Mauldin at Spartanburg
The Vikings got back in the win column last week with an impressive 59-25 victory over Riverside. The offense hit its stride last week and will look to keep rolling against a 1-3 Mauldin team that is allowing 38 points per game. Quarterback Rahiem Jeter was outstanding last week and I think he’ll have another big night this Friday. Spartanburg should come away with a comfortable win and appear to be hitting on all cylinders as they get set for region play next week.
Boiling Springs at Clover
Boiling Springs got their second win under Coach Matt Reel last week with a 27-25 victory over Greer. Clover fell to Dorman 37-23 at home. Clover is a very good defensive team despite their record. Dorman struggled to run the ball early in the game, and I expect the Bulldogs to have similar struggles this week. Clover was also able to throw for over 400 yards last week so the Bulldogs will be tested in the secondary throughout the night as well. I think this game will be a low scoring defensive struggle, and I think it will come down to which team executes better in the red zone and is able to come away with touchdowns instead of field goal attempts.
Fort Dorchester at Gaffney
Gaffney got their second win of the season last Friday, with an impressive 28-7 thumping of previously unbeaten Northwestern. Quarterback Grayson Loftis was stellar, finishing the night 24-34 passing, with 281 yards and three total touchdowns in the win. They will be tested again this week against a speedy Fort Dorchester team. The Indians defense was able to hold Northwestern’s potent offense to just one score, and they should be able to do something similar this Friday against Fort Dorchester. I like Gaffney to come away with another win as they get rolling right before region play begins in Week 6.
River Bluff at Dorman
Dorman stayed unbeaten with a 37-23 win over Clover last week. This Friday they will be tested again as they face a 5-0 River Bluff team that comes in averaging 44 points per game. The Cavs fell behind early last week and have had their struggles early in games this year, but have been able to make adjustments and pull away late in games. They will look to get off to a better start this Friday as River Bluff is a run-heavy offense that isn’t well suited to play from behind. I think this will be a slugfest, but if that’s the case I like the Cavaliers chances. Look for running back Demarius Foster to have another big night as they move to 5-0.
Byrnes at West Florence
The Rebels came away with another impressive win last week, pulling away from Wren 42-7. This week they will face a tough test in their final non-region game, as they take the long road trip to take on a 4-0 West Florence team. The Knights may not be a 5A team, but they are talented on both sides of the ball and already have a win over a very good Lexington team. Byrnes offense got back on track last week and I look for them to continue to put up a ton of points this week. West Florence has scored over 100 combined points in their last two wins, but they haven’t faced a defense as good as the Rebels’. As long as quarterback Colby Shaw doesn’t get sloppy with turnovers, I think the Byrnes will find a way to pull out another win and head into region play with an unblemished record.
4A
Greer at Westside
The Yellow Jackets dropped a heartbreaker to Boiling Springs last week, while Westside won their third straight game with a 34-7 win over Mauldin. I like Greer’s chances in the region this year, but this Westside team is playing some really good football right now. The Rams have been rolling in September and I think they will be tough to slow down on Friday night. I think Greer struggles to keep up with a physical Rams team on Friday night and Westside will come away with the win.
