Boiling Springs @ Spartanburg
The Vikings and Bulldogs will meet in the biggest game of the night, which also has big 5A playoff implications. Boiling Springs and Spartanburg have played tight games the past few seasons, and should be the same again at Viking Stadium this Friday.
An explosive offense like Boiling Springs led by the dynamic big-play combo of QB Lincoln Husky and WR Kyle Patterson will match up with the lightning-fast defense of Spartanburg with LBs Cam Smith and Peyton Jones. While the Vikings offense is a little banged up, this is the matchup that will most likely decide the game.
On the other side of the ball, Boiling Springs has a physical defensive front and a top-tier corner in Jeremiah Favorite. Spartanburg will have to be creative through the air to create matchups that limit his impact.
With both teams in division 1 of 5A, the winner here will have a clear edge to a first round bye in the playoffs. The loser won’t necessarily be out of it, but will more than likely have to win out to have a shot at avoiding playing in the first round.
Byrnes @ Eastside
Byrnes fought hard last Friday night in a 15-9 overtime loss at Gaffney, one of the closest finishes of last week’s slate. The Rebels now turn their attention to the Eastside Eagles, who are winless in region play so far at 0-2 and 3-2 overall.
Byrnes was gashed by Gaffney WR-turned-emergency-QB Jamarcus Smith, and struggled to find momentum on offense, but the best performance of the year from the Rebel defense got Byrnes to overtime and shot to win the game. Byrnes turned over Gaffney twice, and the defense has shown an ability to give Byrnes a chance in every game they play for the rest of the season.
Eastside hasn’t been the same since a 3-0 start to the season, losing two region games against Spartanburg and Riverside by multiple touchdowns. The Eagles defense has given up big games, and will have the best chance at a win by keeping the Byrnes offense to minimal first downs and making it a rock fight.
Wade Hampton @ Dorman
The Dorman Cavaliers hung in with Spartanburg last Friday night for much of a sloppy game, but didn’t have the horses to finish against the rival Vikings in a 23-7 loss. Now with Dorman at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the region, the Cavaliers will host winless Wade Hampton looking to get back on the right track.
Dorman suffered from two interceptions in the loss last week, but QB Makorean Anderson and company was able to move the ball much better than they did in the Byrnes loss in late September. The Cavalier defense is showing that they are not to be taken lightly behind the two-headed monster at linebacker in Dru Darby and Kentavion Anderson, who can wreck run games between the pair.
The Wade Hampton Generals are 0-5 on the season and 0-2 in Region 2, and haven’t been competitive in a game in a month and a half. Since the beginning of September, Wade Hampton has been outscored 148 to 28 in three games. Dorman should pick up a win and get back over .500 on the season.
Gaffney @ Riverside
Dealing with suspensions and rust from being away from competitive games for two weeks, the Gaffney Indians were still able to persevere and find a win in overtime against Byrnes last week. With the win, Gaffney stayed undefeated at 5-0 and 3-0 in region play to sit in a tie for first place.
Jamarcus Smith was a savior for the second straight game, scoring a game-winning touchdown in overtime against Boiling Springs and now Byrnes. Smith was forced into the quarterback spot after the starter was ejected against the Bulldogs, and led Gaffney to a tough win on the road. Last Friday, he manned the spot again to run for 132 yards and the winning score. On defense, the Indians kept Byrnes in the negative against the run holding the Rebels to -50 yards rushing and just 85 total yards
Riverside grabbed its first region win of the season last week against Eastside, cruising to a 33-8 win. With highly-touted TE Mikkel Skinner, the Warriors are 4-1 with the lone loss coming to Dorman before the hurricane. A Riverside win would launch them up Region 2 among the 2+ win teams like Gaffney, Spartanburg, and Byrnes in the top half of the standings.
Seneca @ Greer
The Greer Yellow Jackets won their third game in a row to get back to .500 at 3-3, and more importantly to 2-0 and a tie for first place in Region 2-4A. The team they are tied with will be the team across the field from them on Friday night at Dooley Field in the Seneca Bobcats.
Greer cruised to another monster win last week, 49-21 over Blue Ridge. RB Nick Holmes put up another three-digit rushing game with 19 carries, 124 yards, and three touchdowns while the other runners helped the Yellow Jackets pound out 276 yards on the ground. QB Kaden Rowland tossed two TDs to WR Chance Todd, and the Jacket defense only allowed two touchdowns with the third coming on a kick return.
Seneca brings an undefeated record to the table in this game at 6-0, and 2-0 in region with blowout wins over Travelers Rest and Berea. The Bobcats defense has allowed just 22 points in the last four games, and should be a big test for a Greer group that is moving the ball all over the field lately. A win would be a big step forward for playoff positioning (with both teams in solid position to get in the field already) and provide a number-one contender of sorts to Daniel late in the season.
