The Greenwood-Dorman rivalry is one of the biggest in all of South Carolina high school football. For seven straight years, the matchups between the two teams did not go the Eagles’ way. Until last season, where the Eagles took down Dorman to end their losing streak against the Cavaliers.
That was Greenwood head coach Chris Liner’s first win against Dorman. If everything goes according to plan for the Eagles, it will not be his last. The all-time series is 9-18 in favor of Dorman and the Cavaliers are looking to get back in the win column against the Eagles.
Greenwood is coming off an impressive win against 2022 Class 3A state champion Beaufort by a score of 37-18. Both the Eagle offense and defense were impressive in Greenwood’s first game of the season, and the defense will have to shine even brighter to stop a powerful Dorman offense.
The Eagles have one of the most stacked defensive lines in the state, including Shuvioues Williams, Ahmad Scott, J.T. Harling and Deavion Griffin. They will be tasked in stopping Nick Means, Dorman’s electric sophomore running back. Means rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-35 win over Greenville, a team both the Eagles and Cavaliers are familiar with.
Following the Greenville game, Dorman was met with one of the best teams in all of Georgia: Grayson. The Cavaliers struggled, falling 53-0 to the Rams. Means only racked 10 rushing yards that game, showing that he is human and can be stopped. Containing Means will be crucial for Greenwood.
One of the most interesting things about Dorman is their quarterback situation. Their two quarterbacks, Brice O’Neal and Makorean Anderson-Wallington, split action versus Greenville, while Anderson-Wallington took care of the majority of the duties against Grayson. O’Neal saw only three snaps versus Grayson, where he was sacked each time.
No matter who the Cavaliers throw out at quarterback, they will have a nice target in Keenan Arcega-Whiteside. Arcega-Whiteside is related to former NFL wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, and it seems as if football talent runs in the family. Arcega-Whiteside caught for 91 yards against Greenville and 33 yards against Grayson. Look for him to be a key target on Friday night.
Arcega-Whiteside and crew will be faced with a loaded Greenwood secondary. A.J. Norman and D.J. Womack are capable of locking down any team’s top receiver and will have their hands full with Arcega-Whiteside. Safeties Bryce Seaborn, who caught an interception versus Beaufort, and Khamari Griffin have proven to be an elite duo for the Eagles who will not let anything past them. Coincidentally, Seaborn and Griffin both play running back as well, but make their presence felt most on the defensive side of the ball.
Though Dorman has an impressive offense, their defense has been lackluster through the first two weeks. The Cavaliers allowed 88 total points in their first two games, something that they will not be able to get away with against Greenwood. In particular, the run defense will have to step up for the Cavaliers. Dorman allowed Banks Bouton of Greenville to rush for 123 yards and three touchdowns, another thing that will not fly against Greenwood if Trey Crawford, Alijah Wade and Triston Lewis have anything to say about it.
Lewis, who tops the SK Media Top 10 Quarterbacks list, has proven to be every bit as advertised. He walked away with three total touchdowns against Beaufort, two on the ground and one through the air. Lewis has an elite set of targets to throw to as well. Jay Duncan shined versus Beaufort and Jayden Adams is a proven dog. With Adams and Duncan, new faces Desiray Christian and Landen Still have proven to be a vital piece of the Eagle offense. Expect Lewis to find his targets early and often and make an impact in the ground game.
Prediction: This game will again be a close one, albeit with a lot more scoring than the 10-7 affair from last season. Lewis has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the Upstate and Greenwood’s running game looked ferocious last week against Beaufort. A late interception (looking at you, Khamari Griffin!) seals the game and a Crawford touchdown adds some insurance. Eagles take care of business, 31-21.