It’s one of the biggest matchups every year for both teams. The families, the very lives of the two communities intertwined since 1895 when the South Carolina state legislature first carved Saluda County out of parts of Edgefield County. A long list of coaches have led both teams in their storied careers, including Rebels head coach Andrew Webb who was the offensive coordinator for Tigers head coach Stewart Young from 2019, when the Tigers won the 2A state championship, to 2021, when Webb took the head job at Strom Thurmond.
The all-time series heavily favors Strom Thurmond, with the Rebels holding a 43-14-3 edge on the Tigers. Young is 1-2 against his friend and former assistant Webb, with the lone win coming in the 2022 quarterfinals in the Peach Fields. The Rebels won last year’s meeting convincingly, 48-3.
Alas, it’s a new year and these two teams are not only contenders for their region championship, but both teams are also contenders to represent the Upper State in the 2A state championship game at South Carolina State University on December 12.
Both teams boast stout defenses that have big time players holding down the front seven. Both defenses also have electric playmakers in the defensive backfield. Both teams have a Touchstone Energy Bowl selection on the defensive line. For Saluda, it’s J.T. Lott and for Strom Thurmond, it’s Josh Merriweather. Both have shown the ability to dominate games and force opponents to game plan for their presence.
Offensively, Saluda had to deal with the loss of starting quarterback Drew Arant in their Week 0 win over Crescent. Brayden Williams was moved from running back to quarterback and the Tigers never missed a beat. Tristan Daniels stepped up as a runner when Williams was moved to quarterback and the Tigers continue to utilize his skills on offense. Arant made his return a couple of weeks ago against Pelion and he has great targets in the passing game like Vic Gaines, Josh Uhlar, and Jah Foulks. Sophomore Jahmeer Myers has also emerged as a target in the passing game at tight end. The Tigers’ offensive line is one of the best in the area and they can take control of any game at any time.
The Rebels offense has shifted to a much more run heavy offense than they ran last year, though many of the concepts remain the same. Though Demarius Tolen and Braylon Staley both departed for college football, it was North-South selection Jay Sewell who caught more passes than both in last year’s win over Saluda. He continues to look impressive, though the Rebels ground game has been so effective this season that they have only thrown the ball 78 times compared to more than 200 rushing attempts. Deonte Phillips has been a stalwart at running back for Strom Thurmond, along with the ever steady Cam Blacks and budding star Tranquillis Mathis. The Rebels also boast a stout offensive line that they consider a strength of their team.
Prediction: This game is as difficult to predict as any game out there. Doodle’s Doodles quit dropping lines after Helene. When last they were published, the Rebels were 13-point favorites over Lincoln County and the Tigers were 13 point favorites over Newberry. How’s that for parity? In a coin flip of a game, the edge goes to the home team. Saluda defeats Strom Thurmond, 22-20.
