Calhoun Falls Charter (0-7) at Whitmire (3-4)
Whitmire was off last week, while the Flashes lost to Dixie 45-12. The Wolverines are young but they play hard, they are well-coached and have some talent (RB/CB Jaylen Brown really stands out among a few others) and that’s probably going to be plenty tonight. That’s no knock on CF Charter at all…nothing but respect for a team that guts it out through a season with 13 players and legitimately seems to give everything it has every week, but Whitmire should even their record at 4-4 tonight and lock up a playoff spot in the process. Dixie (5-2) at McCormick (4-3) Whitmire can still have a say, but this sure feels like it’s for the Region I title and a number one playoff seed. Dixie was actually ranked 10th this week in the S.C. Prep Media Poll. That’s a significant achievement for a team that until last year was always somewhere between “meh” and “homecoming opponent.” No doubt they are better, but really look at their five wins. They have come against teams with a cumulative record of 7-28 and three of the five are small, non-SCHSL opponents. That’s Travey’s polite way of saying they haven’t beaten anybody. McCormick comes in on a real hot streak, having won four straight and during the course of those four games, Mataeo Durant has rushed for almost 800 yards and averaged 15 yards per carry. So basically, he’s what you’d get if Barry Sanders, a cheetah and a rocket booster could somehow have a child. In the last two weeks, he’s averaged over 20 yards a tote. I think he gives them a huge edge in this one. Timmonsville (5-3) at Lamar (7-0) Raise your hand if you thought the Region II was coming down to Timmonsville-Lamar. If you raised your hand, you either live in Timmonsville or are a lying liar who tells lies. It’s been several years since the Whirlwinds had a winning record, but here the team sits at 5-3. This hasn’t been a fluke either and isn’t fed by a weak schedule. Jamaric Morris is a versatile quarterback, Tyquan Eaddy is a touchdown-scoring machine and the defense, when facing 1A competition, has been extra salty. With any team other than Lamar, I’d worry about a letdown. They are just off a physical, hard-fought win over the team everyone expected to give them their stiffest test in Lewisville. Looking at their history, though, Lamar doesn’t let down. It just doesn’t happen. They are still a little young up front, but Rashard Coleman runs the offense well and has improved as a passer, while Herion and Lucas are an explosive backfield combo. They’re good on special teams and then there’s that defense. Law mercy that defense. They don’t blitz or stunt or play many exotic coverages. They pretty much stay in a 3-4 and play you straight up. They don’t make mistakes and also they hit you like a wheelbarrow full of bricks rolling down an icy hill…and the wheelbarrow has a gun turret. Lamar is obviously a favorite no matter who they are playing (especially at home…I mean that, ESPECIALLY. AT. HOME.) but this isn’t a gimme by any stretch. Great Falls (0-6) at McBee (0-7) Even though the records are what they are, one or the other of these teams could still sneak in the playoffs, but they have to start winning now (and get some help). Both teams are very young. McBee has actually been close in some of their games, but have had some awful late fades. They were tied 14-14 with Mullins going to the fourth quarter and lost 49-14. They had a chance to pull within one score of Lewisville late in the first half, but got stuffed on fourth down, gave up a 91-yard touchdown pass a play later and the rout was on. They lost a lead to Pageland and were outscored 16-0 in the fourth quarter against Timmonsville last week in falling 22-14. Their problem has been the defense which has gotten gashed for lots of big plays. Great Falls, on the other hand, has had a ROUGH time offensively, having been shut out three straight times. They have talent, but they also have 12 freshmen, most of whom have to play. They have a sophomore at quarterback, a freshman who plays a lot at running back, some young guys up front etc. Loser of this one (McBee in particular since their already 0-2 in the region to Great Falls’ 0-1) is basically playing out the string. Blackville-Hilda (2-5) at Estill (1-6) What’s funny is that only a few short weeks ago, I opined about the manner in which B-H physically ground opponents into flour and used them to cook disgusting biscuits. Well, I was wrong. Early on, it looked like they were building on the punch-you-in-the-face philosophy they won with last year. But after a good early start, when I was told they legitimately looked pretty good, the bottom has dropped out. They’ve been outscored 112-12 in the last three games. Estill beat North and that is all. The loser tonight has no shot at the playoffs. I mean, the winner doesn’t have much one, but… Denmark-Olar (2-5) at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler (2-5) This shows that not all 2-5s are created equal. Denmark, which has really big skeeters, has scored 12 points total in its five losses and its two wins have come against teams with one combined victory. HKT played a manly out-of-region schedule and has routed the two struggling teams they’ve played. Expect Devante Scott and company to have big nights statistically. Ridge Spring-Monetta (4-3) at Wagener-Salley (6-1) This is basically for second place in the region, which in Region III means a first-round bye. So, the implications are obviously huge in this one. RS-M rolled over Blackville-Hilda 40-6 last week. The Trojans are throwing it a little more this year, from what I’ve read, which frankly makes my head hurt a little. I watched them win a playoff game once in which they attempted A pass. One. Singular. Anyway, whatever they are doing is working and they still have a good running back with Collier Sullivan. The boys form Chitlinvania won on a forfeit last week against North, so they’ve had week off since their loss to Williston-Elko. They still kind of consider the forward pass a trick play, so expect Tre Davis and Kevin Jackson to get a lot of carries. They don’t score a ton of points, but haven’t had to really because of their defense. In fact, both teams play outstanding defense. This should be a close one and a good one. North (0-7) at Williston-Elko (5-2) Let’s be nice, say that we’re glad North is playing this week and move along… Baptist Hill (6-0) at The OC (5-2) This one could end up featuring a pinball-like score given how effectively both teams throw the ball. The Bobcats are fresh off another quality win, 50-42, over St. John’s. That’s the first game this year, though, where their defense got worked pretty well. Luckily, Corey Fields threw for 70 jazillion yards (it may have actually been 463) and 79 touchdowns (or maybe eight). Seriously, I’m still not happy about Fields, who legitimately averaged 450 total yards a game, being snubbed by the Shrine Bowl. No one can match the numbers he’s put up this year. No, I will say that Sam Hartman of the OC, a Wake Forest commitment, is in the same ballpark. I will note that four of their five wins have come against much lesser competition, but they were competitive against C.E. Murray (for a half anyway) and did beat St. John’s, so they aren’t to be taken lightly. I’m setting the over/under on total passing yards tonight at 750. Military Magnet (0-6) at the Charleston Academy of Science, Literature and Tractor Tire lubin’ (1-6) A chance for the Riptide to win two straight after they beat Palmetto Christian last week. Bout all I got on this one for you, Bogator. St. John’s (4-3) at Scott’s Branch (4-3) A pretty intriguing out-of-region match-up this week. St. John’s got down early but mounted a nice comeback that fell short against Baptist Hill last week, 50-42. They have given up some big numbers through the air this year, but that has come against high-powered offensive attacks. They can also hit you through the air with Kam Smiley and his bevy of weapons. They run the ball well too, giving them a nice balance that a lot of teams lack. Scott’s Branch…I got no clue. They shut out Bamberg-Ehrhardt, they gave up 50 to Timmonsville, they held the Mr. T Haircuts to 12. They are capable of shutting down good offense…or getting lit up. Against like-sized opposition, they are just OK offensively. NO telling which way this one goes. Cross (3-3) at Bethune-Bowman (5-2) The Mr. T Haircuts looked like they were really asserting themselves before getting tripped up by Scott’s Branch last week 18-12. Mikiah Simmons still had a huge rushing effort in that game, going for nearly 200 yards, but they just weren’t finishing their drives. Cross, after falling to a surprising 2-3 with a loss to C.E. Murray, bounced back wit a mammoth blowout of Branchville last week. They, rightly, have a Shrine Bowl player on their roster with RB/LB Nate Walker. The loser of this one has two region losses, at which point the playoff math starts getting tough. Branchville (4-3) at C.E. Murray (5-2) Not to belittle Branchville’s four wins, because that’s a great step in the right direction for them. Those wins, though, came against a non-SCHSL team and three public schools with three wins between them…and some of those games were close. C.E. Murray had last week off and also has Darius Rush and Elijah Bey so… Region VI get a collective “nah man…” Creek Bridge (0-7) at Hemingway (7-0) Hannah-Pamplico (4-3) at Lake View (6-1) East Clarendon (0-7) at Hannah-Pamplico (4-3)
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TravisI am Travis, the king 0f SC 1A Football Archives
November 2021
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