The high school football season is nearing the end of the regular season in South Carolina, and here are some of the top matchups in the Midlands as well as the weekly power rankings.
Top Midlands games this week
A.C. Flora (8-0, 3-0) at Lugoff-Elgin (4-4, 1-2): A.C. Flora is the lone Midlands unbeaten team left and ranked No. 2 in Class 4A. The Falcons are tied for Region 5-4A lead with Ridge View. A.C. Flora running back Markel Townsend leads the team with 1,457 yards and 21 TDs. Jack Purdy and Chris Lofton are tied for Flora’s lead with five touchdown catches. The Falcons’ defense has 22 sacks on the season. L-E enters this week in a three-way tie with Westwood and Richland Northeast for third in the region. The Demons lead the all-time series, 12-6. L-E running back Sky Harter went over the 1,000-yard mark last week and has 1,071 yards and 10 touchdowns. K.D. Outen leads L-E with 97 sacks and nine sacks. Prediction: A.C. Flora
Camden (5-3, 3-0) at Crestwood (6-2, 3-0): Winner of game wins Region 6-3A championship. Camden won last year’s matchup 35-26 and leads all-time series 7-3. Camden has outscored opponents 73-7 in the first quarter. Camden quarterback Grayson White has thrown for 1,269 yards and 20 total touchdowns. David Copley leads the team with 13 sacks. Crestwood quarterback Javion Martin has thrown for 1,727 yards and 26 total touchdowns. Anthony Steele leads Crestwood with five interceptions. Prediction: Camden
Dutch Fork (7-1, 2-0) at River Bluff (6-2, 1-1): Dutch Fork is ranked No. 1 in Class 5A and is a half-game back of Lexington in the Region 5-5A standings. If the Silver Foxes win Friday, they will play Lexington for the region title next week. Dutch Fork has recorded two straight shutouts and has allowed just 94 total yards in those two games. Dutch Fork running back Jarvis Green needs 126 rushing yards for 1,000 on the season. DF’s Chandler Perry was picked for the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl this week. River Bluff clinches a playoff spot with a win Friday or next week against Chapin. River Bluff running back Cooper Johns leads the team with 1,343 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Gators are averaging 273.3 yards rushing per game. Prediction: Dutch Fork
Richland Northeast (2-6, 1-2) at Ridge View (7-1, 3-0): Richland Northeast is in a three-way tie for third in Region 5-4A. Ridge View is ranked No. 6 in Class 4A and tied with A.C. Flora for the Region 5-4A lead. RV plays A.C. Flora next week. Ridge View running back Marcus Kelly needs 119 yards for 1,000 on the season. He has 10 touchdowns. Blazers quarterback Donald Tomlin has thrown for 1,472 yards and 15 touchdowns. Wide receiver Zion Agnew leads the team with 45 catches for 785 yards and nine total touchdowns. Jebari Gamble leads RV with five sacks. RV’s Javon Gilespie and Tracy Stephens were picked for the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl this week. RNE has lost four straight to Ridge View. The Cavs’ last win over the Blazers came in 2013. Prediction: Ridge View
White Knoll (6-3, 0-3) at Chapin (3-5, 0-2): Game has playoff implications for both teams. The Timberwolves need a win to stay in the playoff race in Region 4-5A. A loss would eliminate WK from playoff contention. This is White Knoll’s regular-season finale. White Knoll has lost three straight games after a 6-0 start. The Wolves lost a 36-33 thriller in OT to Lexington last week. Timberwolves quarterback Landon Sharpe is completing 64% of his passes for 1,547 yards and 22 total touchdowns. Austin Cunningham leads the Wolves with 37 catches for 493 yards and eight touchdowns. Tyler Stoudemire leads WK with 74 tackles and Demencio Banks has seven tackles for loss to go with 71 tackles. Chapin makes the playoffs with a win this week. If the Eagles lose, they would need to beat River Bluff next week for a shot at the postseason. Chapin quarterback Brady Albro has thrown for 1,391 yards and 13 touchdowns. Chapin defensive lineman Max Drag was picked for the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl this week. Prediction: White Knoll
This week’s schedule, picks
Game times are 7:30 p.m. unless noted with Lou Bezjak’s prediction in parenthesis
Airport at North Augusta (Prediction: North Augusta)
Asheville School at Camden Military (Asheville)
Augusta Christian at Ben Lippen (Ben Lippen)
Blythewood at Rock Hill (Blythewood)
Brookland-Cayce at Swansea (Brookland-Cayce)
Cardinal Newman at Porter-Gaud (Cardinal Newman)
Columbia at Newberry (Newberry)
Eau Claire at Fairfield Central (Fairfield Central)
Fox Creek at Saluda (Saluda)
Gilbert at Dreher (Gilbert)
Heathwood Hall at Wilson Hall (Heathwood Hall)
Laurens Academy at Newberry Academy (Laurens)
Lexington at Aiken (Lexington)
Mid-Carolina at Keenan (Keenan)
Nation Ford at Spring Valley (Spring Valley)
North Central at Andrew Jackson (Andrew Jackson)
Northside Christian at Palmetto Christian (Northside)
Oakbrook Prep at WW King (WW King)
Orangeburg-Wilkinson at Lower Richland (Lower Richland)
Pelion at Batesburg-Leesville (Batesburg-Leesville)
Wardlaw at Richard Winn (Wardlaw)
Westwood at Irmo (Irmo)
Last Week: 20-4
Season Record: 171-47
The State’s Power Rankings
A look at The State’s Top 10 for Columbia-area schools after Week 9:
1. Dutch Fork
Record: 7-1
Last Week: Defeated Chapin, 51-0
2. A.C. Flora
Record: 8-0
Last Week: Defeated Irmo, 35-21
3. Lexington
Record: 7-1
Last Week: Defeated White Knoll, 36-33 (OT)
4. Ridge View
Record: 7-1
Last Week: Defeated Westwood, 36-0
5 Gray Collegiate
Record: 6-3
Last Week: Defeated Newberry, 54-12
6. Gilbert
Record: 6-2
Last Week: Defeated Orangeburg-Wilkinson, 38-7
7. Camden
Record: 5-3
Last Week: Off
8. River Bluff
Record: 6-2
Last Week: Off
9. Blythewood
Record: 6-2
Last Week: Defeated Clover, 21-7
10. Brookland-Cayce
Record: 5-3
Last Week: Defeated Dreher, 42-13
Dropped out: Saluda
Others considered: Hammond, Saluda, Fairfield Central
October 20, 2022 | State, The: Web Edition Articles (Columbia, SC)
Author/Byline: Lou Bezjak, The State | Section: high_school