This week’s Midlands high school football top games, full schedule and predictions
The high school football season is in its second week in South Carolina, and here are some of the top matchups in the Midlands as well as the weekly power rankings.
Top Midlands games this week
AC Flora (4-0) at Chapin (3-2): The final non-region matchup for these two teams. AC Flora has won three straight in the series, with two of them decided by six or fewer points. AC Flora is ranked No. 2 in the latest Class 4A poll. Running back Markel Townsend leads Flora with 542 yards rushing and nine TDs. QB Carew Bates has nine TD passes, with three each to Chris Lofton and Jack Purdy. Eric McLain leads the team with 46 tackles. Chapin QB Brady Albro has thrown for 1,033 yards and nine TDs. Hayden Burriss leads the team with 29 tackles and three sacks. Bezjak’s prediction: AC Flora
Camden (2-3) at Lake City (3-2): The Region 6-3A opener for both teams. Camden won last season 11-6. The Bulldogs have lost three straight games for the first time since 2017. Camden quarterback Grayson White has 1,421 yards of total offense and 14 touchdowns. Jaquarius Mayrant leads Camden with 35 catches for 535 yards and three touchdowns. Carmelo Doby and David Copley each lead Camden with four sacks. LC’s Kenjae Burgess has thrown for 718 yards and seven touchdowns. Bezjak’s prediction: Camden
Cardinal Newman (2-2) at Ben Lippen (3-2): Ben Lippen has won two straight in the series, including 39-13 last year. Ben Lippen quarterback Dobson Ricks has thrown for 832 yards and seven touchdowns. Junior Taevian Copney has 608 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. Kemuel Little leads Ben Lippen with nine sacks. Cardinal Newman running back AJ Reyes is averaging 13.7 yards a carry and has 657 rushing yards and 13 TDs this season. QB Duncan Skehan is completing 63% of his passes for 841 yards and eight TDs. Bezjak’s prediction: Cardinal Newman
Gilbert (3-1) at Saluda (4-0): First meeting between the two schools since 2015 when Saluda won 31-21.. Both teams are ranked in their classifications with Saluda No. 1 in Class 2A and Gilbert No. 8 in Class 3A. Senior Alias Graham-Woodberry leads the team with 673 yards rushing and junior Jaden Allen-Hendrix has 10 TDs. Freshman Brayden Williams leads Saluda with 384 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Bezjak’s prediction: Gilbert
River Bluff (5-0) at Dorman (4-0): A matchup of two ranked teams in Class 5A. Dorman is No. 4 and River Bluff No. 6. River Bluff has scored 35 points or more in each of its five games this season. Cooper Johns has five straight 100-yard games to start the season and leads the team with 779 yards and 12 TDs. Former AC Flora and Westwood coach Dustin Curtis is in his first season as Dorman head coach. Dorman’s offensive line features Division I commits in Markee Anderson (South Carolina) and DJ Geth (North Carolina). Demarius Foster leads Dorman with 655 yards rushing and nine TDs. Hudson Talley has thrown for 596 yards and nine scores. Bezjak’s prediction: Dorman
St. Frances/Md. (3-0) at Dutch Fork (5-0): The first meeting between two teams. Both are ranked nationally in the MaxPreps Top 25 poll. This is the MaxPreps Game of the Week and the home opener for Dutch Fork. Senior running back Jarvis Green has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury but is expected to return this week. He leads the team with 552 yards rushing and six total TDs. Jaylen Hinton leads the team with 54 tackles, and John Buetow has eight sacks. The Silver Foxes have 36 sacks as a team. Boston College commit Durrell Robinson leads St. Frances with 417 yards and four touchdowns. Junior quarterback Michael Van Buren has thrown for 444 yards and six scores. Bezjak’s prediction: St. Frances
This week’s game schedule, picks
All games begin at 7:30 p.m. unless noted; Lou Bezjak’s prediction in parenthesis
Batesburg-Leesville at Chester (Prediction: Chester)
Camden Military at Hammond (Hammond)
Columbia at Eau Claire (Columbia)
Heathwood Hall at Augusta Christian (Heathwood Hall)
Hemingway at CA Johnson (CA Johnson)
Irmo at Airport (Irmo)
Keenan at Newberry (Newberry)
Lancaster at White Knoll (White Knoll)
Mid-Carolina at Gray Collegiate (Gray Collegiate)
Midland Valley at Swansea (Midland Valley)
Ninety Six at Pelion (Ninety-Six)
Northside Christian at Williamsburg Academy (Williamsburg Academy)
Richard Winn at WW King (WW King)
Richland Northeast at Nation Ford (Nation Ford)
Last Week: 20-7
Season Record: 92-32
The State’s Power Rankings
A look at The State’s Top 10 for Columbia-area schools after Week 5:
1. Dutch Fork
Record: 5-0
Last Week: Defeated North Augusta, 49-7
2. AC Flora
Record: 4-0
Last Week: Defeated Camden, 28-19
3. Lexington
Record: 4-1
Last Week: Defeated Gilbert, 35-21
4. River Bluff
Record: 4-0
Last Week: Defeated Lower Richland, 42-21
5. Ridge View
Record: 4-1
Last Week: Defeated Dreher, 70-7
6. White Knoll
Record: 5-0
Last Week: Defeated South Aiken, 35-14
7. Gilbert
Record: 3-1
Last Week: Lost to Lexington, 35-21
8. Irmo
Record: 3-1
Last Week: Defeated Hartsville, 17-14
9. Saluda
Record: 4-0
Last Week: Off
10. Gray Collegiate
Record: 2-3
Last Week: Defeated Eau Claire, 57-0
Dropped out: Camden
Others considered: Blythewood, Hammond, Fairfield Central
This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 10:57 AM.
