Game 11 Preview: Woodruff at Crescent

To get to the top, you have to start somewhere. Woodruff enters the playoffs as the No. 14 seed in the Upper State 2A bracket and travels to take on Crescent in the first round. The Tigers feature a high-scoring offense and stingy defense, while the Wolverines have continuously searched for consistency while dropping their final four games of the regular season. Will this be the week Woodruff puts it all together? It’s win or go home, so there is no time like the present.

Head coaches Woodruff — Brett Sloan (4th season)

Crescent — Sheldon Evans (9th season)

2026 records Woodruff — 4-6 (1-4)

Crescent — 8-2 (5-0)

Last week Woodruff lost to Clinton 43-21.

Crescent defeated Pendleton 48-6.

By the numbers Points scored — Woodruff 366 (36.6), Crescent 385 (38.5)

Points allowed — Woodruff 353 (35.3), Crescent 161 (16.1)

Series history Woodruff leads the all-time series 11-0. First meeting — Woodruff won 47-14 in 1982. Last meeting — Woodruff won 42-6 in 2009. The last three meetings between Woodruff and Crescent have all been in the first round of the playoffs, and this marks the Wolverines’ first game at Crescent since 2002. About the Wolverines As crushing as the final four games of the regular season were for Woodruff, the Wolverines can turn their fortunes around after qualifying for the playoffs thanks to a new RPI format in which strength of schedule greatly helped Woodruff. Against Clinton, the offense was a mixed bag, with Connor Davis passing for 216 yards and three touchdowns, but a pair of turnovers stemmed momentum for the Wolverines. Woodruff also rushed for just 82 total yards, including 64 by Jaylen Lyles, who now has 1,400 rushing yards on the year. MiCah McClintock recorded his second straight big game with seven catches for 112 yards, and the Wolverines will need to get electric junior Curtis Bell more heavily involved in the passing game once again.

Defensively, stopping the run continued to be a challenge for Woodruff, and against Crescent, the Wolverines will see more of the same. The front seven has to be ready to defend two talented backs and a mobile quarterback, while the secondary must contend with a solid Crescent receiving corps.

About the Tigers Crescent, long an afterthought among the football ranks in South Carolina, has emerged in recent years as a dangerous and talented team. The Tigers have taken many powerful teams to the wire over the past several seasons and, this year, won their first region title in over two decades. At 8-2, Crescent sports a potent offense led by senior QB and North/South All-Star selection Mason Evans. Evans has passed for over 1,300 yards on the season and is also the team’s third-leading rusher. He is flanked in the backfield by two talented running backs. The Tigers’ leading rusher is senior Jace Devlin, who has over 1,000 yards on the year. Senior Elijae Brown has accounted for over 800 yards on the ground, too. At receiver, PJ Deveaux is the biggest threat for Crescent, though the Tigers have several talented wideouts.

Defensively, the Tigers’ unit is quite stingy, allowing just 16.1 points per game. Sophomore linebacker Carter Adams leads the team in tackles, while senior safety Nyleek Geer-Harrison is a playmaker who is among the leaders in tackles and tackles for loss. Along the defensive front, senior Lane Honeycutt is a solid presence who is among the Tigers’ leaders in sacks and tackles for loss.

Players to watch Woodruff #14 QB Connor Davis — Sr. (6’2”, 210) #3 RB Jaylen Lyles — Sr. (5’9”, 185) #1 WR Curtis Bell — Jr. (5’10”, 180) #64 OL Ian Jones — Jr. (6’4”, 295) #23 LB Nathan McConnell — Sr. (6’1”, 180) #53 DL Reco Abney — Sr. (5’8”, 215) Crescent #12 QB Mason Evans — Sr. (5’11”, 196) #8 RB Jace Devlin — Sr. (5’8”, 180) #23 RB Elijae Brown — Sr. (5’10”, 180) #2 WR PJ Deveaux — Jr. (5’10”, 160) #6 S/DB Nyleek Geer-Harrison — Sr. (5’10”, 180) #45 DL Lane Honeycutt — Sr. (5’10”, 225) Coach’s Corner with Brett Sloan “I think the biggest lesson is that the margin for winning is very small. You can look back at the last three games especially and point out two to three plays that we didn’t make that could’ve completely changed the result. We have to start winning those plays.”

“I think attention to detail is the key. We have to understand that executing your assignment with the proper technique is really important. We won’t change a lot about how we prepare. We might back off the physicality of practice a bit. At this point in the season, having your guys on the field is the most important thing.”

“Crescent is very balanced on offense, which makes them difficult to defend. They have several guys who can hurt you in the run game. Defensively, they are physical and relentless. They play hard every snap and fly to the ball.”

Game 11 Preview: Woodruff at Crescent

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