Here’s a look at what is coming up in Week 3
I’ll start with our Spartanburg Nutrition Game of the Week, Spartanburg at Boiling Springs. Last week the Bulldogs fell to Chapman 41-17, while the Vikings got their first win of the year 45-37 over Hillcrest.
Spartanburg Quarterback Raheim Jeter made his first start of the season last week and was spectacular in the the victory. He finished 21-29 with 306 yards and four touchdowns through the air. The Vikings led the game 31-7 before the Rams made a late rally. I look for him to have another strong outing this Friday against a Bulldog defense that surrendered over 350 passing yards to Chapman last week.
Boiling Springs showed improvement on offense from game one to game two, but they still have a ways to go before Coach Rick Tate will be pleased. I think they struggle to score again, and the Vikings pull away in the second half.
Coach Reggie Shaw and his team will look to rebound from a tough loss, as Byrnes is at Westside. Byrnes lost to Dutch Fork 56-25, while Westside fell to Greer 28-25.
Byrnes held close with Dutch Fork for the first two quarters last Friday, but eventually the Silver Foxes pulled away. Worse than losing the game, the Rebels lost star running back Mack Long, possibly for an long period of time. They will be facing a Rams team still looking for their first win of the year after dropping each of their first two games by just a field goal.
The big question for Byrnes is who will step up and take on the huge role that Mack Long played for this team. Will it be one guy, or do they go to more of a committee approach? It’ll be interesting to see how the coaching staff approaches the run game on Friday. I think Byrnes’ speed on defense will give Westside problems, and if the Rebels can force a few turnovers, this game could get out of hand. I like the Rebels to bounce back in a big way.
Another team in our area looking to rebound is the Cavaliers, as Dorman is at Hillcrest. The Cavaliers fell to Fort Dorchester 38-28, as Hillcrest lost to Spartanburg.
Dorman was able to move the football against the Patriots last week, but four turnovers against a great team is too much to overcome. It appears the Cavs have decided on a quarterback after Hudson Talley threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns in the Week 2 loss. They did struggle to run the football, managing just 79 yards on 29 rushing attempts. I think Coach Gutshall would like to have more balance on offense, and I think that’s what we’ll see against Hillcrest. Dorman was playing from behind all game last week and I don’t think that will be the case against the Rams. I think the Cavaliers run the football much more effectively and come away with a close win to pull even at 2-2.
The Indians are back in action this week as Gaffney hosts Mallard Creek. Gaffney was off last week, while Mallard Creek lost to South Pointe 48-8.
Gaffney will take the field at the Reservation this Friday looking to move to 3-0 on the season. The Indians won their first two games of the season by a combined score of 66-19. Running back Tyler Smith has been a bright spot on offense, while the entire defensive unit has been spectacular through the first two games. Mallard Creek usually boasts some good talent, and I don’t think this year is any exception. They have however had some struggles on offense early this year.
I think we will see Gaffney once again use the run game to wear down their opponent, and use a suffocating defense to come away with another victory.
In 4A Greer is at Southside Christian. Greer is coming off of a 28-25 win over Westside, while the Sabres defeated Anderson 42-0.
Coach Will Young and the Jackets will have a tough time moving the football against the Sabres this Friday. While I think Greer has better athletes on offense than either of S.S . Christian’s first two opponents, I still think points will be tough to come by. The Sabres have yet to allow a score, while Greer comes in averaging 21 points per game. If the Jackets are going to pull of the win, in a very tough environment, they will need some explosive plays on both sides of the ball. If Greer can make some big plays early and take a lead, I like their chances a lot better. However if you fall behind in this one, I think the Sabres defense may be too talented to stage a comeback against.
