Three weeks of games are in the books for South Carolina High School League football teams, which are beginning to learn what does and doesn’t work as they prepare for region play.
It’s those region games that dictate playoff seeding, whether or not a team makes it to the postseason and if they’ll be at home or on the road.
The next couple of weeks will be crucial as teams try to round into the form they hope will position them for a potential championship.
Or, in the case of Region 4-AAAA, and specifically North Augusta and South Aiken, that time is already here.
North Augusta is the first to buckle itself into the driver’s seat by virtue of Friday night’s 33-21 win over the T-Breds, an early league opener in the largest region in the state in Class AAAA.
Corey Tillman accounted for 231 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, and Michael Doe surpassed 200 yards rushing to help the Jackets (2-1, 1-0) hold off a 208-yard, two-score night from Jevon Edwards and a South Aiken (1-2) team that didn’t give up after falling behind by 19 in the third quarter.
Barnwell (3-0), the fifth-ranked team in Class AA, continued its undefeated start to the season by beating Class A No. 2 Bamberg-Ehrhardt 21-7. Cameron Austin rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, Jaquan Peeples ran for two scores, and the defense turned in another strong performance.
Class A No. 7 Blackville-Hilda (2-1) picked up an impressive road victory, knocking off Ninety Six 34-29. Samari Williams threw two touchdown passes and also rushed for 204 yards and two more scores, and reigning Aiken Standard Player of the Week Jaquel Holman rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown.
Fox Creek (1-1) recorded its first victory of the season, pasting Glenn Hills 44-6 on the road.
Williston-Elko (2-1) has a winning record for the first time since 2020 after a 38-0 victory over Calhoun Falls.
Wagener-Salley (1-2) dropped a tough 39-15 decision on the road to Swansea after trailing by only 3 at the half.
Still searching for their first win of the season are Silver Bluff (0-3), which fell in a 14-7 defensive battle against Class AA No. 1 Hampton County; Midland Valley (0-3), which was outscored 19-0 in the second half by Lexington in a 25-14 loss; and Aiken (0-2), which was shut out 45-0 on the road by Hilton Head Island.
This week’s schedule
Thursday
Williston-Elko at Eau Claire
Friday
North Augusta at Strom Thurmond
South Aiken at Barnwell
Silver Bluff at Blackville-Hilda
McCormick at Fox Creek
Aiken at Lugoff-Elgin
American Leadership Academy at Ridge Spring-Monetta
Wagener-Salley at Allendale-Fairfax
Caption:
North Augusta’s LJ Tillman (3) runs down the sideline after a catch against South Aiken.
Kyle Dawson/Staff
September 10, 2024 | Aiken Standard (SC)
Author/Byline: Kyle Dawson kdawson@aikenstandard.com | Page: 001 | Section: B