Football season is finally here! It will be AMAZING to be back at meaningful football games tonight and the Lakelands is serving us up a delectable smorgasbord of games. Let’s kick off this year’s Pigskin Previews!
Coastal Hurricanes at Cambridge (+39)
The Cougars welcome the Coastal Hurricanes into town for their second game of their first season back on the gridiron. Cambridge has an abbreviated schedule this season, with just eight games on the slate for the elder Coach Rooney (yes, related to GCS coach Will Rooney). The Cougars are 39-point underdogs, but Maddox Lee and company won’t lay down that easily.
Prediction: It’s one of the highest lines for the week. And it will be one of the biggest upsets of the week. Cougars shock the world, baby! Cambridge 36, Coastal Hurricanes 32.
Laurens Academy at Newberry Academy (+8)
The SCISA Week -1 is WILD, but it means Laurens Academy comes into the contest at 1-0, fresh off of their defeat of Cambridge last week. Newberry prefers to play only in weeks with positive numbers so this will be their first game of the 2024 season. Garrett Murphy led the charge last week against Cambridge and will lead it again against Newberry Academy.
Prediction: The Crusaders lean heavily on Murphy and all he brings to the table. Unfortunately for Newberry Academy, he brings a LOT to the table. Crusades roll, 42-24.
Calhoun Falls at GCS (+3)
The younger of the Coaches Rooney welcomes Coach Theus and the Blue Flashes to Victory Field Friday night for a rare SCHSL-SCISA showdown. The Flashes are three-point favorites and have a hot tandem of Kendraez Tatum and Christian Richey to help matriculate the ball down the field. The Hawks opened play at Northside Christian in Lexington last week, but lost handily. They were without the services of Hamp Davis following an injury sustained in the Abbeville Jamboree, but Davis is expected to suit up and play against Calhoun Falls. Having Davis should help first-year starting quarterback Leland Reed, who, in spite of the loss, had a pretty good first start to his career.
Prediction: The first half will be a boat race, before the offenses finally begin to bog down through the third quarter and most of the fourth. A flurry of scoring in the final five minutes of the game will leave the Hawks on top, 36-33.
Ware Shoals at Blacksburg (-9)
The Hornets open up their 2024 campaign by traveling to Blacksburg. The Wildcats return a bunch of starters, including quarterback Josh Sims and 6-foot-5 wide receiver Cameron Cobb. The Hornets will need big performances from the Ja(y)ces, Jayce Medlin and Jace Stewart, if they hope to pull out the victory.
Prediction: The Hornets are a better team in 2024 than they were in 2023, but they will have their hands full trying to contain Cobb. Blacksburg isn’t a really fun place to pay, either. The Hornets lose to the Wildcats 30-23.
Ridge Spring-Monetta at Dixie (-10)
RSM has had a couple of disappointing seasons in a row, posting records of 3-8 and 1-10 the past two years. They are not expected to be much better in 2024. Meanwhile, Dixie should be improved in their second campaign under Mark Morrow. New quarterback Dallas Dotson will get to show his skills for the first time in a regular season with Brandon Nance and Staylon Johnson itching for the ball from him. The Hornets are 10 point favorites, but do not be surprised if they knock the Trojans off by more than that.
Prediction: Dixie starts off hot and never looks back. Two touchdowns from both Dotson and Nance propel the Hornets past the Trojans to win their opener. Will Carter will be playing quarterback by the fourth quarter. Dixie over RSM, 35-14.
Southside Christian at Abbeville (+8)
The past two seasons, this game has been one for the ages. Abbeville tends to start off slow earlier in the season and put the foot on the gas as the season progresses. However, this Abbeville team feels different. Their confidence is sky high with the drop to Class A, and perennial powerhouse Southside Christian will be a great test to get them ready for region play. Wake Forest pitching commit Carson Bolemon is at quarterback for the Sabres and he’ll be sure to give the Panthers some problems. Abbeville’s stacked secondary of Damarcus Leach, Justin Rollinson, Jaylen Baylor and Jakwon Elmore will be tasked with shutting down Bolemon’s arm. This game is going to come down to one thing: who wants it more?
Prediction: With the Hite Stadium crowd behind them, the Panthers take charge early and never look back. Southside Christian makes a good effort for a comeback, but the Panthers’ ground and pound attack wears the Sabres down until they walk away in victory. Abbeville over Southside Christian, 28-14.
Strom Thurmond at McCormick (+35)
Friday night will be the first time these two teams have ever met on the gridiron. Storylines abound in this matchup thanks to the incredible overlap of the two communities and the two coaching staffs. The Chiefs are in rebuilding mode after losing the core of their team to graduation. The Rebels, on the other hand, appear to have reloaded after losing significant pieces to their 2023 squad that lost narrowly in the third round of the playoffs to Gray Collegiate Academy.
Prediction: The relationships may be the only thing close in this game. The Chiefs have plenty of heart, but Strom Thurmond just has too many weapons. Rebels win big in this one, 49-7.
Saluda at Crescent (-10)
The Battle of the Tigers is going down in Iva Friday night. Darius Latimer returns along with four starters along the Crescent offensive line in hopes of topping a 2023 season that saw Latimer rush for a hundred yards per game. Latimer is primed to have another big season out of the pistol formation, but did not look particularly great against Greenwood in jamboree action. Saluda’s defense looks a good bit different now than it did in 2024, but they still have J.T. Lott on the defensive line and newcomer Akiem Mills at middle linebacker.
Prediction: There can be only one Tiger. As Saluda says at the end of every practice, “One Team. One Town. One Tiger.” And it will be purple tigers celebrating at the end of the night in this one. Saluda downs Crescent, 20-18.
Emerald at Ninety Six (-2)
This game is going to be a fun one! Check out our in-depth preview of the SK Media Game of the Week presented by Mitchell Enterprises!
Woodruff at Clinton (-21)
The Red Devils had a terrific 2023 season, but 2024 could be even better. Though the loss of Kadon Crawford and Zay Johnson will hurt them, the Red Devils have more than reloaded. Woodruff is a common opponent for Clinton, as they have often been in the same region in the past. Head coach Corey Fountain knows Woodruff, and he is going to use that to his advantage against the Wolverines. Clinton is going to make a statement in week zero that symbolizes exactly how their season is going to go.
Prediction: The Red Devils come out fast and physical, leaving Woodruff to eat their dust. Not much to be said, as Clinton is going to do as Clinton does. Devils over Woodruff, 42-17.
Hillcrest at Laurens (+36)
The Raiders find themselves in a familiar position against Hillcrest to open up the season. This is interesting not only because the two schools are rivals, but also because Greg Porter was formerly the head coach at Hillcrest and turned the program around. To go on top of that, Raiders starting quarterback Will Thompson was formerly at Hillcrest. Expect Thompson and his corps of Josh Goodwin, Jaden Williams and Jireh Brown to try to make some electric plays early. However, even if the Raiders are firing on all cylinders, it is going to take a lot to take down Hillcrest. The Rams return a good bit of starters from last season, but also are without Avery McFadden, who is now at Georgia State. Javaye Suber is going to have to make his presence known in order to shut down the Rams passing attack for the Raiders to come out on top.
Prediction: Laurens is able to compete for the majority of the game, but the Rams eventually pull away toward the end. Hillcrest over Laurens, 38-24.