It is so nice having football back! There is a ton of great football going down across the Lakelands tonight. Make sure to get out and catch a game! EDITOR’S NOTE: Please direct all hate mail to Brian King who wrote these previews and predictions.
Northside Christian at Greenwood Christian
These two teams met for just the second time in 2022. The Hawks came away on the short end down in Lexington, 28-12. The last time the two teams faced off at Victory Field was in 2018 and the Hawks thrashed the Crusaders 42-0. Northside Christian is coming off a razor-thin victory over First Baptist School, 45-42, while the Hawks are coming off a heartbreaking 28-26 loss to Northwood Academy where QB Kade Heaton set a new school record for career passing yards at 1,405. Records are apparently meant to be broken over there on Woodlawn Road, with senior LB Casen Goff just three tackles away from that school record. The Hawks are going to need those three tackles and more from their senior defensive leader as the Crusaders feature a stout rushing attack led by junior Sam Burks, who piled nearly 200 yards on the ground last week.
Prediction: The Hawks build off of the momentum from the second half of last week’s game and Casen Goff gets his record in head coach Will Rooney’s first win at the helm of his alma mater. Hawks put the victory in Victory Field and send the Crusaders looking for a new cause, 42-28.
Thornwell at Calhoun Falls
This is the week. The Blue Flashes have lost 30 straight games coming into this contest against a team in Thornwell that is in year one of varsity football. That changes this Friday when the Flashes reward the diligence of head man Zak Theus with his first victory.
Prediction: The Flashes flash early and often in welcoming Thornwell to varsity football and take home the W, 49-6.
Dixie at Crescent
The Hornets make a short trip up Highway 184 to take on the Crescent Tigers. Crescent put a pretty good beat down on Pickens—a 4A opponent—last Friday and have their sights set on 1A opponent in Dixie this week. Dixie, to its credit, has not shied away from scheduling tough games against larger schools, kicking off 2023 with 3A opponents in each of the first two weeks.
Predictions: The Hornets just can’t keep pace with the three-headed rushing attack of Crescent. It’s very likely that all three Tiger backs break the century mark. Crescent rolls, 56-14.
McCormick at Lincoln County (Ga.)
South Carolina teams did not fare particularly well against Georgia teams in Week 0. The disparity was a tad disheartening for those of us from the Palmetto State. The Chiefs won the first ever matchup between the two schools back in 1974 – and hasn’t won one since, a streak that now sits at 28 games. Lincoln County is coming off of a loss to Bryan County and the Chiefs are coming off a big loss to Abbeville.
Prediction: On paper, this looks like it should be Lincoln County rolling to another victory. But the games are not played on paper. If the game was played in McCormick, the Chiefs find a way to pull out the win. Playing on the road, however, is a different story. Chiefs keep it close, but can’t end the streak, 35-27.
Ware Shoals at Ninety Six
The Wildcats will likely be without the Lakelands top-rated passer in Braden Mitchell, but there will not be a ton of drop off with backup Carver Davis, who had to step in late in last week’s game when Mitchell went down with an injury. The Hornets, on the other hand, rode Week 1 Co-Player of the Week Justice Lomax, who went for over 200 total yards and three scores, against an overmatched Whitmire squad.
Prediction: The matchup of the Wildcats defense and the Ware Shoals ground game is an intriguing one. However, the front seven of the Wildcats is not the front seven of Whitmire. Space will be much tougher to come by for Lomax & Co., Wildcats top the Hornets, 35-12.
Abbeville at Powdersville
Every media outlet covering high school football in the state of South Carolina has had this game circled since the teams announced their schedules prior to last season. In a Week 1 matchup of eventual State Champions in 2022 (Abbeville in 2A and Powdersville in 3A), the Patriots edged the Panthers in a game devoid of defense, 51-44. Both teams graduated a lot of key players. One of them—the Panthers—appears to have reloaded based on their huge victory in Week 0. The other, however, took a tough loss to a team they probably should have beaten.
Prediction: Powdersville was one of two teams to defeat Abbeville in 2022 (the other was 4A contender Westside) and the Panthers would love nothing more than to hand Powdersville a loss on their home field. Last week’s Co-Player of the Game Karson Norman leads the Panthers ground attack to a victory, 35-21.
Ridge Spring-Monetta at Saluda
The Trojans put up a decent fight early in the game last week against Augusta Christian, but their best play may have been a hard count that drew Augusta Christian offside on at least five occasions. You can rest assured Saluda head coach Stewart Young has prepared his team for that and the Tigers will be ready roll again in Week 1 just like they did against Mid-Carolina in Week 0.
Prediction: Tigers QB Drew Arant will need to throw very few passes because Kenmane Brunson, Brayden Williams, and Kyree Etheredge all have huge games behind an impressive performance from the Tiger offensive line. Saluda wins, 35-18.
Strom Thurmond at Midland Valley
It’s been a mostly one-sided rivalry between these two schools, with the Rebels holding a 19-7 edge. Thurmond had won 12 straight in the series until the Mustangs halted the streak last season. And this year they have one of the most electrifying backs in the state in Traevon Dunbar. The Rebels offense is no slouch either, with three of the Lakelands Top 10 Wide Receivers to go along with a couple of threats at tight end and a backfield deeper than the Mariana Trench. Which defense can hold up?
Prediction: It’s impossible to ignore how badly the Rebels struggled to stop the run in Week 0 against Laney. Laney QB C.J. Holmes carried the ball 49 times for 149 yards. Dunbar is ready to make a statement and the Mustangs defeat the Rebels 49-42.
Clinton at Laurens
For a full breakdown of this matchup check out Landon King’s full game preview.
Greenwood at Sandy Creek
The Eagles soared in Week 0 against a heavily favored A.C. Flora team. Triston Lewis turned everyone into believers in his ability to lead head coach Chris Liner’s new spread offense. The Eagle defense will have to contend with stud running back Amari Latimer of Sandy Creek. The sophomore already has offers from the likes of Georgia and Arizona and will likely be getting a lot more after piling up 274 rushing yards last week in the Patriots’ season opener.
Prediction: The Eagles will be hunting far away from the friendly confines of J.W. Babb Stadium in very hostile territory. They have a ton of grit, but they lack the firepower to keep up with Georgia’s 2022 3A state champs. Patriots down the Eagles 38-14.