Dorman @ Spartanburg
Dorman and Spartanburg match up again at Viking Stadium this Friday night, with the Vikings riding a four-game winning streak in the rivalry. The series has a recent history of temporary dominance by one side, before swinging back to the other for a prolonged era of success. Starting in 2004, the Cavaliers had won 11 of 13 games going all the way to 2013. Then Spartanburg took over to win four straight from 2014 to the playoffs in 2016, Dorman got four in a row against the Vikings from 2017-2020, and leading up to Friday its an active four-game winning streak by the Vikings since 2021.
The Cavaliers are 5-1 in 2025, and 3-0 in region play with wins over Riverside, Byrnes, and Boiling Springs. RB Nick Means has punched in 13 touchdowns this season on the ground and 767 yards rushing. The offensive line has improved dramatically over previous seasons at Droman and it has been the difference in wins this season. Last week the Cavaliers blanked Boiling Springs as the defense continued to shut down opponents and force turnovers.
Spartanburg enters at 3-3, but 2-1 in region games with wins over Wade Hampton and Eastside, and a loss to Gaffney. The Viking defense shut out the Generals last week, and the starters on both sides of the ball were able to be taken out early in a 52-0 win. QB Trey Burke made the most of his action, going 10-15 through the air for 183 yards and 4 touchdowns to four different targets.
The last two Viking wins in the series have been by 21 points and 16 points, and only 3 games in the last 8 have been one possession in the end. Despite this, I see this year’s edition being competitive into the fourth quarter and a game that will write a big chapter in the story of the 2025 season.
Wade Hampton @ Boiling Springs
Boiling Springs will get back home this week against the weakest team in Region 2, Wade Hampton. The Bulldogs struggled to overcome a significant rash of injuries last week in a shutout loss at Dorman. Boiling Springs has so many injuries that the program could not field a team in the JV game, which was cancelled.
Expect to see a lot of rotation from the Bulldogs in this game as the second-biggest thing this week after winning will be getting out healthy. Boiling Springs should be able to get some of its issues on offense figured out against a Wade Hampton squad that is allowing over 35 points per game.
Byrnes @ Gaffney
The Gaffney Indians just got by Eastside in a close game last Saturday, and now return home with a perfect region record at 3-0. Since QB Banks Bouton has been named the starter, the Indians have won three straight games. This week the opponent is Byrnes, with the Rebels coming off of a straightforward win at Riverside. Starters didn’t play the whole way for the Rebels, and will be eager to get back into the region championship picture with a win at the Reservation.
The Indians will have to slow down a potent Rebels rushing attack led by Tre Segarra and Jacobie Fuller. The pair struggled to get a foothold in the team’s loss at home against Dorman, and will more than likely have to play a big role should the Rebels be in a position to win Friday. Additionally, the Byrnes defense took its foot off the gas last week late in the game, but don’t expect the same unless the Rebels are up 42-14 like they were against the Warriors.
Gaffney already has wins in region play against Boiling Springs, Eastside, and Spartanburg and are riding a three-game winning streak. The Indians held off the Eagles late comeback attempt, fueled by RB Josiah Hill’s three touchdowns to build up the lead, part of a 120 yard night on 17 carries. Bouton also added a triple-digit rushing yard day.
Greer @ Blue Ridge
The Greer Yellow Jackets grabbed their third win in a row, thrashing Pickens for a region win with a final score of 60-14. The Yellow Jackets led 40-7 at halftime. RB Calvin McCoy ran for 100 yards in the win, averaging 158 yards per game in the win streak with 9 touchdowns in the stretch. The road starts to get increasingly more difficult for Greer as the regular season comes to a close, starting with a game at Blue Ridge and finishing at Seneca and home against Daniel.
Blue Ridge is 4-2 this season, and 1-1 in Region 2-4A. The Tigers have a region win over Pickens and its loss is to Seneca. The non-region portion of the schedule saw wins over Wade Hampton, Polk County, and Landrum and a loss to Eastside. QB Gavin Forrester averages 140 yards through the air per game with 7 touchdowns to 3 interceptions, and is also the team’s leading rusher with 10 touchdowns on 70 carries and 527 yards.
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