The Abbeville Panthers are set to host the most anticipated matchup of the week versus the Westside Rams this Friday at Hite Stadium. It’s the second year in a row these two squads have faced off, and with both teams coming off of key wins, this one is set to be even better than last year’s contest.
Westside is led by an electric passing attack with three star quarterback Cutter Woods at the helm. Woods has thrown for 440 yards, with five touchdowns and an interception in two games this season. It’s gonna be up to Woods to lead his team in order to pull out a victory.
Woods shouldn’t have too much of a problem finding open targets, as the Rams have one of, if not the most star-studded receiving corps in the state. Leading the pack is three star wide receiver Jimmar Boston, who recently made his commitment to NC State. Boston was absent in the Rams’ first two games, and there is no guarantee he will play on Friday. His status will be crucial for the Rams.
Alongside Boston is Josh Williams, a Chattanooga commit, who is coming off of one of the best games of his career. Last week, Williams caught three touchdowns en route to leading his team past inner city rival and 5A powerhouse TL Hanna.
On the defensive end, the Rams bring a fierce secondary that is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Leading the charge is junior Zeke Marshall, a six-foot-six safety that takes no prisoners. Marshall is the second ranked defensive back in the state of South Carolina for the class of 2025, according to PrepRedZone.
Just like last year, all the odds are stacked against head coach Jamie Nickles and the Abbeville Panthers.
And that’s just the way they like it.
Everytime it seems as if there is no shot the Panthers can pull out a win, they prove everyone wrong. Expect nothing less from Coach Nickles and company on Friday.
Per usual, the Panthers’ legendary A-bone offense will look to overwhelm the sturdy Rams defense. Abbeville has an abyss of running backs, featuring Karson Norman, Jha’Louis Hadden, Altavious Patterson, Gavin Calhoun and sometimes even Damarcus Leach. Norman is the unquestioned leader of this group, rushing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns so far.
Quarterback Jay Hill is going to have to be firing on all cylinders for the Panthers to pull out a win on Friday. Hill has shown flashes of greatness in the first three games of the season, leading his team to huge comeback wins over Powdersville and Southside Christian. If there is anything we know about Hill, it’s that he knows how to make magic happen.
Moving to the defensive end, from top to bottom, there is only one word that can be used to describe the Abbeville defense: terrifying.
Starting at the bottom, senior Jae Harris is a destructive force on the defensive line. Being arguably the most unblockable player in the Lakelands, Harris is going to have to continue his dominance against the Rams. Junior AJ Speach, who is making his return to football, has also been making his presence felt.
Mikelyn Bowie and Gavin Calhoun lead the linebacker unit, two guys who have made more of an impact than Panther fans could have ever imagined. Altavious Patterson is also someone to look out for at linebacker.
And finally, the Panthers have an even tougher secondary than the Rams. Power 5 prospect Damarcus Leach leads the group, who is having a fantastic start to his junior season. Leach was crucial in the two comeback wins versus Powdersville and Southside Christian, intercepting two passes against Powdersville and punching in the touchdown that set up the game-winning two point conversion against Southside Christian. Ball hawks Jakwon Elmore and Jaylen Baylor will also be looking to give the Rams offense some trouble.
Prediction: The Rams come out fast, connecting on two passing touchdowns to go up 14-0 early. However, this is no worry for Coach Nickles and the Panthers. Abbeville fights back to make it a one score game, going into the half down 21-14. As the story goes, Coach Nickles fires up his crew at halftime, and the Panthers come out and dominate the second half. Westside tries to keep up, but the Panthers offense is just too much for the Rams to handle. Abbeville improves to 4-0 with a 38-31 victory.