The best time of year is back. Tonight the Friday Night Lights come back on and we celebrate the return of high school football here in our area. There is truly nothing like it. With a new season come some new coaches, players, and excitement. Let’s get it kicked off.
Chapman at Woodruff-Game of the Week-
The Panthers appear to be poised to make a run this year. The offense looks loaded with many returning impact players including most of the offensive line, their qb, and several at the skill positions. Questions for the Panthers are on the defensive side of the ball with a lot of young players making their first start.
Woodruff has a new coach and a lot of new players on both sides of the football. Coach Sloan played his high school football at Chapman and has been in the coaching business for a long time so I expect him to have his guys pumped and ready to play.
I think the youth and inexperience of the Wolverines will cost them in this game but we will watch this team improve drastically as the season rolls along. Tonight though, I will take the Panthers.
Pick: Chapman
TL Hanna vs Boiling Springs
In 2022 I don’t think we saw any team improve more that the Boiling Springs Bulldogs. They got better each week under first year head coach Matt Reel. With one of the few returning quarterbacks in the county, I look for the Bulldogs those strides this year. Having a returning qb should provide a spark early. However, TL Hanna is always a solid team and the should be again this year.
Pick: Hanna
Dorman at Greenville
The Cavaliers have a new head coach again this year. They will also break in a new quarterback, running back, and a lot of other things. Lots of questions for the Cavs that will hopefully be answered in week one. Greenville is big up front and they have a ton of speed. I think this game could be a high scoring shootout. Im just worried about all the inexperience for Dorman.
Pick: Greenville
Newberry at Union
We have documented the struggle of the Union Yellow Jackets over the last couple of years. The inability to stay healthy had literally and figuratively crippled the football team. Three wins in two years has been a tough pill to swallow for Coach Thompson and his team. The Jackets are looking to get off and running here in 2023. The Jackets feel like they have three good running backs who will tote the majority of the offense for Union County. Union will run, run, and run some more this year. Coach Thompson says they finally have some size up front that will aid the Jackets in this effort.
Newberry could have won this game last year but made way too many mistakes. Whoever makes less mistakes this year will win tonight and I think that will be Union County’s running game.
Pick: Union
Other Picks:
Gaffney over Crest
Daniel over Greer
Blue Ridge over Chesnee
Powdersville Over Broome
Hough over Byrnes
