It is the opening week of the 2025 playoffs for South Carolina public high school football and independent school leagues.

Here is a look at this week’s top games in the Midlands and predictions for winners for opening week of the playoffs:

Cane Bay (3-7) at River Bluff (5-5)

Players to Watch – Cane Bay: RB Tyler Myers, RB Coran Houpe; River Bluff: WR Darius Carter, RB Hayden Myers

Notes: First meeting between two teams. The winner travels to Stratford next week. Cane Bay likes to run the ball and is averaging over 240 yards rushing per game. River Bluff’s Riley Myers rushed for 300 yards last week against Lexington and has 1,352 yards rushing this season. Darius Carter leads the team in receiving with 53 catches for 715 yards and nine touchdowns. Freshman Davis Taylor has moved into the starting role at QB for Gators and has thrown four touchdown passes.

York (4-6) at AC Flora (9-1)

Players to Watch – Y: QB Tayshon Freeman, LB Jah’Maud Moore; ACF: QB Roper Wentzky, WR/DB Blake Betette

Notes: Second meeting of the season between region foes. The winner gets the Seneca-Lancaster winner next week. AC Flora won 27-6 on Sept. 26, but York leads the all-time series, 6-2. AC Flora QB Roper Wentzky has thrown for 2,485 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. Charlie Scott leads ACF with 30 catches for 695 yards and seven TDs. Joshua Davis leads the Falcons with 39 catches and eight touchdowns. Defensively, Azal Banag leads ACF with five interceptions. Peyton Bishop (82 tackles, 9.5 sacks) and Nasir Walker (81 tackles, 10 sacks) led the Falcons in tackles and sacks.

Brookland-Cayce (3-7) at Gray Collegiate (8-2)

Players to Watch – B-C: QB Andrew Frick, RB Avery King; GC: QB Xavier Wright, WR/DB Royce Williamson

Notes: Second meeting of year between two teams. Gray won, 56-0, on Oct. 3. The winner of the game faces the Hartsville-Crestwood winner next week. B-C quarterback Andrew Frick has thrown for 2,136 yards and 17 touchdowns. Avery King leads B-C with 761 yards rushing. Evan Simmons leads the Bearcats with 122 tackles. Freshman QB Xavier Wright has thrown for 1,428 yards and 18 touchdowns since taking over Gray’s starting job more than a month ago. Gray RB Trevon Williamson has 1,031 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. Gray WR/DB Corey Gleaton needs 63 yards for 1,000 receiving yards on the season and leads the team with 10 TD catches. Gleaton also has five interceptions. Royce Williamson leads Gray with seven interceptions and has 515 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. LB Michael Boulware leads the War Eagles with 202 tackles.

Saluda (5-5) at Mid-Carolina (5-5)

Players to Watch – S: QB Brayden Williams, RB Tristan Daniels; MC: RB Ryker Woolstenhulme, RB Wyatt Mazza

Notes: Second straight year teams are meeting in the first round of playoffs. Saluda won, 24-0, last year and leads the all-time series, 30-22. The winner faces the North Central-Clinton winner next week. Saluda enters the playoffs on a three-game losing streak with three losses by a combined eight points. RB Tristan Daniels leads Saluda with 1,249 yards rushing and 14 TDs. M-C is looking for six wins in a season for the first time since 2014.

Eau Claire (5-5) at Batesburg-Leesville (7-3)

Players to Watch – EC: QB Jahcory Sumpter, LB BJ Ashford; B-L: RB Amadre Wooden, WR KD Whitt

Notes: First meeting between the two teams since 2020. B-L leads the all-time series, 5-1. The winner faces the Chester-Blacksburg winner next week. Eau Claire is in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and has won five games in a season for the first time since 1992. EC quarterback Jahcory Sumpter has rushed for 1,206 yards, thrown for 970 yards and 20 total touchdowns. LB BJ Ashford leads the Shamrocks with 102 tackles. B-L running back Amadre Wooden needs 159 yards for his second straight 2,000-yard rushing season. Wooden has 26 total TDs. KD Whitt has almost 1,000 all-purpose yards and 18 total TDs for B-L.

Ben Lippen (3-7) at Heathwood Hall (7-3)

Players to Watch – BL: LB Drake Porter, RB Zion Gaddist; HH: QB Patrick Belk, LB Julian Hughes

Notes: Winner faces Hammond in the SCISA 4A semifinals. Second meeting of the season between two teams with Heathwood winning 28-6 on Oct. 10. Heathwood leads the all-time series, 16-14. Drake Porter leads Ben Lippen with 123 tackles. Heathwood is looking for its eighth win, something that has only happened once since 2010. Heathwood QB Patrick Belk has thrown for 1,728 yards and 22 total touchdowns. Keon McKinley leads HH with 34 catches for 529 yards and three touchdowns. Heyward Belsar leads Heathwood with 108 tackles.

Game schedule, predictions

(Winner picks in boldface. All Games start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted)

Class 5A Division I

(12) Spring Valley at (5) ROCK HILL

(10) BLYTHEWOOD at (7) Clover

(10) Cane Bay at (7) RIVER BLUFF

(9) LEXINGTON at (8) Fort Dorchester

Class 5A Division II

(10) St. James at (7) WESTWOOD

(9) Socastee at (8) LUGOFF-ELGIN

Class 4A

(12) York at (5) AC FLORA

(10) Greer at (7) CAMDEN

(9) LOWER RICHLAND at (8) Bishop England

(12) Gilbert at (5) BLUFFTON

(14) Brookland-Cayce at (3) GRAY COLLEGIATE

Class 3A

(9) MARLBORO COUNTY at (8) Swansea

(11) Keenan at (6) ORANGEBURG-WILKINSON

(15) Aynor at (2) NEWBERRY

Class 2A

North Central at CLINTON

SALUDA at Mid-Carolina

Chesnee at FAIRFIELD CENTRAL

Eau Claire at BATESBURG-LEESVILLE

Pelion at LIBERTY

Class A

CA JOHNSON at Calhoun County

SCISA

Class 4A

Ben Lippen at HEATHWOOD HALL

Class 3A

Northside Christian at PINEWOOD PREP

8-Man

Richard Winn at HOLLY HILL

Last Week’s Record: 21-2

Season Total: 264-54

Caption:

Sam Wolfe Special To The State

Blake Betette (6) of AC Flora carries the ball during AC Flora’s game against South Pointe at Memorial Stadium on Friday, September 19, 2025.

November 7, 2025 | State, The (Columbia, SC)
Author/Byline: Lou Bezjak; Staff Writer | Page: 2B | Section: Sports