Future Gamecocks Jayden Sellers, Cutter Woods shine in state championship game

Jayden Sellers and Cutter Woods will be setting foot on a college campus next week.

Friday night, the two future South Carolina Gamecocks put on epic performances in the Class 4A football state championship game at Oliver Dawson Stadium.

Sellers’ South Florence squad edged Woods’ Westside team, 42-41, in a rematch of last year’s championship.

Westside won last year on Woods’ fourth-quarter TD pass, but it was South Florence with the comeback this time. The Bruins took the lead 42-35 on Tre Leonard’s TD run with 2:12 left.

But Woods, the Westside quarterback, and the Rams rallied. The senior hit Chamarryus Bomar on a 50-yard pass with 1:52 left.

Westside went for two and was stopped. The Rams had one final possession late but never threatened.

“It was a blessing. We were down the whole game and just kept our composure,” Sellers said.

The numbers Sellers and Woods put up were eye-popping. Sellers finished with seven catches for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Two of Sellers’ TD grabs came in the second half, with one tying the game 35-35 in the fourth quarter.

Sellers caught a 41-yard pass from Messiah Jackson in South Florence’s game-winning touchdown drive.

Sellers missed last year’s championship game after tearing his ACL but came back in a big way, like his brother and South Carolina Gamecock starting QB LaNorris Sellers did in his final high school season.

LaNorris Sellers threw for 260 yards, ran for 192 yards and had six total touchdowns in the 2022 state championship win over Northwestern. Jayden had four catches for 122 yards and two TDs in that game.

Jayden finished with 1,871 all-purpose yards and 27 total touchdowns, including 12 during the playoffs, this year.

“Man, them Sellers boys are special now,” South Florence coach Drew Marlowe said. “When we had to have the biggest plays, Jayden came through for us. They knew the ball was going to him, he just freaking made the plays.”

LaNorris Sellers was on hand to watch his brother play and the two shared a special moment after the game at midfield.

“He just came out here and did his thing,” LaNorris said. “It was special because he lost his junior season. I did the same thing. Lost my junior year due to injury and came back and won state.”

Jayden, however, joked and pointed out that he has won more state championships than his brother. Now the two will reunite with the Gamecocks beginning next week.

Both Jayden and LaNorris talked with Woods and took pictures together after the game. The trio will be on the same team as the Gamecocks begin practice next week for the Cheez-it-Bowl on Dec. 31.

Jayden Sellers and Woods are skipping the NC-SC Shrine Bowl to join USC for bowl practice. They aren’t allowed to play in the game but are looking forward to getting acclimated to college football.

“Jayden balled out and I will be with him next week at practice,” Woods said. “Super excited to work with him and super happy for his family. I can’t wait to work with him.”

Woods heads to USC coming off his best performance of his high school career. He finished with 11-of-19 passing for a career-high 411 yards and six touchdown passes. Five of Woods’ six touchdown passes went for more than 50 yards.

Woods finished his season with 3,459 yards passing and 43 touchdowns. For his career, he ended up with more than 11,000 career passing yards and 134 total TDs.

“South Florence is a great team,” Woods said. “… I’m thankful to be in a position and it is by God’s grace I am here. To fall short definitely hurts but I want to give all the glory to God to let me have the opportunity.”