Ware Shoals (0-8, 0-2) at Calhoun Falls Charter (0-5, 0-2)
There is more to this game that just somebody getting a “1” in the win column Because of the ridiculous pre-seeded brackets, the winner of this contest is pretty much in the playoffs. Both teams are coming off lopsided losses, with the Flashes falling to Whitmire 46-0 last week and Ware Shoals getting rolled by Dixie 56-8. I’ve seen the Purple Hornets in person this year and was impressed by how hard the kids played. They have some talent…I like the running back, he wasn’t a blazer but he was nice between-the-tackles thumper who caught the ball pretty well. They used Jermarious Goodman and Ben Webb at QB and both had their moments. They aren’t very deep and don’t have a ton of team speed, but I think those positives will be enough to carry the night. Whitmire (5-3, 2-1) at McCormick (1-6, 1-1) The Wolverines are fresh off a vigorous rootin’ of Calhoun Falls Charter and have won four-of-five overall. They have an excellent back in Jaylin Brown, but they have any of about five or six guys who will handle the ball on a given night out of that scrum and hurt you. Unlike a lot of teams that run that offense, though, they’ll bust you with a passing play here-and-there. You know, they run it 17 straight times, so you feel comfortable totally crowding the box and BOOM, wheel route. You don’t see it coming. You’re like a fish swimming along who sees a big, fat minner with a string attached. What could it hurt, right? You take a bite and next thing you know you’re cornmeal battered, deep fried and sitting next to a generous helping of slaw on a Styrofoam plate. Is that where you want to end up? What was I talking about again? Oh, McCormick got blanked by St. Joe’s last week and they’ve only cracked double-figure scoring once all year. They might tonight, but it will be hard to keep up the efficient Wolverines attack. Great Falls (4-3, 0-1) at Lamar (6-1, 1-0) The Red Devils come in off a tough loss to previously winless McBee last week. Even if they don’t win another game this year, this is a successful season considering they’d won one game the last three years combined. There is talent on this roster, though most of it is young. You know of 6’6 Kelton Talford…he of the spring-loaded legs and catcher’s mitt hands. But D.J. Adams, Xavion Moore, Hunter Funderburk, Quay Bowser and others will author a bright future for this program. This is a mighty heavy lift, though. Since their loss to Gray Collegiate, Lamar has just laid horrific beatdowns on Lake View and Timmonsville. They aren’t throwing as much with QB Cam Galloway out for the year, but that just means Jacquez Lucas and Malik Johnson get more carries, which isn’t a thing I’d be interested in if I was facing them. The defense has completely shut down good offenses the last two weeks and you almost can’t run the ball on the them. Timmonsville (3-4, 0-1) at McBee (1-6, 1-0) I got no clue on this’n. Timmonsville was cruising along at 3-1, their only loss to a pretty good AA Lee Central team in overtime, now they’ve lost three straight. They certainly have dynamic skill guys on offense with Jamaric Morris and Fanando Jackson, but they’ve scored 27 points in their last three games. McBee was 0-6 and with a new head coach and totally new offensive scheme, I’d pretty much written them off. If you really go back and look at that 0-6 start, though, it was littered with losses to good AA teams like Hannah-Pamplico, North Central and A.J. They almost beat Blacksburg two weeks ago, then won going away at Great Falls last week. They are playing better and the new spread offense seems to be starting to click. Aiding the transition are Tyrece Wright and Jaheim Wright. I think about 80 percent of the people in McBee are named “Wright” and they’re all good at football. I think there is an ordinance that any woman without the last name “Wright” has to marry a Wright. I don’t know how else they have a seemingly endless supply. Anyway, I won’t be surprised either way here. Denmark-Olar (4-3, 2-2) at Wagener-Salley (6-1, 4-0) The next stop for the Chitlin Express is probably 7-1. They all but locked up the Region III crown with a 20-6 win over Ridge Spring-Monetta last week. Quentiz Barnes had a huge night in that one on the ground. The Hand Slung All-Stars rarely throw the ball, but they don’t have to. They are dominant up front and over the course of a game they slowly grind you into a paste they use to thicken some celebratory victory stew. You also can’t run on them. I’m still interested to see them play someone who spreads the field a bit, but they won’t see anyone of that ilk for a while. Denmark is improved, but is coming off their worst showing of the year in a 30-0 loss to HKT. North (0-6, 0-4) at HKT (2-5, 2-2) North has the longest losing streak in the state, they’ve scored 32 points all year and they’ve given up at least 42 in every game. HKT has been spotty on offense after losing some explosive skill guys from last year, but their line is solid and they’ve played pretty salty defense. I hope North gets a win at some point, but I doubt it will be tonight. Blackville-Hilda (5-2, 3-1) at Williston-Elko (3-5, 2-3) It just feels weird to see W-E’s name and “3-5” in the same sentence. They’re the type of program for whom a bad year is 6-4, with a second-round playoff exit. They lost big numbers from last year, but I figured they’d just reload like always. I also thought KeShawn Toney was like what you’d get if a bull and a bald eagle had a baby. A large powerful being capable of flight with razor-sharp talons. The future D-1 tight end is that, actually, but he’s been hurt. They’ve really had a rough time on defense. B-H on the other hand has pitched three straight shutouts, one against RS-M. They fall into the Wagener-Salley, “let’s put on sturdy footwear and kick each other where it hurts until someone blinks” brand of football. They are good up front, they knock the crap out of you on defense and they just pound you with a couple of good backs. QB Adonis Davis is a good runner too and can bring a little bit of a passing threat to the table. This feels like a B-H win, but if Toney is healthy he could stretch the field enough to create some opportunities. Ridge Spring-Monetta (3-4, 2-2) at Estill (1-6, 1-4) RS-M is not where I was expecting them to be this season. With so much returning talent, particularly on defense, I thought this would be their year to snatch the Region III crown from Williston. They did beat Williston, but also lost to Blackville-Hilda and Wagner-Salley and they’ve struggled to put folks away. They were close last week against Chitlinville. They fell 20-6 but had one drive end on downs at the 11 (then gave up an 89-yard touchdown run), turned it over inside the 10 and allowed a non-offensive touchdown. They were close, but this ain’t horse shoes or hand grenades, Brogator. Still, they should end the season on a three-game winning streak, starting with tonight. They’re in the playoffs already, pretty much, and they often play their best ball late, so there’s still hope. Military Magnet (0-7, 0-1) at Baptist Hill (4-2, 0-0) Remember in August when Baptist Hill had 14 points in two games and everybody was like “WHA WHA WHA?” Boy, that seems like a long time ago. Seriously, I don’t know if I can ever recall one personnel decision making as big a difference as Baptist Hill’s bold switch of Rashard Maxwell from WR to QB. You’re taking a guy who caught 19 touchdowns last year and sticking him under center. That seemed like a risk to me, but apparently Marion Brown knows a lot more about football than I do (I imagine he knows more about most things than I do, actually). That move has worked to the tune of point totals of 60, 72, 58 and 78 in their last four games. Expect something similar tonight. St. John’s (5-2, 1-0) at Charles Town School for Mule Husbandry and Plow Repair (1-6, 0-0) The Islanders will basically be playing for the region title next week against Baptist Hill, but Coach Harpe won’t let his guys think about that until they take care of business tonight against the Riptide. Charleston Charter may still be walking funny after losing by 78 last week. St. John’s won’t hang quite that many on them, but they’ll get plenty. C.E. Murray (4-3, 2-0) at Bethune-Bowman (5-3, 2-0) On the surface, this looks like an enticing match-up but I don’t know if it actually is. The Mr. T Haircuts have a good, old-fashioned plow horse of a RB in Jesus Benjamin and an experienced leader under center in Braxton Wedgeworth III, esq. But the five teams they’ve beaten have three combined victories. THREE! C.E. Murray has shaken out of their little three-week funk with back-to-back wins. I expect Coach Wilkes’ team, which has developed a knack for clutch, close wins, to take this one tonight. If the Mr. T Haircuts come away with the victory, though, it will probably change my perspective on them quite a bit. Cross (0-8, 0-3) at Scott’s Branch (1-5, 0-2) Cross is a proud program that has enjoyed a lot of success. They are normally a tough out, but they are probably the youngest team in the state this year. As such, they’ve scored 10 points in eight games. Scott’s Branch has been close the past few weeks and seem to be improving. They have Amonte Brown and some other athletes to work with. This seems like the night they get over the hump with a big victory. Creek Bridge (0-5) at Lake View (4-3, 1-0) Creek Bridge has been shut out three times and scored in double digits once. Lake View put it on a good Green Sea-Floyds team last week with two runners going over 100 yards (including QB Adarrian Dawkins). So, you know, this may not go well for Creek Bridge tonight. Green Sea-Floyds (3-3, 0-1) at Hemingway (3-3, 0-0) Hemingway’s season, at 1-3, was dead and buried. Seriously, I sent flowers, went to visitation, ate some of aunt Beulah’s macaroni casserole…the whole bit. Now they’ve notched consecutive impressive wins. It is important to note who they three early losses were to (Lamar, Andrews and Carvers Bay), none of which look bad at all in retrospect. Green Sea was my dark horse pick in the lowerstate, early on. They have lots of returners from a playoff team, they’re physical, they bleed the clock with an effective running game…but that hasn’t translated so far. Certainly have to take into account that they didn’t get to play for a month because of Hurricane Florence. I still think they’ve got it in them and tonight would be a good time to show it.
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November 2021
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