Oakbrook Prep (0-2) at Laurens Academy (2-1) {-2}
The Crusaders are coming off their first loss of the season to Wardlaw, but have shown no signs of slowing down. Garrett Murphy continues to shine and will be instrumental in leading Laurens Academy past an Oakbrook team that has struggled thus far. Murphy racked up 196 rushing yards with two touchdowns in the matchup against Wardlaw. The Crusaders currently sit at second on the SCISA 8-man rankings behind Richard Winn Academy, who blew out Oakbrook in their first game of the season. Expect to see another strong performance out of Murphy as the Crusaders improve to 3-1.
Prediction: Garrett Murphy tops last week’s performance and eclipses 200 yards this week. Ethan Collins finds the endzone as well and Laurens Academy wins, 40-28.
Eau Claire (1-1) at Greenwood Christian (1-2) {+16}
Eau Claire won their first game in just under five years last week and are coming into Victory Field with the most confidence they have had in years. It will be up to Rooney and the Hawks to shut that down. Leland Reed has continued to impress in his first season under center and Kade Heaton has more than settled in at his new role in the backfield. Hamp Davis is an athlete that only comes around every once in a while and it will be tough for the Shamrocks to stop him. Look for Reed to find Davis early as well as Bryson Dixon. The defense will be crucial in this matchup for the Hawks as they have allowed 28 or more points in both losses this season. Overall, it was a good moment for Eau Claire, but the Hawks are having none of that.
Prediction: GCS takes being 16 point underdogs at home personally and blow Eau Claire out of the water. Hamp Davis has three touchdowns and Kade Heaton adds two more. Hawks over Shamrocks, 49-13.
McCormick (0-2) at Washington-Wilkes (1-2) {-18}
Not much has gone the way of the Chiefs so far, facing two very tough opponents to open up the season. However, they showed a much improved performance against Lincoln County compared to Strom Thurmond. This week, the Chiefs face another cross-river foe in Washington-Wilkes. The Tigers picked up their first win of the season last week versus Oglethorpe County after dropping their first two games to Hephzibah and Harlem. Look for the Chiefs to turn some heads this game. Quarterback Markese Stevens will once again lead the charge and will be crucial for the McCormick offense and defense. It will be another improved performance for the Chiefs, but they fail to get in the win column here.
Prediction: This will be McCormick’s most competitive game yet, coming into this one feeling like they have something to prove. Markese Stevens shines on both sides of the ball and keeps the Chiefs in it for the majority of the game. However, the Chiefs eventually tire out in the fourth quarter, leading to a Washington-Wilkes victory. Final score: Washington-Wilkes 27, McCormick 20.
Dixie (2-0) at Southside (0-2) {-9}
The Hornets are hot, and it is going to stay that way. Dixie comes into this one as nine point underdogs despite last week’s impressive win over Fox Creek 34-24. Southside, on the other hand, has not had the best start to the season so far. The Tigers fell to Eastside 41-0 and Liberty 34-14, showing that it is more than possible for Dixie to come out on top despite the gap in classification. Of course, look for Brandon Nance to make his presence felt in another Meredith Insurance Player of the Week worthy performance. Wideout Leland Sanders has also shown that he can be a top target for quarterback Dallas Dotson alongside Staylon Johnson. Give me the Hornets big in this one.
Prediction: Dixie drives down to Greenville and prove everyone wrong. Nance has a monster game behind an impressive performance by the offensive line against a bigger 4A team. Dallas Dotson throws for over 100 yards and the Hornets win, 35-14.
Calhoun Falls (1-1) at Williston-Elko (1-1) {-15}
Calhoun Falls is coming off their first win of the season against American Leadership Academy in a game where they were 33 point underdogs. The Flashes are 15 point underdogs in this one, but just like the ALA game, do not count the Flashes out. Wide receiver Christian Richey has proven to be a focal point of the Flashes’ offense and I would not expect anything different in this one. The Blue Devils will tasked with stopping Richey, something easier said than done. Williston-Elko picked up their first win of the season in their opener against Pelion, breaking their ten game losing streak. The Blue Devils add to that win total as they defeat the Blue Flashes in a close contest.
Prediction: Calhoun Falls puts up a good fight, but the home crowd at Williston-Elko gets the best of them. Richey has over 100 all-purpose yards, but it is not enough as the Flashes fall to the Blue Devils, 21-14.
Ware Shoals (0-2) at Landrum (1-1) {-28}
Ware Shoals’ 0-2 record and 28 point spread are both misleading. The Hornets have been more than impressive in the first two games of the season against Blacksburg and Ninety Six, narrowly losing both contests. Expect a different result this time. Wideout Jayce Medlin has proven to be one of the top receivers in the Lakelands with 13 receptions, 211 yards and five touchdowns on the season already. Quarterback Jayden Johnson has also shown that he is more than capable of running point for a winning team. I like Ware Shoals to win this one in another close game.
Prediction: Despite the criticism that the Hornets cannot last four full quarters, Ware Shoals proves the doubters wrong and holds strong for the entirety of the game. Look for Medlin to have another big game and Jace Stewart to make an impact on the ground and through the air. Hornets over Cardinals, 34-28.
Batesburg-Leesville (1-0) at Abbeville (2-0) {-21}
Abbeville’s offense has been more than impressive in both of their games so far, scoring a combined 94 points. South Carolina commit Damarcus Leach and running back Karson Norman have both proven they are forces to be reckoned with so far, and expect nothing less against Batesburg-Leesville. While Abbeville are 21 point favorites in this one, expect them to lay the smackdown harder than that. Norman and Leach will both have big games and Jha’Louis Hadden and Darius Riley will work numbers for the “A.” Abbeville proves they are the superior Panthers in this one.
Prediction: Abbeville is already a great team, but Abbeville at home is a completely different beast. The crowd at Hite-Nickles Stadium roars behind Abbeville as they roll past Batesburg-Leesville, 41-14.
Blackville-Hilda (1-1) at Ninety Six (1-1) {-4}
This should be one of the better games of the week. The Wildcats are coming off a very competitive win over Ware Shoals where running Zay King showed exactly what he is made of. Blackville-Hilda will have to contain King in some fashion if they wish to walk out of Ninety Six as victors. Jaquel Holman, a South Carolina commit, will be tough to stop for Ninety Six. Holman ran for 252 yards and three touchdowns last week’s win over Ediston without playing in the fourth quarter. Though Holman is a special player, the Wildcats have a more well-rounded team and barely scrape out a victory.
Prediction: The offensive line leads the charge for Zay King and the Wildcats. Jaquel Holman rushes for over 100 yards, but it is not enough as the Wildcats do not allow the Hawks to spoil their homecoming. Ninety Six over Blackville-Hilda, 28-24.
Clinton (1-1) at Newberry (2-0) {+13}
The Red Devils really settled in offensively last week against Laurens. Quarterback Tushawan Richardson has been excellent to begin the season and should only look better as the season progresses. Running back Javen Cook has been phenomenal throughout the first two games and should only look better. The biggest exclamation point for the Rex Devils, however, is their offensive line. Clinton returned all five starters from 2023 and the big boys up front look better than ever. Three-star prospect Jamel Howse will not be easy to contain for the Red Devils, but his performance will not be enough as Clinton picks up their second win of the season.
Prediction: Corey Fountain and crew pick up their biggest win of the season and show everyone that they are true Class 2A state championship contenders. Cook finds the endzone at least once and the Red Devils pick up the victory, 35-21.
Laurens (0-2) at BHP (2-0) {-24}
Laurens was looking good against Clinton, trading blows with their cross-county rivals, before everything turned on a dime when quarterback Will Thompson went out with an apparent arm injury that could leave him sidelined for a significant amount of time. Head coach Greg Porter will face his toughest test yet at the helm of the Raiders getting backup quarterback J.T. Campbell and the offense ready. But it is the defense that will really be challenged by Clemson-commit Marquise Henderson. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior has already amassed 230 yards of rushing on the season on just 12–TWELVE!–rushes with four touchdowns. He also has 10 catches for 127 yards and another score through the air. The Laurens defense will have to contain the four-star prospect to have any chance of coming away with a victory.
Prediction: There might not be a single team in the state capable of containing Henderson as the Bears are a heavy favorite to win the state title in 3A. While Porter has Laurens turning in the right direction, they just don’t have the firepower to stop one of the best backs in the state. BHP rolls easily, 49-8.
Emerald (2-0) at Woodruff (2-0) {-9}
The Vikings are off to an impressive start to begin the Beau Hite era at quarterback. While the freshman has given us plenty to talk about with his impressive play so far in 2024, it is the Emerald defense that has them sitting at 2-0 for just the second time in the past 10 seasons. The Vikings held Traveler’s Rest scoreless in Week 1 and their defense stymied a potent Ninety Six rushing attack in Week 0. This week’s task will be a little different. Woodruff has a couple of big targets for quarterback T.J. Morris and the Wolverines offense has looked prolific the first two weeks of the season, winning a shootout with Clinton 40-36 in Week 0 and then another game of high-powered offense with Fountain Inn 30-27.
Prediction: The Vikings have almost every piece they need to go on the road and pull off a huge upset win and go to 3-0 for the first time since 2012. The missing piece is the ability to cover multiple targets in the passing game that are 6-foot-4 or taller. Woodruff has three pass catchers that size and two of them were all-region selections in 2023. The Woodruff defense has shown it can be exploited so expect another high scoring affair. Woodruff edges Emerald, 24-21.
Dorman (1-1) at Greenwood (1-0) {+12}
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