I've used this blog to make predictions before. Remember that time I said Calhoun County was the least impressive unbeaten team in the state, then they proceeded to skunk the rest of their opponents and are one of only two undefeated teams left? Or that other time when I said McBee was clearly the class of 1A football and wouldn't be challenged until deep in the playoffs, if then. Lamar beat them. So clearly, predicting isn't necessarily my thing...yet I'm going to continue to do it anyway, largely because I don't mind embarrassing myself and there are no repercussions or consequences to saying outlandish, unfounded things on the internet, I've learned.
I'm going to drop (that's a hip word kids use meaning "to unveil") my predictions for the Class A playoffs round-by-round. I'd love to have your input, predictions, insults, well-wishes, chili recipes etc. You can leave them in the comment section or email them to [email protected]. Division I Upperstate Wagener-Salley (4-6) at (1) Southside Christian (9-1) I saw Wagener-Salley earlier this season and they were greatly improved over last year. They have good size up front and a really good, underrated running back in Keaunri Holmes. Daniel Frazier and Tre Davis were good-looking athletes too. They were 4-3 at one point this year, but they closed the season with games against three good teams (Calhoun County, Williston-Elko and Hunter-Kinard-Tyler) and got mashed by scores of 62-22, 44-20 and 62-26. Southside Christian comes in on a nine-game winning streak, their only loss was to a AAA playoff team in Travelers Rest, they blew out a good Whitmire team 41-0 and slayed the Christ Church dragon, becoming the first Class A team in several years to inflict a loss on the Cavs and will win this going away. The Pick-Southside Christian. Lewisville (3-7) at (2) Christ Church (8-2) I haven't seen Christ Church this year. Obviously, their state-record winning streak was halted in a throttling by a good AA Abbeville team and they lost in overtime to Southside Christian, losing a region title in the process. They haven't fallen off the Earth, their still solid. My understanding is they remain very good in the trenches but are perhaps not as dynamic at the skill spots, having to break in young players there. Lewisville played, without question, the most brutal schedule in Class A football, so they aren't going to be overwhelmed by anything Christ Church throws at them. They've won two straight and the off week came at a good time, allowing them to get the healthiest they've been all year. Maybe Mike Hill, who scored nine touchdowns in the first five games will be a full go after being limited by injury for a while. They don't have a lot of size up front, but they have speed on both sides of the ball and a good quarterback in Trey Keels. Am I crazy to think this might be the big upset of the first round? Don't discount it. Given their championship pedigree and ability to find ways to win in the playoffs on the rare occasions it's close (remember the Lamar game a few years ago), I guess I have to see someone actually knock The Cavs out before I can pick it to happen. I say this ends up being a good game. The Somewhat Hedged Pick-Christ Church St. Joe's (5-5) at (3) McBee (9-1) St. Joe's showed they could deal with physical, power ground attacks in wins over Ridge Spring-Monetta and Whitmire. However, they lost by 21 to Christ Church and by 26 to Southside Christian in the last two weeks of the season. One of the surprises of the season was McBee's loss to Lamar, but you're talking about a team that averaged 53 points a game, has two of Class A's most explosive athletes in Dashonnell Wright and Jordan Fair and eats up yards in chunks on the ground. The drill is set to "penetrate the Earth's crust" in this one, I bet. The Pick-McBee Williston-Elko (7-3) at (4) Fox Creek (6-4) Fox Creek won its last four games of the regular season, but those wins came against teams that won a combined eight games. The Kindergarden Cops...or whatever AHHNALD movie Fox Creek is named after (they are actually the Predators and my AHHNALD joke is starting to get tired) can certainly score points and can do so through the air with quarterback Caleb Charlton or on the ground with running back Dalton Swires. It's impossible to overlook the fact, though, that these teams already played once this season and Williston-Elko won 50-34. I'm guessing more of the same. The Pick-Williston-Elko Division I Lowerstate Hemingway (4-6) at (1) Bamberg-Ehrhardt (10-0) Hemingway is a good eight seed. Most of their losses were close and came to good teams (C.E. Murray, Lake View, Latta) but the Raiders held seven of 10 opponents to single digits this year. I don't see them stubbing their toe in the first round. Hannah-Pamplico (2-8) at (2) Calhoun County (10-0) The Saints didn't play the most challenging schedule, but they did drop 57 points on a good Williston-Elko team in the season finale and weren't really challenged by anyone this season. Quarterback Terrance Brunson was regularly accounting for six and seven total touchdowns per game down the stretch. Hannah-Pamplico struggled all year. Good for them making it in, but they are in by virtue of a couple of wins over teams with losing records in their region. Saints roll. The Pick-Calhoun County. Carvers Bay (4-6) at (3) Allendale-Fairfax (9-1) Again, Carvers Bay is not a bad team or an easy out. They lost close to Lake View, Latta, C.E. Murray and Johnsonville. Here again, though, Allendale-Fairfax has allowed eight or fewer points in half their games this season. It may not be a blow-out, but the higher seed wins again. The Pick-Allendale-Fairfax Latta (7-3) at (4) St. John's (5-5) I don't think going with the lower seed here is the upset. Latta puts a lot of points on the boards, their three losses were Dillon, McBee and Lake View (all top-notch teams) and St. John's didn't beat anyone with a winning record. The Pick-Latta Division II picks and next round projections coming up soon.
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November 2021
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