High school football concluded in South Carolina over the weekend and six state champions were crowned.

There were some dramatic title games.

Here are our takeaways.

Dutch Fork football under the direction of legendary coach Tom Knotts means state championships. 

The Silver Foxes beat Summerville 35-21 in the Class AAAAA Division 1 championship for their third consecutive title.

It’s the seventh title in the last eight seasons for Dutch Fork altogether. Knotts now has 16 state championships – eight at Dutch Fork, seven at Independence (N.C.) and one at West Charlotte.

Maurice Anderson ran for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns on 16 carries. Quarterback Ethan Offing was 12-of-23 for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Summerville quarterback Jaden Cummings was injured but backup Cooper Kafina threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Jaiden Kelly-Murray after the Silver Foxes had taken a 14-point lead. 

Anderson’s 38-yard touchdown run sealed the deal.

South Florence beats Westside in a thriller

The phrase instant classic is probably overused. Not in the case. Not by far.

A missed two-point conversion was the difference as South Florence beat Class AAAA defending state champion Westside 42-41, ending the Rams’ 27-game winning streak.

It’s the second title in three years for the Bruins, who fell 34-32 to Westside in last year’s championship game.

This was a contrast in styles – South Florence’s running and Westside’s passing. The Bruins, led by Tre Leonard and Zion Gilbert, had 361 yards rushing.

Westside quarterback Cutter Woods may have had the greatest game ever for a quarterback in defeat. The South Carolina signee was 11-of-19 for 411 yards and 6 touchdowns – 5 of them more than 50 yards. Chamarryus Bomar caught 4 passes – all touchdowns – for 213 yards.

Matthew Fish kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired, lifting Northwestern to a 34-31 win in the Class AAAAA Division 2 title game and denying the Yellow Jackets’ bid for their first state championship since 1980.

Shrine Bowl quarterback Finley Polk was brilliant again, completing 33-of-39 passes for 427 yards and 5 touchdowns for the Trojans, who won their first state championship since 2015.

Irmo quarterback A.J. Brand, also heading for the Shrine Bowl, ran for 168 yards and threw for 151. The Virginia Tech signee accounted for four touchdowns.

Sophomore quarterback Aiden Manavian was 21-of-26 for 326 yards and 4 touchdowns as OCA beat Belton-Honea Path 35-17 in the Class AAA championship game to win the Landsharks’ second straight title. 

OCA won the Class AA title last year.

Manavian thrived again running offensive coordinator David Moore’s hurry-up pro-style passing attack. Moore is a former Central Michigan quarterback.

BHP star running back Marquise Henderson ran 42 times for 188 yards. The Clemson signee played quarterback much of the second half when starter Noah Thomas was injured.

Abbeville overwhelmed Cross 58-20 to win the Class A state championship. It’s the program’s 13th state championship, second only to the 17 won by Gaffney.

Coach Jamie Nickles has guided the Panthers to nine of those championships. It’s the second title for Abbeville in three years. The Panthers won the 2022 Class AA state championship.

Damarcus Leach, who has signed with South Carolina, ran for two touchdowns, ran for another and had an interception.

Clinton amassed 302 yards rushing and romped past Barnwell 35-6 to win the Class AA state championship.

Quarterback Tushawan Richardson ran for 95 yards and a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass.

The third time was the charm for Jackson State University in Atlanta. 

Chants of “T.C.” for Jackson State alum and coach T.C. Taylor echoed through Mercedes-Benz Stadium after the Tigers ended their Celebration Bowl drought, defeating South Carolina State University 28-7 in a rematch of the 2021 bowl game to earn Jackson State’s first title.

Jackson State started fast, jumping out to a 14-0 lead before halftime, and South Carolina State didn’t have an answer until the fourth quarter. The Tigers dominated all four quarters of the game, outgaining the Bulldogs 385 to 178. 

“It was some great moments out there today. I think the one that kind of blew me away was when I heard the crowd hollering my name, like, good gracious,” Taylor said. “That was unbelievable. That’s a moment I’ll never forget. … I’ve been waiting a long time to get on that stage and hoist that trophy up.”

Tigers quarterback Jacobian Morgan earned Celebration Bowl offensive MVP honors after completing 15 out of 21 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Defensive lineman Jeremiah Williams won defensive MVP after tallying two critical tackles for loss for the Tigers.

Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Irv Mulligan finished the night rushing for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s one thing to talk it, but we really are a humble team, so it’s like you got to be able to perform and walk it as well,” Mulligan said. “We already knew we had what it took. We just had to find the small pieces to put it together. Initially, Coach T did a great job, and I just give my hats off to him and the rest of my teammates.”

In Jackson State’s previous two Celebration Bowl appearances, the Tigers fell to South Carolina State 31-10 in 2021 and North Carolina Central University 41-34 (overtime) in 2022.

The Tigers are the third Southwestern Athletic Conference team to win the Celebration Bowl, joining Florida A&M University (2023) and Grambling State University (2016). The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference leads the series all-time 6-3.

Postgame quotes

Jackson State’s Taylor: “It’s been a great, incredible run for this football team and these coaches, everybody involved with JSU football. The fans – I can’t say enough — they really showed up here in the city of Atlanta for this game. These guys, they worked their butts off all year for this moment, and they went out there today and dominated.”

South Carolina State coach Chennis Berry: “First and foremost, we didn’t get it done. We don’t make excuses or explanations. We had 60 minutes. I say it all the time, and then we didn’t get it done in 60 minutes.

“As the head football coach, I take ownership for all losses [and] I celebrate the players in the wins. … I’m super-proud of this football team. We didn’t play the way we were capable of playing. … These are lessons that they’ll learn for the rest of their lives. I congratulated each and every one of them, although the outcome didn’t happen the way we wanted it to happen. I’m very, very proud of the season we had.”

Records

– Jackson State’s 19-play drive lasting 9 minutes and 39 seconds was the longest in plays and time of possession in Celebration Bowl history.

– South Carolina State quarterback Eric Phoenix, the 2024 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, broke the university’s single-season passing yard record in the first quarter. He finished the season with 2,628 yards, surpassing Malcolm Long’s record of 2,507 set in 2009.

– Jackson State’s 21-point margin of victory ties the record for the largest in Celebration Bowl history. South Carolina State defeated Jackson State by 21 points in the 2021 Celebration Bowl.

– South Carolina State’s seven points mark the fewest points scored in the bowl game, surpassing the previous record of nine points scored by North Carolina Central University in 2016. 

– South Carolina State’s 178 total yards are the fewest yards earned in Celebration Bowl history, surpassing the 194 total yards Jackson State earned in the 2021 game.

– South Carolina State linebacker Aaron Smith’s 17 tackles set the record for most tackles in the Celebration Bowl, surpassing the previous record of 11. 

Memorable moments

– Jackson State freshman running back Travis Terrell Jr. returned the first punt of the game for a touchdown and celebrated with a front flip into the end zone. However, the touchdown was called back due to an unnecessary roughness call on the Tigers.

– South Carolina State defensive back Diego Addison intercepted Morgan on the opening drive of the second half.

– In the second quarter, South Carolina State blocked Jackson State’s 53-yard field goal attempt.

– Jackson State wide receiver Joanes Fortilien scored the first touchdown of the game on a corner fade in the end zone in the second quarter. Fortilien wasn’t done, though – he also scored the final touchdown of the game for Jackson State. He finished the game with six catches for 43 yards.

– Jackson State’s Morgan found wide receiver Isaiah Spencer for a 67-yard strike in the second quarter, and running back Irv Mulligan capped off the play with a one-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead before halftime.

– In the fourth quarter, South Carolina State committed an offsides penalty on fourth down, and Mulligan rushed up the middle for two yards to score his second touchdown, giving Jackson State a commanding 21-0 lead. 

– Phoenix found wide receiver Nigel Johnson for a 64-yard completion in the fourth quarter. Later in the drive, with 11:13 remaining in the game, Phoenix ran the ball into the end zone to avoid a Bulldogs shutout.

Attendance

The official attendance for the game was 36,823, nearly 12,000 fewer people than those who attended the 2021 matchup between Jackson State and South Carolina State, which was a record 48,653.

After recording only nine appearances and one reception across two years with the South Carolina Gamecocks, tight end Connor Cox formally entered the transfer portal on Monday, the same day it opened for business. And on Thursday night, the 6-foot-6, 251-pound talent revealed an offer from 12th-year NC State football head coach Dave Doeren and his crew.

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He has also advertised offers from Kansas and Michigan State this week. However, the NC State offer remains the most recent.

Cox, who plans to visit the Wolfpack next week, toured the NC State football program as a recruit in January 2022 before committing to the Gamecocks a few months later. The Bolles School (Fla.) product arrived in Columbia as a three-star prospect ranking No. 717 overall, No. 33 among tight ends, and No. 113 in Florida on the 247Sports 2023 Composite.

With three years of eligibility remaining, the 20-year-old Connor Cox could be a valuable long-term addition wherever he lands.

As things stand, the coaches in Raleigh are still on the prowl for their first pledge from this year’s transfer portal. They are active in races at several positions, with the offensive line standing out as the biggest area of need.

Meanwhile, almost a dozen members of the 2024 NC State football roster are seeking new opportunities elsewhere for next season.

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Stay tuned to NC State Wolfpack On SI for more NC State football transfer portal news.