Published: Thursday, Nov. 06, 2008 / Updated: Thursday, Nov. 06, 2008 01:00 AM

With the game on the line, these local prep football standouts want the ball

Every coach wants at least one, and some are fortunate enough to have two or more.

They are the playmakers, players who can break a game open in a flash and go the distance any time the ball makes it to their hands.

Northwestern, Rock Hill and South Pointe have several and will be counting on them to be the gamebreakers the next two nights.

It starts tonight at District Three Stadium, with South Pointe hosting Rock Hill. Friday night, Northwestern hosts Gaffney at the stadium. Kickoff for both games is 7:30.

Northwestern's Jarrett Neely, Rock Hill's Jatavius Stewart, and South Pointe's Charles Holmes -- the playmakers -- will be on display.

Neely and Stewart are by far their teams' top guns and line up at multiple positions. Holmes is a big wide receiver with a 38-inch vertical leap and just one of several big-play guys for the Stallions.

• Neely has lined up at running back, wide receiver, in the slot and at quarterback when the Trojans go to a direct snap offense designed for him to run out of the shotgun formation.

He has caught 48 passes 634 yards and seven touchdowns and has run for 464 yards and five touchdowns on 88 attempts.

"I like it being able to move all over the field,'' said Neely, a 5-10, 175-pound senior. "And it's good to know our coaches have confidence in me and don't hesitate to line me up at different positions.

"My mindset is to score every time I touch the ball. There's never a time when the ball is in my hands that I think I can't break it all the way. That's because I like being known as a playmaker.''

• Stewart, a 5-10, 165-pound junior with 4.4 speed, moved to Rock Hill from Indian Land last season and won a starting job at linebacker. But Bearcats coach Joe Montgomery saw he had a multi-talented athlete and uses him much the way Northwestern uses Neely.

He starts most games at quarterback, but will line up at wide receiver and running back and plays free safety on defense.

Stewart has run for 665 yards and eight touchdowns on 74 carries, passed for 381 yards and three TDs and has caught 12 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns.

"It was hard at first coming from a Class A to a Class AAAA school,'' Stewart said. "There is more speed at this level and even the big players are fast.

"Coach Montgomery says I'm a playmaker, but I wouldn't be able to do what I do without a good offensive line. I'll probably end up playing wide receiver in college, but I'd rather run the ball."

• Holmes, a 6-3, 195-pound senior, has committed to South Carolina. He has played only wide receiver, but because of his leaping ability, some catches that look natural may seem unbelievable to others.

He has caught 33 passes for 609 yards, an average of 18.5 per reception, and three touchdowns. In third and long, he's the man.

"My body frame allows me to get up high, but I've always been able to out-jump people,'' Holmes said. "Most of the time, I'll get in the huddle and tell our quarterback that I can beat my man. If he listened to me, I'd get at least 50 passes a game thrown my way.

"But Stephon (Gilmore) knows I want the ball, and he knows I'm going to be saying it every play. He's got a good arm and he throws a good pass. I'd have more catches and touchdowns, but in most games, we're way ahead and the starters don't play that much in the second half.''