2025 Round 4 Bear Tracks

The collision course finally arrived last Friday night when BHP traveled north to Spartanburg County, and what unfolded under an unseasonably warm November sky was nothing short of legendary. Two teams carrying a combined record of 23-1 stepped onto that field with championship aspirations burning white-hot, the undefeated Bears facing a Wolverines squad that had been absolutely devastating opponents all season long. The stands overflowed on both sides, the temperature hovering around 75 degrees at kickoff, creating an atmosphere that felt pulled directly from the pages of South Carolina high school football lore. This was the game everyone had circled on their calendars, the matchup that social media and message board warriors had been debating for weeks, and both programs were about to deliver something that lived up to every bit of that anticipation.

Coming into this Upper State semifinal, the narrative surrounding Woodruff's offensive firepower had reached almost mythical proportions. We had spent the week examining their perfectly balanced attack, marveling at Aiden Gibson's recruiting rankings and explosive capabilities, respecting the depth of their receiving corps and the efficiency of quarterback Conner Davis. The conventional wisdom suggested this would be a shootout, a high-scoring affair where both offenses would trade blows until one defense finally cracked under the relentless pressure. What actually transpired was something entirely different, something that defied every expectation.

From the opening whistle, the tenor of this contest was established through sheer defensive dominance. BHP elected to kick off, putting that hyped Woodruff offense on the field first, giving the stage to the players who had been generating all the pregame buzz and statistical fireworks. The Bears responded by forcing a three-and-out that gained exactly zero yards, a harbinger of the suffocating performance that would unfold over the next four quarters. When BHP took possession for their opening drive, the offense began to march with purpose, looking to establish that physical, grinding style that has become their trademark. But penalties derailed the momentum, two separate long runs that would have positioned the Bears inside the ten-yard line both getting called back, giving Woodruff's vaunted defense time to regroup and dig in. The Bears would attempt to convert a fourth down from the thirty-yard line, but the Wolverines sniffed out the jet sweep and forced a turnover on downs.

Woodruff's second possession showed signs that their offense might finally find its rhythm, stringing together three consecutive runs including a twenty-five yarder that had the Wolverine faithful believing their team was about to break through. Looking to capitalize on that momentum, Woodruff went to a fast tempo trying to catch BHP in poor alignment, but what happened next became one of the defining moments of the entire evening. The Bears' defense jetted in and forced a fumble from Gibson himself, a tone-setting play that served notice to everyone watching that this would not be the offensive showcase many had predicted. BHP couldn't capitalize on the turnover, going three-and-out on the following possession, but the message had been sent.

After a BHP punt, Woodruff assembled their best sustained drive of the night, marching seventy yards in eleven plays to reach first and goal from the eight-yard line. This felt like the moment where the dam might break, where all that offensive talent would finally translate into the scoreboard eruption everyone anticipated. Instead, the Bear defense stiffened with championship resolve, forcing Woodruff to settle for a field goal. The Wolverines converted to take a 3-0 lead with eight and a half minutes remaining in the first half, and for the first time all season, BHP found themselves trailing on the scoreboard. Bear Nation and spectators from across the state who had made the trip all wanted to see the same thing: how would this team respond when adversity actually landed a punch?

The immediate answer was not particularly encouraging. BHP's next possession managed just three yards and picked up a fifteen-yard penalty before punting back to Woodruff with over six minutes left in the second quarter. But then, as they have done throughout this remarkable season, the defense rose to the moment and delivered when it mattered most. Another three-and-out forced the Wolverines backward, and the Bears took over on their own twenty-eight-yard line with under five minutes remaining before halftime. What followed was quintessential BHP football at its most methodical and relentless. The Bears marched seventy-two yards in fourteen plays, draining every second off the clock except for the final eighteen ticks, imposing their physical will on a Wolverine defense that had been dominant throughout their playoff run. MJ Earle capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge, and BHP carried a 7-3 lead into the locker room, but more importantly, they carried the momentum and the belief that they were beginning to impose their brand on this contest.

The second half belonged entirely to the Bears, but it began with Woodruff's defense forcing another punt on BHP's opening possession. On the Wolverines' first drive of the third quarter, the turning point arrived with devastating suddenness. Conner Davis dropped back and fired a strike toward Kori Moates, but as the ball arrived, so did Dee Chester. In one of those moments where defensive backs dream their entire careers about, Chester ripped the ball away from Moates mid-catch and secured possession before going to the ground, taking over at midfield and flipping field position with surgical precision.

The Bears' offense, presented with this golden opportunity, did what they have done all season long when the spotlight burns brightest. On the third play of the drive, Noah Thomas found Jaden Glenn on a wide receiver screen, and Glenn took it forty-seven yards to the house, extending BHP's lead to 13-3 with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. That two-score cushion provided the fuel this dominant defense needed to truly unleash their fury on Woodruff's increasingly frustrated offensive attack. The Wolverines managed just six plays and fifteen yards on their next possession before punting back to the Bears, and you could feel the game slipping away from them with each passing series.

BHP marched fifty-five yards into the red zone on their next drive before failing on a fourth-down conversion attempt, giving Woodruff one final lifeline to claw back into contention. The Wolverines escaped the third quarter down just ten points, but the momentum had shifted so completely into BHP's corner that it felt like a much larger deficit.

Fourth quarters in playoff football carry a special weight, that unique tension where hope and dread exist simultaneously depending on which sideline you're standing behind. For the Bears, the fourth quarter became the defining statement of an outstanding season, the twelve minutes where everything they had built over twelve previous games crystallized into championship-caliber dominance. Taking over on their own twenty-six-yard line, BHP marched seventy-four yards in seven plays, with Earle punching in a three-yard touchdown run that extended the lead to 20-3 with nine minutes remaining. The stranglehold was complete, and Woodruff's vaunted offense had no answers left in their playbook and the Wolverine defense looked to be cracking.

The Bears' defense forced a turnover on downs after just four plays on Woodruff's next possession, and BHP took over looking to close out the most significant victory of their season. They would march fifty-nine yards in eight plays for another score, pushing the lead to 27-3 with just over four minutes left and officially putting this contest beyond any reasonable doubt. The Wolverines, looking to salvage some pride and show the resolve that had carried them through eleven victories this season, connected on a long throw to reach the forty-yard line. For a moment, it appeared they might finally crack this defensive riddle that had confounded them for four quarters. Instead, Jakyri Anderson stepped in front of a Connor Davis pass, secured the interception, and then provided the exclamation point on what would become the greatest defensive performance in BHP history. Anderson returned it seventy yards for a touchdown, pushing the final margin to 34-3 and sending the Bear Nation faithful into absolute pandemonium.

Let those final statistics sink in for a moment, because they require context to fully appreciate their historic significance. Coming into this game, an enormous amount of attention had been focused on Woodruff's unstoppable offensive attack, the statistical dominance they had displayed throughout the season, the all-star game participants dotting their roster, the recruiting rankings that suggested multiple Division I prospects would be taking that field. Most observers, including many who cover this level of football professionally, expected points to be scored in bunches by both teams. Instead, BHP held this offense to thirty-one rushing yards and one hundred twelve passing yards for the entire game. Aiden Gibson, the number nine-ranked prospect in South Carolina's 2027 class, the player who had been generating the most buzz heading into this matchup, finished with ten carries for sixteen yards and one reception for negative five yards. I have watched BHP football for enough years to know when something truly special has occurred, and what transpired Friday night was historic in the truest sense of that word. The team defense that BHP displayed was the best performance any Bears defense has ever produced, a complete and total dismantling of an elite offense that will be remembered for years to come.

But even with this monumental victory, even with this statement performance that sent shockwaves through the state playoff picture, all you earn is the right to practice for another week. This week carries just a touch more significance though, because of how last week ended and what it means for this team's championship aspirations. The Bears proved they belong among the elite programs in South Carolina, that their undefeated record is no accident, and that when the stakes reach their highest point, this team has the talent, the discipline, and the championship DNA to rise to any challenge placed before them. Bear Fans, savor this one, because nights like this don't come around often, and this team just announced to everyone paying attention that they are absolutely for real.



Round 4 Preview



Friday night in Powdersville, the Bears will face one of those moments that defines a season, the kind of night where legacies are forged and championship dreams either crystallize into reality or slip away into the heartache of what might have been. BHP arrives at this Upper State Championship showdown carrying an unblemished 13-0 record, while the Patriots stand at 11-2, ready to defend their home turf just 26 miles down the road in what promises to be one of the most electrically charged atmospheres of the postseason. This is the game that separates the good from the great, the contenders from the champions, and Bear Nation knows exactly what hangs in the balance.

The history between these two Anderson County programs runs deeper than the mere 13 years of Powdersville's existence might suggest. In that relatively short span, BHP and the Patriots have developed the kind of intense rivalry that only proximity and playoff battles can create, having met eight times with each encounter adding another layer to this compelling narrative. Last season's third round playoff meeting saw the Bears emerge victorious 35-14, but both programs remember the sting of earlier chapters in this series. The Patriots took back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2022, with that 2022 victory coming during Powdersville's run to the state championship game where they fell just short against Beaufort 41-31. That particular loss to the Patriots marks the last time BHP surrendered a region game, a fact that speaks volumes about the journey this program has undertaken since that night. But as anyone who has watched enough football knows, history is just context for what happens when the ball is kicked off, and Friday night will write its own story regardless of what came before.

What awaits the Bears on the Patriots' home field is an offensive scheme unlike anything they have encountered this season, a passing attack so prolific and precisely executed that it has carved up defenses across the upstate with surgical precision. The architect of this aerial assault is senior quarterback Keagan Reid, a 6'4" 185-pound signal caller who embodies everything you want in a modern quarterback. Reid is the latest in a line of Powdersville quarterbacks who have put up monumental numbers, and he has taken that tradition and elevated it with his combination of a cannon arm, pinpoint accuracy, and the kind of football intelligence that makes defenses second-guess their every move. There is not a throw on the field that Reid cannot make, and more importantly, cannot make repeatedly with the consistency that keeps defensive coordinators awake at night. Where Reid truly shines is pushing the ball downfield, stretching defenses vertically in ways that open up everything underneath and create those gashing running lanes that turn manageable third downs into explosive touchdowns.

The targets Reid connects with present a fascinating challenge for the Bears' secondary, a collection of athletes who may not overwhelm with physical size but possess the kind of precision and athletic ability that makes this offense hum at an elite level. Nasir Waldrop stands just 5'5" and weighs in at 135 pounds, but dismissing him based on those measurements would be one of the gravest mistakes a defense could make. Waldrop might be one of the most difficult runners to bring down in the entire upstate, blessed with the kind of agility that allows him to bend and fold in ways that leave defenders grasping at air, then explode back to full speed while everyone else is still processing what just happened. His real value extends beyond the running game into his exceptional ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, turning simple flares and screens into chunk plays while also possessing the route-running sophistication to match up against linebackers on deeper patterns. Out wide, Xavier Huggins presents similar challenges with his 5'8" 155-pound frame, a receiver who can get open the moment the ball is snapped on short routes but also has the technical refinement to separate against any coverage scheme or defender. The Patriots stretch the field in all dimensions through these weapons, supported by an offensive line and tight end group led by Jackson Miller, Myles Cowart, Zach Taylor, and brothers Riggs and Phillip Savage that provides the physical foundation for everything else to work. No other offense has presented this specific set of challenges to the Bears this season, and more critically, no other team can execute this style of play at such a high level, which means BHP's defense will be tested in ways they have not experienced through their perfect regular season.

For the second consecutive week, the defensive side of the ball for BHP's opponent has been somewhat overshadowed by offensive fireworks, and for the second week running, that defensive unit might actually be the best group on their team. The Patriots deploy a traditional three-down front similar to what Woodruff showed last week, and like Woodruff, they boast exceptional linebacker and defensive end play that can disrupt even the most well-designed offensive schemes. Jaydon McGrier anchors that defensive line from his end position, recently awarded Anderson Area Touchdown Club Defensive Lineman of the Year for his ability to wreak havoc on running plays while terrorizing opposing quarterbacks in pass protection. The linebacker corps is where this defense truly shines, with Damarie Andrews and Jayden Wertz making plays all over the field with the kind of versatility that modern defenses demand. Unlike some interior linebackers in three-man fronts who specialize in downhill run-stopping, these two can cover ground in the pass game just as effectively as they can fill gaps against the run, giving defensive coordinator confidence to deploy them in multiple ways. Tavious Williams patrols the backend with the kind of excellence that runs in his family, following in the footsteps of his brother Thomas Williams who now plays for Virginia Tech, establishing himself as one of the premier defensive players in 3A football. Powdersville follows BHP's philosophy of getting their best players on the field regardless total snaps, meaning you will see tremendous talent playing extensive snaps on both sides of the ball throughout Friday night's battle.

The special teams matchup presents another fascinating wrinkle to this championship showdown, as BHP faces an opponent that can genuinely match them in the kicking game for perhaps the first time all season. Ethan Piel is an elite kicker who has converted 11 of his 12 field goal attempts while hitting 54 of 58 extra points, wielding a powerful leg that can drive kickoffs into the end zone and flip field position in crucial moments. Piel has proven himself in pressure-packed situations, drilling the overtime field goal that beat Christ Church earlier this season and even scoring the winning goal in last season's 3A state soccer championship. His recognition as Anderson Area Touchdown Club Special Teams Player of the Year confirms what the film shows, that Powdersville focuses on and utilizes special teams better than nearly any program in 3A. The Patriots rotate athletes through special teams units to create explosive plays, from dynamic returns to blocked kicks, treating this often-overlooked phase as the potential difference-maker it can be in tight playoff games.

So what will it take for the Bears to be crowned back-to-back Upper State Champions when Friday night's drama unfolds? The defensive intensity that overwhelmed Woodruff last week must carry over with the same focused ferocity, but with adjustments for a completely different offensive challenge. Those sacks last week came not just from a dominant defensive line but from defensive backs providing suffocating coverage that gave the pass rush time to get home, and that same formula must be replicated against Reid and his weapons. The defensive line needs time to impose their will, which means the secondary must clamp down on Powdersville's speedy, athletic receivers and force Reid to hold the ball that extra beat longer.

Second, we all witnessed last week what happens when BHP's physicality compounds over four quarters, how the Bears were held somewhat in check during the first half before the floodgates opened as their relentless pounding wore down an opponent not accustomed to that level of sustained physical punishment. Friday must follow that same blueprint, taking Powdersville to depths of physicality they are not comfortable with, and this does not necessarily mean 50 rushing attempts but rather using the ground game to create the explosive plays that demoralize defenses and drain opponent sidelines of hope. The run game unlocks everything else, just as we saw unfold last week.

Perhaps most importantly, BHP must lean on the experience that comes from being in this exact position multiple times over recent seasons, trusting that this senior class, winners of 49 games over their four-year careers, knows how to handle the magnitude of the moment. The coaching staff will put these players in the best possible positions to do something extraordinary, and there is no doubt this group will make every play and do everything necessary to secure that 50th career victory. Experience matters in games like this, when the pressure intensifies and the margin for error shrinks to nothing, when one broken coverage or missed assignment can end a season and derail dreams.

This might be the scariest game in recent memory for Bear Nation, coming off that massive victory over Woodruff in what some thought would essentially be the Upper State Championship itself. Most expect BHP to win, but expectations and outcomes are two different things, and the game still has to be played regardless of what anyone thinks should happen. With those expectations weighing on the Bears, Powdersville finds itself backed into a corner, able to embrace the underdog role while knowing they have just as legitimate a chance at a title as their opponent. The Patriots have no problem playing close games, as evidenced by their overtime victory against Christ Church, their four-point win over Wren, and their 2022 one-point victory over Daniel that propelled them to that Upper State Championship. They know how to keep wins within reach and snatch them when the moment arrives, which means BHP must crush that belief from the opening kickoff through the final whistle. This team cannot be allowed to hang around, cannot be given the hope that comes from staying close, cannot be permitted to think they have a chance in the fourth quarter.

BHP has been in this position only twice before, standing undefeated with an Upper State title within grasp, once emerging victorious and once suffering a heartbreaking loss. Now this team gets to write its own story, to determine its own legacy, to cement its place in program history. A title, a chance at the ultimate championship, and an undefeated season all hang in the balance. Friday night at Powdersville, those Big Bad Bears get their chance to put it all to bed, to claim what they have worked for since last January, to prove that this season has been building toward something special all along. Bear Fans, this moment has arrived.



Previous Matchup 2024 Round 3 Game Stats



Score: BHP 35 -- Powdersville 14

2024 Round 3 BHP Stats:
Team Rushing: 48 rushes for 188 yards and 2 TDs
Team Passing: 10/11/1 for 82 yards and 1 TD
Team Total: 59 plays for 270 yards and 3 offensive TDs

Rushing Leader: #3 Marquise Henderson - 32 rushes for 144 yards and 1 TD
Passing Leader: #7 Noah Thomas - 10/11/1 for 82 yards and 1 TD
Receiving Leader: #5 Tajeh Watson-Martin - 9 receptions for 71 yards and 1 TD
Defensive Leader: #8 Justin Lathon - 5 Sacks, 2 Hurries, and 40 defensive points

2024 Round 3 Powdersville Offensive Stats:
Team Rushing: 20 rushes for -5 yards
Team Passing: 18/30/3 for 277 yards and 2 TDs
Team Total: 50 plays for 272 yards and 2 TDs

Rushing Leader: #4 Brandon Waldrop - 9 rushes for 33 yards
Passing Leader: #2 Keagan Reid - 18/30/3 for 277 yards and 2 TDs
Receiving Leaders: #17 Bennett Brooks - 4 receptions for 115 yards and 1 TD



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Wrap Up



The path to greatness has never been paved with comfortable moments or easy victories, and what awaits the Bears on Friday night will test every ounce of resilience this team has built throughout their remarkable journey. Thirteen wins have brought them to this threshold, but that fourteenth victory carries the weight of legacy, the kind of accomplishment that echoes through program history for generations. This senior class stands on the precipice of something extraordinary, poised to add their names to that short list of Bears teams who conquered the Upper State and kept championship dreams alive. The stage is set, the moment has arrived, and everything this team has worked for since last season comes down to four quarters of football. Bear Fans, pack Powdersville's stadium, bring that energy, and watch this team do what they have done all season long when the stakes reach their highest point. And Friday night, Them Big Bad Bears punch their ticket to Orangeburg!


Prediction: BHP 42 - Powdersville 17

We want to see every Bear Fan packed into those away stands this Friday to support Them Big Bad Bears. If you can't, stay connected and get instant notifications when our posts drop by following us on Facebook and X. This season brings something special to the table, so make sure to subscribe to The Bear Rumble Podcast where myself and some special guests dive deep into all things BHP football. Stay plugged in, because come Friday, we'll be dropping the GameDay Graphic and providing live tweets with stats and highlights throughout the entire game.

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