Class AA Playoff Notebook

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Lake City may need another great performance by University of South Carolina commitment Shon Carson if the Panthers have any intentions of getting past region rival Manning in Friday's Class AA semifinal contest.

No doubt, Lake City will go as far as Shon Carson's legs will take them.
The University of South Carolina commitment toted the rock 29 times for 290 yards and five touchdowns in a wild affair at Hanahan which ended with a 62-41 win for the Panthers.
Carson's performance pushed him past the 2,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season, and more importantly helped his team advance to the Lower State semifinals.
Also there are Lake City's region foes Manning and Timberland, each of which notched impressive second round victories. Two-time defending Class AA champion Dillon rounds things out in the Lower State, advancing with a 56-7 drubbing of Wade Hampton (Hampton); also the Wildcats 22nd consecutive win.
Aching to get the opportunity to walk into Williams-Brice Stadium again this year, Central took another step in that direction last week with a 40-27 win over Chesnee. Strom Thurmond, a team which has its own history on the Gamecocks' home turf, may prove to be quite the obstacle for the Eagles in their quest to again represent the Upstate, the Rebels taking out a talented Mid-Carolina squad, 38-14.
Columbia needed every second to get by Palmetto in the teams' second round match-up. Quarterback Ky Tyler hit wide receiver Casey Gladney in the back of the end zone with a 45-yard scoring pass with 59 seconds left in the game to propel the Capitals past the Mustangs, 38-34. Woodruff found things a bit easier, making quick work of Cheraw 48-21.

Games to watch:
—Dillon (12-0) at Timberland (12-0): It's almost as if these two squads knew they would be here. After all, each of the past three seasons have wound up with them meeting in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for Timberland, each of those contests ended in defeat. Dillon would hand the Wolves their only loss in each of the past two seasons, both of which ended with the Wildcats celebrating at Williams-Brice Stadium following wins in the Class AA title game.
The scene has again been set for the squads to fight it out for Lower State supremacy, the winner of this match-up playing host to Manning or Lake City with a ticket to Columbia on the line. Points should be at a premium in this one, with Dillon giving up seven points a game, while Timberland yields just 10 per contest.
— Manning (9-3) at Lake City (10-2): It's hard to imagine a team would be able to shut Lake City's star running back Shon Carson down twice in a year. For Manning, this is the goal when the Monarch's face the hated Panthers with a berth in the Lower State title game on the line.
In the teams' first match-up Oct. 29, Manning held Carson to 104 yards yet was unable to do much on offense themselves, losing 13-6. However, the Monarchs are riding high after two impressive playoff road wins, giving them a lot of confidence heading into the rematch.
Lake City, particularly Carson, is also coming off quite the performance, shredding the Hanahan defense en route to a 290 yard performance and 62-41 win. It's simple for both teams — if the star running back cannot move the chains with his legs, Manning gets its revenge; if Carson runs wild, the Panthers could make it a long night for the Monarchs.
— UPSET ALERT: Central (12-0) at Strom Thurmond (10-2): Little has been able to get in the way of the Central running game this season, allowing the Eagles to average nearly 40 points. Few teams have been successful going against coach Lee Sawyer and his Strom Thurmond defense, which has yielded a total of 110 points through 12 games in 2010.
One will have to give in this contest, with the winner earning a berth in the Upper State championship game. The two squads know each other quite well, meeting in the state playoffs the past two seasons, both of which were highly contested contests with Central making just enough plays to pick up the victory.
No doubt, this one has the potential to be one of the weekend's top games.