Advertisement

Underclassmen step up as BHP breezes by Walhalla to advance to the second round

joshua miller, anderson independent mail
·3 min read

HONEA PATH — Belton-Honea Path advanced to the second round of the SCHSL Class AAA football playoffs after breezing by Walhalla, 36-18.

Walhalla struck first, but once BHP took control, the game seemed over long before the final whistle. BHP gave up a couple of late touchdowns to allow the Razorbacks into the game after a 29-6 lead it had to start the fourth quarter.

"I'm so excited for this young football team that we have to be 1-0 in this new season," BHP coach Russell Blackston said. "Thought we had a great first half … I thought we had some things happen in the second half. But you know, I'm tickled to death on a win, man. So, we'll figure that stuff out."

STATE FOOTBALL PREDICITIONS: We picked every SC high school football championship. Here are our predictions.

UPSTATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES:These 12 athletes are candidates for Upstate Football Player of the Year

AREA PLAYER OF THE YEAR FAVORITES:These are the 5 frontrunners for Anderson Independent-Mail football player of the year

Blackston commended his "young team" as underclassmen have given the Bears a big boost all regular season and continuing into the playoffs.

Three freshmen played on the offensive line against Walhalla and Blackston was admittedly proud of their performances. Those freshmen helped BHP rush for 274 yards and four touchdowns.

A pivotal young talent for BHP who has been in the spotlight is sophomore running back Marquise Henderson. Henderson, who was recently offered by Virginia Tech, has been a highlight reel all season and added to his tape against Walhalla with two touchdowns runs and 106 rushing yards.

There's a clear reason why Henderson is in the running for both Anderson player of the year and Upstate player of the year.

Belton Honea Path Marquise Henderson (3) runs by Walhalla senior Bryce Payne (15) being blocked by teammate Belton Honea Path Keylan Dixon (66) during the third quarter of the Class AAA State Playoffs at Belton-Honea Path High in Honea Path, S.C. Friday, November 4, 2022.
Belton Honea Path Marquise Henderson (3) runs by Walhalla senior Bryce Payne (15) being blocked by teammate Belton Honea Path Keylan Dixon (66) during the third quarter of the Class AAA State Playoffs at Belton-Honea Path High in Honea Path, S.C. Friday, November 4, 2022.

Multiple freshmen and sophomores played in the first-round matchup, and one freshman in particular received praise from Henderson.

"Jakyri Anderson," said Henderson. "Twenty-three. Linebacker. Amazing player. He came up and he showed out tonight because we had somebody injured and I just want to let everybody know that."

Along with the budding talent, senior quarterback AJ Pendleton will be crucial to the rest of the Bears' playoff run.

Pendleton became the school record-holder for touchdowns scored in a season after recording two touchdowns Friday ‒ one rushing and one passing. He has 34 touchdowns this season.

Belton Honea Path senior quarterback A.J. Pendleton (7) runs by Walhalla junior Tanner Lowery (12) for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Class AAA State Playoffs at Belton-Honea Path High in Honea Path, S.C. Friday, November 4, 2022.
Belton Honea Path senior quarterback A.J. Pendleton (7) runs by Walhalla junior Tanner Lowery (12) for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Class AAA State Playoffs at Belton-Honea Path High in Honea Path, S.C. Friday, November 4, 2022.

"Those are our guys, they're my dudes," Blackston said of Pendleton and Henderson. "Those are the guys that's going to make this thing go. I'm real proud of what they're able to do."

Next week BHP (10-1) will travel to face Clinton (11-0) in a second-round matchup.

BHP is a legit contender that many may be sleeping on through the playoffs. The Bears have a clear path to the AAA semifinals if they continue what they've done for months now and a win against Clinton is the first step.

"I feel like we've worked harder this year to get better," said senior Eli Strickland of the difference this season. "Last year's team, we were hard-working, but this year's team is a special team. Very special team."

Joshua Miller covers high school sports for The Anderson Independent-Mail. Have questions, story ideas, scores, and stats involving high school athletics? Send them to his email at jdmiller@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @NameIsJoshua

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Underclassmen step up as BHP beats Walhalla in the first-round