5A Playoffs: Northwestern vs. Hillcrest: Offensive standouts
ROCK HILL, S.C. — Friday night marked the beginning of the first round of the South Carolina high school football playoffs and Prep Redzone SC was on hand for 5A Playoff action between Northwestern and Hillcrest. Hillcrest, the underdog visitors…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingROCK HILL, S.C. — Friday night marked the beginning of the first round of the South Carolina high school football playoffs and Prep Redzone SC was on hand for 5A Playoff action between Northwestern and Hillcrest.
Hillcrest, the underdog visitors from Simpsonville, S.C., led 6-0 early in the first quarter but the Trojans exploded for 30 points in the second quarter to rout the Rams 51-21 to advance to the second round of the playoffs against one of the top teams in the state, Dorman next Friday.
Let’s jump into the offensive standouts from Friday’s contest:
Northwestern
2022 QB Will Mattison (6’4, 186 lbs.) – The velocity on the junior quarterback’s hand looked smooth as he made short throws on slip screens and the long balls to his receivers, including an electrifying 75-yard touchdown catch and run on the second play of the third quarter. Mattison threw for five touchdowns on the night.
Northwestern coach Page Wofford on Mattison and the offense: “He put the ball on the money tonight. He didn’t make a lot of bad throws. The receivers are getting open and when you’ve got a quarterback that can put the ball on the money and receivers that are getting open, then you’re going to have games like that.”
2023 WR Elijah Caldwell (6’1, 191 lbs.) – Caldwell looked smooth in running his routes and looked the ball into his hands several times throughout the night. He caught the ball on an out route and put his foot in the ground and muscled his way into the end zone to cap off the Trojans’ 30-point second quarter run.
Hillcrest
2023 RB Logan Coldren (6’0, 180 lbs.) – Hillcrest’s plan was to run the ball and it was tough sledding against an active Northwestern defense, but Coldren and the Rams were able to take advantage of solid field position and a penalty in the third quarter to score a touchdown to cut into the Trojans’ lead to 37-15.
2024 WR Avery McFadden (5’8, 141 lbs.) – This freshman is a guy we had our eyes on coming into the contest and he made plays in space on shallow crossing routes early in the first quarter where he was able to elude from the defender with impressive speed, which helped Hillcrest score the game’s first touchdown.
Offensive Players of the Game
Northwestern – 2022 QB Will Mattison
Hillcrest – 2024 WR Avery McFadden