Game 8 Preview: Woodruff vs MVP

By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer | garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com

It is homecoming night at Varner Stadium, and the Wolverines host Mountain View Prep in a game that could decide the Region 3-3A champion. Both teams feature high-powered offenses and prolific defenses and are recognized as two of the top programs in South Carolina. This week’s game is filled with anticipation and emotion after last year’s contest came down to the final seconds. Here is everything you need to know about this week’s match-up.

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Players to Watch

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About the Wolverines

After a lackluster loss to Wren, Woodruff dominated Broome in their last game two weeks ago. The Wolverines saw a reawakening of the offense as junior quarterback Connor Davis picked apart the Centurions’ defense. Tight end and Liberty commit Kam Taylor had his best game of the season with five catches for 111 yards and three scores. Dre Jenkins, back from injury, caught four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Curtis Bell has emerged as a weapon in the return game with a 68-yard kick-off return touchdown. Defensively, the front seven got their groove back against Broome. Shaun Graybill and Jalen Roberson were terrors at linebacker while Adrian Hill and Travon Lee had big nights on the defensive line. The Wolverines will need to keep all that momentum going as this game will decide, for all intents and purposes, the Region 3-3A champion.

About the Stars

Mountain View Prep is only in their second season as a program, and the charter school out of Boiling Springs played for the 3A upper-state championship in 2024. The stars lost running back and current UNC Tar Heel Jaylen McGill to reclassification, and have filled the void in their ground game with junior quarterback Mak Anderson who is by far the leading rusher for MVP at 120 yards per game.While the Stars will lean on Anderson’s running ability behind an offensive line that returns all five starters from last season, the receiving corps has four targets that Anderson looks to including K.D. Hainsworth, Juice Miller, and sophomore Chase Richards. Defensively, MVP is led by defensive back Jacobie Smith who leads the team in tackles, along with linebackers Jet Hodge and freshman Jamar Brown paired with another freshman, defensive lineman Taj Stevens. Henry Phillips does the punting and placekicking for the Stars.

Coach’s Corner with Brett Sloan

(On silencing the outside noise) “I think it is simply reminding them that it is just football. It comes down to block and tackling. All the other emotions, we have to set those aside and focus on playing football. It won’t be the big things that win or lose the game. It will come down to little things.”

“I think offensively, we need to be balanced. We need to be able to run the ball when they give us a light box and throw the ball when the load the box and play man coverage.”

“They present you with a lot of smoke and mirrors in the run game. We have to be disciplined in reading our keys. We can’t chase ghosts. We must have disciplined eyes and do what our key tells us to do. Gap integrity will be very important. Then we have to be disciplined with our tackling fundamentals.We have to get them on the ground when we get the opportunity.”