Byrnes @ Spartanburg
The Byrnes Rebels rolled past Lexington last week at Presbyterian College in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs by a final score of 32-11. This Friday night they will rematch with the Spartanburg Vikings, who are coming off the bye they earned as the second seed in the bracket.
QB Zy Landrum ran wild for the Rebels in the win, scoring three rushing touchdowns on eight carries for 46 yards while also going 12-17 through the air with 158 yards and a touchdown pass as well. Newly-healthy RB Tre Segarra ran for 58 yards and a touchdown and the Byrnes defense forced four turnovers and held the Wildcats to just 40 yards on the ground.
Spartanburg hasn’t played since letting a 24-7 lead after three quarters slip away on the road against Gaffney, ending up in a 27-24 loss. The Vikings finished at 7-2 on the season with losses to the top-seeded team in Division 1 (Dutch Fork) and the second-seeded team in Division 2 on the road (Gaffney). Spartanburg rolled the Rebels at home when they met in the regular season with a 58-14 win.
Segarra being back in the lineup for Byrnes is a major factor that will be different from the regular season matchup, but Spartanburg’s defense has slowed down just about every offense they’ve faced.
Boiling Springs @ Dutch Fork
Boiling Springs rolled to a road playoff win over Dorman last week 32-0 to advance to the second round of the playoffs. The Bulldogs defense was the story, shutting out the Cavaliers and holding a usually solid run game less than three yards per carry. Ryshaun Morgan scored on a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown as one of the three picks the Boiling Springs defense gathered.
Lincoln Husky connected with lead WR Kyle Patterson for two touchdowns, and RB Javen Chhim ran in a touchdown from one yard out as well. After a scoreless first quarter, it was all Boiling Springs as they grabbed a win over Dorman after having its regular season game canceled.
Dutch Fork completed a 9-0 regular season with a region championship win against Irmo, the top-seed in the Division 2 Lower State bracket. The Silver Foxes haven’t given up more than 14 points in a game this year and have won back-to-back state titles along with seven of the last eight.
Riverside @ Gaffney
The Gaffney Indians earned a region title with a dramatic 27-24 comeback win against Spartanburg two weeks ago at the Reservation. Jaiden McDowell returned from injury to lead the team in rushing with 18 carries for 56 yards and the game-winning touchdown. QB Jayvon Gilmore threw for three touchdowns and WR Shane Davidson caught all of them.
Riverside finished 5-4 on the year and got two wins in the region at Eastside and at home against Wade Hampton. The Warriors won a shootout in the first round of the Division 2 playoffs at home against Greenville by a final score of 47-38, and now will meet Gaffney for the second time this year after the Indians got a bye in the playoffs.
Gaffney escaped on the road in the regular season against Riverside 28-21, but the Warriors didn’t have to face McDowell that night. His presence in the backfield makes all the difference and Gaffney rolls.
Greer @ South Pointe
The Greer Yellow Jackets are into the second round of the 4A playoffs after needing a comeback to beat Fountain Inn at home last week. This Friday they go to take on a region champion in the South Pointe Stallions.
Greer trailed Fountain Inn at the half 21-7 before out-scoring the Fury 21-0 including a Nick Holmes touchdown and a red zone stop defensively with less than a minute in the game to secure the win. Holmes finished with 31 carries for 199 yards and three touchdowns. All of Holmes touchdowns came after halftime to get the win.
South Pointe went 8-2 in the regular season and ran the table in Region 3-4A to win the title, while the only two losses came to 5A teams in Northwestern (Division 2 one-seed) and Spartanburg (Division 1 two-seed) by one point. A roster filled with future college players will be tough to slow down for Greer.
