Midlands HS football: Best Week 5 games, schedule, predictions, new power rankings
Looking at this week’s top high school football games in the Midlands, picking winners for the fifth week of the 2024 regular season and area power rankings.
AC Flora (3-1) at South Pointe (2-2)
Players to watch — ACF: QB Roper Wentzky, WR Kendall Byrd; SP: WR/DB J’zavien Currence, OL Anthony Baxter
Notes: Third meeting between the two teams with the others coming in the playoffs. Series tied, 1-1. Region 3-4A opener for both teams. Jordan Davis leads AC Flora with 41 tackles. ACF quarterback Roper Wentzky has thrown for 830 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. South Pointe QB Cam McMillon missed the first two games but has played the last two. McMillon transferred from Fairfield Central and has thrown for 456 yards and five touchdowns. SP OL Anthony Baxter is a South Carolina commit.
Prediction: South Pointe
Barnwell (3-1) at Swansea (4-0)
Players to watch — B: LB Logan Sturkie, QB Cam Austin; S: RB Teysean Charley; LB/S DJ Green
Notes: Barnwell has won three straight in series and leads all-time series, 31-11. Matchup of ranked teams. Swansea is No. 9 in Class 3A and Barnwell No. 6 in 2A. Swansea is 4-0 for the first time since 2012. The Tigers won 10 games that season. Swansea is averaging 249.5 yards rushing per game. Dante Caldwell and Teysean Charley have combined for 685 yards rushing and 12 TDs for Swansea. Barnwell QB Cam Austin has 486 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns this season.
Prediction: Barnwell
Blythewood (4-0) at Westwood (2-2)
Players to watch — QB Johnny Collins, DE/LB Kemuel Little; W: RB Angelo Rios; DE/LB Matthew McCoy
Notes: Battle of the Axe on the line between two Richland 2 rivals. Region 5-5A opener for both teams. Blythewood has won the last two games in series and two teams have split 10 games so far. Blythewood is 4-0 for the first time since 2007. Blythewood QB Johnny Collins has thrown for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns. Carter Coleman and Ben Hendrix each have five TD catches for Blythewood. Kemuel Little leads the Bengals with 25 QB hurries and 10 tackles for loss. The Redhawks have allowed just seven points in their two wins this season. Angelo Rios leads Westwood with 304 yards rushing and 3 TDs.
Prediction: Blythewood
Chapin (4-0) at Summerville (3-0)
Players to watch — C: QB Brady Albro, LB Gavin Stam; S: QB Jaden Cummings, WR/DB Jaiden Kelly-Murray
Notes: First meeting between the two schools. Summerville is ranked No. 4 in Class 5A statewide media poll. Chapin QB Brady Albro has thrown for 1,090 yards and 14 touchdowns. Chapin’s top two receivers are Khalen Bostick (21 rec., 376 yards, 5 TDs) and Stone Furrey (20 rec., 326 yards, 4 TDs). Summerville QB Jaden Cummings is a Dartmouth commit.
Prediction: Summerville
Hilton Head Christian (3-1) at Hammond (4-0)
Players to watch — HHCA: QB Reid McCollum, LB Will Helmstetter; H: QB Andrew Turner, RB Manny Johnson
Notes: First meeting since 2013 between two SCISA powerhouses. Hammond has won seven straight state championships, while HHCA has won three in a row. HHCA quarterback Reid McCollum has accounted for 1,597 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Joseph Houpt leads HHCA with 32 catches for 423 yards and two touchdowns. Hammond quarterback Andrew Turner has 1,100 yards of offense and 17 total touchdowns. Jackson Ross leads the Skyhawks with six sacks.
Prediction: Hammond
Richland Northeast (4-0) at Camden (3-1)
Players to watch — RNE: QB Will Wilson, WR Blake Betette; C: WR/DB Tylin Drakeford, WR/DB Jojo Crim
Notes: All-time series is tied at five wins each. First meeting between two teams since 2019. The Region 3-4A opener for both teams. Camden is ranked No. 4 in 4A and RNE is No. 6. Richland Northeast is 4-0 for the first time since 2010. RNE quarterback and NC State commit Will Wilson has thrown for 1,152 yards, rushed for 479 with 21 total touchdowns this year. Blake Betette leads RNE with 27 catches for 481 yards and six TDs. RNE is averaging 41 points a game. Camden has won three straight since the season-opening loss to White Knoll. Tanner Bracey leads Camden with 4.5 quarterback sacks 5 QB hurries. Camden QB Wyatt Thompson had 381 yards of total offense, including a school-record 195 yards on the ground and four total TDs last week against Ridge View.
Prediction: Camden
Game schedule, predictions
(Winner picks in bold face caps)
Aiken at AIRPORT
Allendale Fairfax at CA JOHNSON
American Leadership at MOUNTAIN VIEW PREP
Calhoun County at BATESBURG-LEESVILLE
Cane Bay at WHITE KNOLL
CARDINAL NEWMAN at Heathwood Hall
Cheraw at RIVER BLUFF
COLUMBIA at Wagener-Salley
Darlington at LOWER RICHLAND
Dreher at YORK
KEENAN at Orangeburg-Wilkinson
LAMAR at North Central
Midland Valley at GRAY COLLEGIATE
Myrtle Beach at IRMO
Newberry at FAIRFIELD CENTRAL
New Hope Leadership at PROVIDENCE ATHLETIC CLUB (Bray Park)
North Augusta at GILBERT
NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN at Spartanburg Christian
NORTHWOOD ACADEMY at Ben Lippen
Oakbrook Prep at NEWBERRY ACADEMY
Oceanside Collegiate at DUTCH FORK
Pelion at MID-CAROLINA
RICHARD WINN at Wardlaw Academy
RIDGE SPRING MONETTA at Eau Claire
SALUDA at Southside Christian
South Aiken at BROOKLAND-CAYCE
SUMTER at Spring Valley
WEST FLORENCE at Lugoff-Elgin
WW King at LAURENS ACADEMY
Last week’s picks: 22-5
This season: 96-20
Midlands power rankings
Here are the area’s power rankings by The State Newspaper’s Staff. A look at the top 10 teams in the area and those just on the outside.
1. Dutch Fork (3-0)
- Last Week’s ranking: 1
- Last Week: Defeated Gray Collegiate, 35-0
- This Week: vs. Oceanside Collegiate
2. Irmo (4-0)
- Last Week’s ranking: 2
- Last Week: Defeated Carolina Forest, 55-7
- This Week: vs. Myrtle Beach
3. White Knoll (2-1)
- Last Week’s ranking: 3
- Last Week: Off
- This Week: vs. Cane Bay
4. Camden (3-1)
- Last Week’s ranking: 5
- Last Week: Defeated Ridge View, 43-26
- This Week: vs. Richland Northeast
5. Hammond (4-0)
- Last Week’s ranking: 6
- Last Week: Defeated Heathwood Hall, 48-0
- This Week: vs. Hilton Head Christian
6. Chapin (4-0)
- Last Week’s ranking: 7
- Last Week: Defeated Newberry, 42-37
- This Week: at Summerville
7. River Bluff (4-0)
- Last Week’s ranking: 9
- Last Week: Defeated Gilbert, 14-13
- This Week: vs. Cheraw
8. Richland Northeast (4-0)
- Last Week’s ranking: 10
- Last Week: Defeated Nation Ford, 58-49
- This Week: at Camden
9. Blythewood (4-0)
- Last Week’s ranking: NR
- Last Week: Defeated Keenan, 23-14
- This Week: at Westwood
10. Lexington (3-1)
- Last Week’s ranking: 3
- Last Week: Lost to Greenwood, 14-0
- This Week: Off
Dropped out: Gray Collegiate
Others considered: Saluda, Swansea, Batesburg-Leesville, Gray Collegiate, Fairfield Central, AC Flora
This story was originally published September 19, 2024 at 7:00 AM.
