Here we are at Week 3 already! And our SK Media Game of the Week presented by Mitchell Enterprises is one that dates all the way back to World War 1: the Abbeville Panthers and the Ninety Six Wildcats. The two teams first met in 1915, the same year The State newspaper declared Ninety Six as the first champions of South Carolina high school football.
Abbeville leads the all-time series 57-15-1. The Panthers have won the last 11 meetings in a row. The Panthers have not given up more than eight points in the last seven meetings and four of the last five have been shutouts. There is one interesting omen, however. Last Friday, the Panthers fell to Batesburg-Leesville for the first time since 2014. Coincidentally, that was the last time the Wildcats defeated Abbeville (thank you, Joey!).
But these games are not played in history books. The Panthers are 12-point favorites headed into Friday night’s showdown where they will look to bounce back from a disappointing 37-35 loss to Batesburg-Leesville. Running back Karson Norman was limited for the Panthers, but offense was not the issue at the freshly-christened Hite-Nickels Stadium. The Panthers defense struggled against the B-L passing attack, surrendering 266 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
The good news for South Carolina commit Damarcus Leach and the rest of the Abbeville secondary is that the Ninety Six offense features a potent rushing attack led by running backs Zay King and Gabe Hackett. They run behind a stout offensive line led by All-Lakelands selection–and all-around nice guy–Austin Wertz. Establishing a ground game will be critical to the Wildcats’ success on offense. The Wildcats have struggled offensively when forced to rely on the passing game to move the football. Hackett and King both ran for over 130 yards last week against Blackville-Hilda, and a similar performance will be necessary for the Wildcats to come out on top.
The Panthers have unleashed something that has not been common around A-Town as of late: a fierce passing attack. Defensive back and backup quarterback JD Baylor has proven to be a top target through the air as well as Darius Riley, who can turn some heads in the ground game also. Norman is also always a threat through the air to go along with his prowess on the ground.
Defensively for Ninety Six, the Wildcats started off strong in Week 0, only giving up 14 points to Emerald. However, that has not been the story since, as the Wildcats have given up at least 30 points in their last two games. Containing the Panther offense will be key for Ninety Six. But, that is easier said than done. Abbeville put up an astounding 129 combined points throughout the first three weeks. That is a whopping 43 points per game. Leach, Norman, Riley, Jha’Louis Hadden, Cam Lee and Collins Brown are all going to contribute on the ground for the Panthers and Ninety Six will have to figure out a way to stop them if they wish to be the victors in this game.
One of the biggest deciding factors of this game will be how quarterback Carver Davis can perform for the Wildcats. Davis has proven that he can lead the Wildcats to success in the past, but we have yet to see him have that breakout game this season. In his defense, the Wildcats’ scheme does not require him to throw the ball much. However, Ninety Six will need Davis to have an impact in the ground game along with Joe Moore and Michael Clements if they want to pull this one off.
Prediction: The game is close through the first half, but running back depth for Abbeville starts to show in the second half. Panthers cover the 12-point spread on the road and take down Ninety Six 42-28.