PAC Panthers JV defeat Cambridge 28-14
A great effort by Cambridge against a talented Providence Athletic Club team. The Cougars are battling some injuries, leaving them with only eight players. Looking forward to seeing this team improve as the season goes on. Their next game is Friday, September 15 against the Augusta Eagles at home.
Wardlaw Academy (1-0) at Laurens Academy (2-0) {+12}
The Crusaders are coming off a big victory against Newberry Academy in Week 0. They were the underdogs in that game, similar to their matchup against Wardlaw. Quarterback Ethan Collins and athlete Garrett Murphy will have to continue to play well with the health of Spires McCameron in question. Collins threw for 198 yards with three touchdowns and rushed for 87 more with another touchdown on the ground against Newberry Academy, earning him the Laurens County Touchdown Club Player of the Week.
Prediction: Collins and Murphy shine and the Crusaders improve to 3-0. Laurens Academy in the upset, 36-30.
GCS (1-1) at Calhoun Academy (0-1) {+8}
This is the second week in a row the Hawks are set to face a team with “Calhoun” in their name. The only difference is this time it’s a region game. The Hawks shined in their Week 0 matchup against Calhoun Falls and won 48-6. Leland Reed continues to improve at quarterback and Kade Heaton and Cole Hamby are consistent threats in the backfield. Hamp Davis will be a big target for Reed, as he had two catches for two touchdowns in his first game back from injury against Calhoun Falls. Brady Wilson’s health is still in question, but expect this to be a competitive game.
Prediction: GCS starts off hot, similar to last week. The Calhoun Academy crowd will make it hard on the Hawks, allowing Calhoun Academy to charge a comeback. However, a late score in the fourth quarter propels Rooney’s Road Dawgs to the win. Hawks win, 27-20.
Lincoln County (2-0) at McCormick (0-1) {+24}
Another tough matchup for the Chiefs as they take on one of the top lower-classification teams in Georgia. The rivalry between these two schools always makes this matchup fun, no matter how the game goes. The Chiefs struggled in Week 0 against a very good Strom Thurmond team, but should look better against Lincoln County. Senior quarterback Markese Stevens is the heart and soul of this team, and he’s going to have to make that known for the Chiefs to pull out a victory.
Prediction: The Chiefs will keep it competitive for the first half. Stevens finds the endzone at least once and the Chiefs trail slightly heading into halftime. However, the Red Devils just have too many bodies for McCormick to keep up with, and Lincoln County pulls away in the second half. Final score: Lincoln County 45, McCormick 20
Fox Creek (0-0) at Dixie (1-0) {+9}
Fox Creek has improved greatly from last season, but so has Dixie. The Hornets cruised offensively against Ridge Spring-Monetta in Week 0 and should look similar against Fox Creek. Though the offense looked good, the Hornet defense allowed 19 points in the fourth quarter last week. That cannot be a trend for the Hornets if they wish to win this game. Brandon Nance will be a difference maker every time he touches the ball and Dallas Dotson seems to be settling in just fine. Expect Staylon Johnson to see the ball more as well as the Hornets improve to 2-0.
Prediction: Nance finds the endzone at least two times as the Hornets establish who they really are this season. Despite being the underdogs, Dixie cruises past Fox Creek 35-20.
American Leadership Academy (0-1) at Calhoun Falls (0-1) {+33}
Neither of these teams fared very well in their Week 0 matchups. ALA lost to Providence Athletic Club 60-0, while Calhoun Falls fell to Greenwood Christian 48-6. We still don’t know much about ALA, so it will be good to see how the Blue Flashes fare against them. The Flashes are 33-point underdogs this week and have something to prove. The quarterback situation is still touchy as Braylon Patterson and Kendraez Tatum have both seen snaps at the position. Freshman Preston Thomas-Smalls caught an interception in his first varsity football game and the future only seems brighter for him.
Prediction: The Flashes get a big confidence boost and pick up their first win of the season. Despite being the underdog by a large margin, the Flashes shock the world and win in a defensive battle. Flashes over ALA, 12-6.
Abbeville (1-0) at Powdersville (0-1) {+7}
Both of the games these two teams have played against each other have been instant classics. The Panthers have not followed their recent trend of starting off slow and picking up as the season goes on in 2024. Last week, the Panthers were eight point underdogs and defeated Southside Christian 41-7. This week, they are seven point favorites, but expect a similar. The Abbeville offense will wear the Patriots down from kickoff to the very last whistle. Karson Norman will explode and the defense will shine. Give me the Panthers big here.
Prediction: Abbeville barely makes it out of Powdersville alive. Not from the actual game, but from all the stuff being thrown at them after the pounding they deliver to the Patriots. Abbeville wins 48–19.
Ninety Six (0-1) at Ware Shoals (0-1) {+21}
In the recent past, the matchups between these two teams have not gone the Hornets’ way. Ninety Six has won the last nine meetings by an average of 34 points. However, this year’s Ware Shoals team is different. Jayden Johnson has improved substantially from 2023 and Altavis Evans has turned into a vital piece of the offense out of the backfield. Where the problems lie for Ware Shoals is stopping Zay King and the stout Wildcat defense. King racked up 73 yards and a touchdown versus a good Emerald defense in Week 0. Expect an even better performance out of the senior provided the offensive line has an improved performance. This year’s matchup will be more competitive than in years past, but the result ultimately remains the same.
Prediction: The first half is very competitive, with neither offense able to get the ball rolling. In the second half, the Wildcats pull away slightly, but the Hornets don’t let up. Ultimately, King is the difference maker as Ware Shoals, much like many teams, just cannot find a way to stop him. Wildcats for the win, 28-12.
Ridge Spring-Monetta (0-1) at Saluda (1-0) {-41}
The Tigers are heavy favorites in this one, and for good reason. Saluda rolled over Crescent 20-6 in Week 0 despite losing their starting quarterback. Expect much of the same from the Tigers versus RSM no matter who is under center. JT Lott, DeVon Wallace and Amir Johnson all have a field day as the Tigers advance to 2-0.
Prediction: Not much to say about this one. Tigers dominate, 56-0.
Strom Thurmond (1-0) at Silver Bluff (0-1) {+8}
The Rebels turned heads in their Week 0 matchup versus McCormick, but we still haven’t gotten a full glimpse at what this team is capable of. Deonte Phillips made sure you knew his name in Week 0 he should have another big performance this week. Silver Bluff struggled against the run versus South Aiken in their Week 0 meeting, leaving an opportunity for Phillips, Cam Blacks and Kaleb Simpkins to make their presence felt. And, of course, Jay Sewell is going to be big time for the Rebels.
Prediction: It’s been a while since Silver Bluff defeated Strom Thurmond, and it’s going to remain that way. Party in the Peach Fields, 49-20.
Laurens (0-1) at Clinton (0-1) {-1}
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Travelers Rest (1-0) at Emerald (1-0) {+6}
The Vikings showed a lot to be excited about in Week 0. Most notably, Emerald started freshman Beau Hite at quarterback, and he did not disappoint. Key Holloway and Armahd Key are both good targets for Hite to throw to and KD Abney, AJ Anderson and Chris Dean should all see carries out of the backfield. However, the cherry on top for the Vikings is their defense, especially at linebacker. Division1 prospect Kam Langford and Chris Foster, who picked up 22 tackles and fumble recovery against Ninety Six, make an intimidating duo of linebackers. I like the Vikings to pick up the win and improve to 2-0.
Prediction: Foster has another insane week, further proving that he is more than capable of stepping out of his brother’s shadow. Emerald’s three-headed running attack shines as the Vikings win their home opener 20-6.
Greenwood (0-0) at Beaufort (0-1) {+9}
The Eagles kickoff their 2024 campaign–and a stretch of 10 consecutive games–with a trip to Beaufort in a battle for Eagle supremacy. The Eagles of Beaufort lost in a close one to Fort Dorchester in Week 0, 28-21. Senior quarterback Samari Bonds handles a lot of the load for Beaufort and amassed over 300 total yards of offense against Fort Dorchester last week, but this Greenwood defense has looked legitimately scary in the preseason. The Greenwood defense has six players on the SK Media Top 10 positional lists (Shuvioues Williams, Ahad Scott, Deavion Griffin, Khamari Griffin, A.J. Norman and Damarion Roman) and those guys present quite the challenge for the Beaufort offense.
Beaufort’s defense, on the other hand, looked to be prone to giving up chunk plays against Fort Dorchester in Week 0. Triston Lewis has been impressive at quarterback in the preseason. He has some nice weapons on the outside in speedsters Jayden Adams and Landen Still and freshman Desiray Christian. Greenwood always has a couple of stud running backs like Trey Crawford and Alijah Wade and I’m just not sure the Beaufort linebackers will be up to the task of stopping this Greenwood train from rolling.
Prediction: Opening drive jitters and garbage time will be the only opportunities in the game for Beaufort to score points. Greenwood wins and covers easily, 31-14.