking assignments to his teammates before the play.

2. Jack Duane, HHH: It's a testament to the "mythical beast" that Parker isn't running away with this award. Duane is the heart and soul of the Seahawks' defense, even if that defense has underperformed in recent weeks. Going into last night's game, he had 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. Wow.

3. Brandon Frazier, Beaufort High: This guy is the reason I'm still giving Parker an ever-so-slight edge over Duane. Without Frazier playing at the other inside linebacker spot, Parker would have significantly more tackles, but he's able to stay at home because he knows his running mate will take care of his side of the field. On almost any other team, Frazier would be THE defensive star, rather than A defensive star.

4. Michael Hull, HHCA: Depending how long he is out with the calf injury that sidelined him last night, Hull could drop out of the top five altogether, but the kid is a huge part of the Eagles' defensive success. He seems to be in the opposing team's backfield all night every Friday, prompting Eagles coach Tommy Lewis to call him "the human missile" after a particularly strong game against Hilton Head Prep.

5. Kenny Robinson, HHH: Much like Frazier, he gets overshadowed by the bigger star on his own team, but Robinson is having another solid year for the Seahawks. He went into last night's game with nine tackles for loss and three sacks, impressive numbers, to say the least.

Well, for someone with nothing to say, I managed to come up with plenty of material for you to digest this weekend. Hope this will tide you over until the Friday night lights shine brightly once again.

Till Friday,
JJ

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