Week 9 may very well be remembered as the week of the blowout for the area's high school football teams.
Four games were decided by more than 20 points - and two by nearly 50 - on a Friday night where the average margin of victory was more than 24 points per game. Those big victories, in addition to the close ones, were fueled by some standout performances.
Those couldn't have come at a better time, with region play raging on as the state playoffs grow closer and closer. In all, nine players and one entire unit were awarded Game Balls for their efforts this past week.
Brandon Carter, WR
South Aiken
Carter caught four passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns - which covered 29, 60 and 62 yards - in the T-Breds' 70-21 blowout win over Airport.
Caleb Charlton, QB
Fox Creek
Charlton had a hand in four touchdowns in the Predators' 35-34 win over Keenan. He had touchdown runs of 8, 40 and 80 yards, and he threw a 35-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the first half to give the Predators a 21-20 lead at the break.
Jhuatieq Davis, OL/DL
Wagener-Salley
Davis lived in the Denmark-Olar backfield during the War Eagles' 39-0 win. Eight of his nine tackles were for a loss.
Derius Gibson, RB
North Augusta
Gibson had another strong night on the ground in the Yellow Jackets' 59-12 win over Midland Valley. He rushed for 216 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.
Deshun Kitchings, WR
South Aiken
Kitchings had 125 yards of total offense and scored three times - twice through the air and once on the ground - as South Aiken clinched the Region 4-AAAA championship.
North Augusta's defensive line
The Jackets' defensive front made life miserable for Midland Valley, applying constant pressure to record six sacks and an additional four tackles for loss.
Tyran Parker, RB
Williston-Elko
Parker showed off his vision and toughness in the Blue Devils' 30-6 win over Blackville-Hilda, rushing for 200 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.
Nick Posey, ATH
Wagener-Salley
Posey turned in one of the all-purpose performances of the year against the Vikings. He made 12 tackles, intercepted a pass, rushed for a touchdown, passed for a touchdown and even kicked three extra points.
Chris Roberts, RB
South Aiken
Roberts got the scoring started in what turned out to be an avalanche of points for South Aiken. He scored twice while rushing for 131 yards on 17 carries to help the T-Breds cruise.
Jalen Simpkins, RB
Strom Thurmond
Simpkins rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries in the Rebels' 42-0 win over Pelion.
Kobe Walker, LB
Fox Creek
Keenan drove to the Predators' 10-yard line in the game's final seconds and had a shot at the win, but Walker picked off a pass in the end zone to seal a wild win.
