The high school football season is in its ninth week in South Carolina. Here are some of the top matchups in the Midlands as well as our weekly power rankings.
Top Midlands games this week
Chapin (3-4, 0-1 region) at Dutch Fork (6-1, 1-0): Dutch Fork has won the last four games in the series, scoring more than 50 points in each of the games. DF running back Jarvis Green leads the team with 715 yards and eight touchdowns. Jaylen Hinton leads DF with 71 tackles. Dutch Fork safety Landon Danley committed to University of Virginia on Thursday. Chapin has lost three straight games. Prediction: Dutch Fork
Clover (4-3, 2-0) at Blythewood (5-2, 2-0): Both teams enter the game on a three-game winning streak. Winner will have the inside track to win the Region 3-5A championship. First meeting between the two teams since 2015. The all-time series is tied 1-1. Blythewood has recorded two straight shutouts for the first time since 2005. Junior Edward Robinson leads Blythewood defense with 72 tackles and 17 sacks. DJ Tyler leads the Bengals with seven TD catches. Clover quarterback Jaylon Hoover has thrown for 1,704 yards and 15 TDs. Dion Brown has 35 catches for 890 yards and 11 TDs. Prediction: Clover
Irmo (4-3) at AC Flora (7-0, 2-0): Irmo won last year’s matchup 28-27 on Izayah Whiteside’s 3-yard run with 2:14 left. Irmo has lost two straight, both by six or fewer points, and looks to avoid an 0-3 start in Region 5-4A play. AC Flora is ranked No. 2 in the Class 4A poll. AC Flora running back Markel Townsend went over the 1,000-yard mark for second straight year and has 1,214 yards rushing and 18 TDs. Ten different AC Flora players have at least one sack. AC Flora quarterback Carew Bates has completed 72% of passes for 877 yards, 13 TDs. Irmo quarterback Aaron Brand has 1,194 total yards and 14 touchdowns. Irmo running back Erick Tucker needs 33 yards for 1,000 on the season. Prediction: AC Flora
Lexington (6-1, 2-0) at White Knoll (6-2, 0-2): Lexington has won six straight games and can wrap up at least second place in Region 4-5A with a win. Wildcats finish region play in two weeks against Dutch Fork. Lexington has won five straight against White Knoll with the Timberwolves’ last win coming in 2016. Lexington running back Jonah Norris has rushed for 1,430 yards and 19 TDs. Lexington QB Taiden Mines has thrown for 1,339 yards and 18 total TDs. The Wildcats’ offense is averaging 446 yards per game. Christian Sexton leads Lexington with 72 tackles and Brayden Woolbright has four interceptions. White Knoll has lost two in a row since opening the season at 6-0. Timberwolves QB Landon Sharpe has thrown for 1,107 yards and 16 TDs. Prediction: Lexington
Ridge View (6-1, 2-0) at Westwood (2-5, 1-1): Ridge View enters the game tied with AC Flora in Region 5-4A and has won five straight games. Ridge View leads the all-time series, 6-3. The Blazers are ranked No. 6 in Class 4A. Marcus Kelly leads RV with 784 yards rushing and nine touchdowns, including the game-winner in OT last week against Irmo. Quarterback Donald Tomlin is completing 68% of his passes for 1,346 yards and 14 TDs. East Carolina commit Zion Agnew leads RV with 40 catches for 710 yards and eight total TDs. Westwood picked up its first region victory with a come-from-behind win over Lugoff-Elgin 18-14 last week. Receiver Noah Jennings leads Westwood with 36 catches for 641 yards and seven touchdowns. Prediction: Ridge View
This week’s schedule, picks
Game times are 7:30 p.m. unless noted with Lou Bezjak’s prediction in parenthesis
Batesburg-Leesville at Fox Creek (Prediction: Batesburg-Leesville)
CA Johnson at McBee (CA Johnson)
Camden Military at Cardinal Newman (Cardinal Newman)
Cheraw at North Central (Cheraw)
Dreher at Brookland-Cayce (Brookland-Cayce)
Eau Claire at Keenan (Keenan)
Fairfield Central at Columbia (Fairfield Central)
Hammond at Trinity Collegiate (Hammond)
Lower Richland at Swansea (Lower Richland)
Lugoff-Elgin at Richland Northeast (Richland Northeast)
Newberry at Gray Collegiate (Gray Collegiate)
Newberry Academy at Wardlaw Academy (Wardlaw)
Northside Christian at Bethesda Academy (Bethesda)
Orangeburg-Wilkinson at Gilbert (Gilbert)
Pelion at Strom Thurmond (Strom Thurmond)
Richard Winn at Oakbrook Prep (Richard Winn)
Saluda at Silver Bluff (Saluda)
South Aiken at Airport (South Aiken)
Spring Valley at Fort Mill (Spring Valley)
Last Week: 22-4
Season Record: 151-43
The State’s Power Rankings
A look at The State’s Top 10 for Columbia-area schools after Week 8:
1. Dutch Fork
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Defeated White Knoll, 52-0
2. AC Flora
Record: 7-0
Last Week: Defeated Richland Northeast, 35-18
3. Lexington
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Defeated River Bluff, 48-21
4. Ridge View
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Defeated Irmo, 40-37 (OT)
5 Gray Collegiate
Record: 5-3
Last Week: Defeated Fairfield Central, 27-14
6. Gilbert
Record: 5-2
Last Week: Defeated Swansea, 43-14
7. Camden
Record: 5-3
Last Week: Defeated Darlington, 51-0
8. River Bluff
Record: 6-2
Last Week: Lost to Lexington, 48-21
9. Saluda
Record: 6-1
Last Week:Lost to Strom Thurmond, 6-3
10. Blythewood
Record: 5-2
Last Week: Defeated Nation Ford, 40-0
Dropped out: White Knoll
Others considered: Hammond, White Knoll
Lou Bezjak: (803) 771-8419, @LouatTheState
Caption:
Joshua Boucher jboucher@thestate.com
Blythewood High School’s Harrison Collins (17) scores against Ridge View High School on Aug. 19.
October 14, 2022 | State, The (Columbia, SC)
Author/Byline: Lou Bezjak; Staff Writer | Page: 1B | Section: Sports