After three weeks of games, we have no remaining undefeated teams in our area. Here is what’s coming up this Friday Night
4A/5A
Byrnes (2-1) at Greer (1-2)
Last week, Byrnes bounced back with an impressive 37-14 win over Greenville, while Greer knocked off Blue Ridge 51-0.
The Rebels played well in all three phases of the game in their win over the Red Raiders last Friday. Quarterback Andrew Stevens was outstanding, finishing the game with 319 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air. Just one week after struggling on offense, the Rebels racked up over 400 yards in the win over a very talented Greenville team. The defense was stout once again, and they continue to be one of the best units in the upstate.
Greer got their first win of the year over lowly Blue Ridge. The Yellow Jackets were without star running back LaDanian Martin, but Senior Chris Hall filled in nicely, finishing with 261 yards and 4 scores.
It will be tough for Greer to make it two in row this week. Byrnes cleaned up the mistakes that cost them the week before, and appear to have found some consistency on offense to go with the great play on defense through 3 games. I think the Rebels stay hot, and pull away for a comfortable win.
Grayson (GA) 2-1 at Spartanburg (2-1)
Grayson is coming off of a 41-0 win over Fort Dorchester, while the Vikings escaped with a 14-13 win over Broome last week.
What we know about this game. Spartanburg’s defense is phenomenal. They held Broome’s explosive offense to 13 points and made stop after stop (including a 2 point conversion) to come away with a one point win. We also know the offense has had its struggles. The o-line has been hit or miss so far this year, and they will face their biggest test of the season this Friday.
Grayson is a nationally ranked power out of Georgia. They’ve won the last two games by a combined 124-0. This team has division 1 talent at pretty much every position on the field. They are big on the line on both sides, are well coached, and have a quarterback that can distribute the ball to all the playmakers on the outside. In short, pretty much a team without a weakness.
The Vikings defense will keep this close for a while, but the overall talent for Grayson will prevail and they will come away with a win over Spartanburg for a second straight year.
Boiling Springs (2-1) at Hillcrest (3-0)
The Bulldogs defeated Chapman 29-7, while Hillcrest beat Clover 24-7 last week.
The Bulldogs have found their stride this year under Coach Reel. Quarterback Lincoln Huskey has made great strides in his second year as a starter, and the Bulldogs are much better on both the offensive and defensive lines this year.
Hillcrest is explosive on offense and can score at will on just about anybody. If Boiling Springs wants to get the road win, I think they need to be balanced on offense, and control time of possession. If they can do that, as well as play turnover free football, I like their chances of going on the road and pulling off a win. However, if they turn the ball over, this Rams team will make you pay and run away with the victory.
Gaffney (2-1) at Mallard Creek (1-1)
Gaffney won their second in row, with a 27-21 win over South Pointe, while Mallard Creek fell to Buford (GA) by a score of 10-7.
Gaffney resorted to the air last week, as Quarterback Riley Staton threw for over 250 yards and a pair of scores. Receiver Emazon Littlejohn finished with 5 catches for 116 and 2 touchdowns to lead the way. Running back Jaiden McDowell also had an impressive night finishing with 172 yards from scrimmage.
Mallard Creek held a talented Buford team to just 10 points last week so the defense is most certainly strong. This will be another tough test for the Indians, as they have played a brutal schedule the first month of the season. Gaffney can win this game, but not if they are sloppy with turnovers and penalties. They will need to play mistake free if they want to come back from North Carolina with a victory.
