Five most dominant high school athletes in South Carolina history

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MaxPreps is featuring the five most dominant athletes from each of the 50 states on a weekly basis. This week is the Palmetto State — South Carolina.

Five most dominant high school athletes in South Carolina history
A.J. Green, Summerville
Green played for the winningest high school football coach of all-time in John McKissick. He played varsity four seasons and was a four-time All-State selection. Green's 279 career receptions ranked No. 6 on the all-time national list when he graduated in 2008. His 5,365 career receiving yards ranked No. 3 all-time (currently No. 8). His 62 career receptions ranked No. 8 all-time. He ranks No. 1 in South Carolina in all three categories. As a senior, Green was considering the top receiver in the nation by several ranking services and was a MaxPreps and USA Today All-American. At Georgia, Green was twice a first team All-American. The No. 4 pick in the 2011 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Green has been to seven Pro Bowls and has twice been named All-Pro. As of the mid-point of the 2018 season, Green has 601 catches for 8,900 yards and 63 touchdowns.

Jadeveon Clowney, South Pointe (Rock Hill)
The No. 1 player in the nation as a senior at South Pointe, Clowney dominated as a defensive end. He had 29.5 sacks as a senior with 162 tackles. As a junior, Clowney finished with 23 sacks and 144 tackles. He helped lead South Pointe to a 15-0 record and a state championship as a sophomore when he had 17 sacks. While playing at South Carolina, Clowney was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-American. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Houston Texans, Clowney has twice made the Pro Bowl despite battling injuries throughout his career.

Ray Allen, Hillcrest (Simpsonville)
Born into a military family, Allen grew up in many parts of the world before spending his four years in high school at Hillcrest. He helped lead Hillcrest to a state championship and earned All-State honors while averaging 27 points per game. Allen played college basketball at Connecticut and was named UPI Player of the Year in 1996 when he was also a consensus All-American. Drafted No. 5 overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He played for four different teams in an 18-year career, scoring 24,505 points, winning two NBA championships and playing in 10 all-star games.

Art Shell, Bonds-Wilson
A basketball and football standout as a prep, Shell reportedly earned All-State honors in both sports while at Bonds-Wilson. He is a member of the South Carolina Hall of Fame and he went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders. As an offensive tackle, Shell earned spots in eight Pro Bowls and was twice All-Pro. He won two Super Bowls and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in in 1989.

Jim Rice, T.L. Hanna (Anderson)
Known as "Ed" in high school, Rice was an All-State football player as a wide receiver while also earning All-Southern honors by the Orlando Sentinel. In baseball, Rice was a first round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 1971. He earned All-State honors after batting .455 with 23 runs, 10 doubles and four home runs. In 16 seasons with the Red Sox, Rice led the American League in home runs three times, was named league MVP in 1978 and played in eight all-star games. He was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Also considered: Alex English, Dreher (Columbia), basketball; Xavier McDaniel, A.C. Flora (Columbia), basketball; Jermaine O'Neal, Eau Claire, basketball; Harry Carson, Florence Wilson, football; Mookie Wilson, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, baseball; Larry Nance, McDuffie (Anderson), basketball; Stephen Davis, Spartanburg, football; Karina McLain, St. Andrews, basketball; Freddy Solomon, Sumter; Stanley Morgan, Easley, football. Note: Pete Maravich and Kevin Garnett were not considered because their senior year was not at a South Carolina school.