Midlands high school football: Best Week 3 games, schedule, predictions
It’s the third week of the 2025 regular season for South Carolina public high school football. Below is a look at this week’s top games in the Midlands and predictions for winners for Week 3:
Abbeville (1-1) at Batesburg-Leesville (1-0)
Players to Watch: A — RB Darius Riley, WR/DB Jaylen Baylor. BL — RB Amadre Wooden, WR KD Whitt
Notes: Batesburg-Leesville leads all-time series, 27-25-1, and snapped Abbeville’s seven-game winning streak in series with a 37-35 win last year. Both teams are ranked in the latest S.C. Prep Football Media poll with B-L No. 2 in 2A and Abbeville No. 1 in Class A. Quarterback Reese Boehnke threw for 235 yards and four touchdowns last week in B-L’s season opener, and running back Amadre Wooden had 173 all-purpose yards and four TDs. Darius Riley leads Abbeville with 281 rushing yards. Jaylen Baylor leads Abbeville with 11 tackles.
Butler (NC) (2-0) at Irmo (2-0)
Players to Watch: B — Demaurion Thomas-Wright, LB/CB Tyler Dent. I — ATH Maleek Miller, QB Drevon Dopson
Notes: Second meeting between the two schools. Irmo won last season, 35-34. Irmo has scored 35 points in each of its first two games and won both by a combined 10 points. Irmo moved up to No. 3 in Class 5A. Drevon Dopson had the game-winning touchdown pass to Maleek Miller with 50 seconds left in last week’s 35-34 win over Byrnes. Demaurion Thomas-Wright leads Butler with 274 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Tyler Dent is tied for the Butler team lead in tackles with 18 and has a team-high seven tackles for loss.
Gray Collegiate (0-1) at Marlboro County (2-0)
Players to Watch: GC — RB/LB Trevon Williamson, LB Michael Boulware. MC — Tre Blakeney, LB Myjae McCoy
Notes: First meeting between the two schools. Gray Collegiate coming off a bye after losing its opener to James Island.. GC’s Michael Boulware had 18 tackles in that game. Myjae McCoy leads Marlboro County with 20 tackles. Marlboro has 12 rushing touchdowns and no passing TDs in two games this season. Marlboro County is No. 9 in Class 3A rankings week.
Newberry (2-0) at Clinton (1-1)
Players to Watch: N — QB Kenton Caldwell, TE Jamel Howse. C — OL Tre Aiken, RB Javen Cook
Notes: The 99th meeting between the two schools, with Clinton leading 60-35-3, including last year’s 23-14 win. Newberry’s first game in school history was against Clinton in 1920. Newberry is looking for its first 3-0 start since 2017. Newberry QB Kenton Caldwell has 452 total yards and 10 total touchdowns in the first two games this season. Cordell Jackson leads Newberry with two interceptions. Clinton had 461 yards of total offense in last week’s win against Laurens. Clinton OL Tre Aiken is a North Carolina State commitment, and Newberry’s Jamel Howse is committed to South Carolina.
Ridge View (1-1) at Dutch Fork (2-0)
Players to Watch: RV — WR Khristian Jackson, WR Jourdain Mack. DF — DE Jaden Wuerth, C Brody Lorenzo
Notes: Dutch Fork leads all-time series, 10-9, including 38-0 win last season. The Silver Foxes have won 22 straight games, dating back to last season. Dutch Fork is ranked No. 1 Class 5A in the S.C. Football Media Poll and ran for 341 yards last week against Spartanburg. Jaden Wuerth had two sacks last week and Mario Anderson returned an interception for a score for DF. Ridge View is facing a defending state champion for the second straight week. Ridge View is coming off a 35-28 loss to Northwestern. Blazers starting QB Tre Howard left the game with a leg injury and will miss the rest of the season with a dislocated foot. Sophomore Ashton Chapman will step in for Howard; he threw for 168 yards and a TD last week. Jourdain Mack leads RV in receiving with seven catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Spencer Bobain leads RV in rushing with 221 yards and one score.
Game schedule, predictions
(Winner picks in bold face, all caps. Games start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted)
Friday
AC FLORA at Southside Christian
Abbeville at BATESBURG-LEESVILLE
Airport at ORANGEBURG-WILKINSON
Ben Lippen at WILSON HALL
Brookland-Cayce at WHITE KNOLL
Butler (NC) at IRMO
CAMDEN at Hartsville
Cardinal Newman at CHRIST SCHOOL (NC)
Clear Dot Charter at AMERICAN LEADERSHIP at Pelion Park
Columbia at NORTH CENTRAL
Darlington at LUGOFF-ELGIN
FAIRFIELD CENTRAL at CA Johnson
Fort Mill at BLYTHEWOOD
GRAY COLLEGIATE at Marlboro County
Greenwood Christian at EAU CLAIRE
HAMMOND at Porter-Gaud
HEATHWOOD HALL at Florence Christian
KEENAN at Battery Creek
Lakewood at DREHER
LOWER RICHLAND at Colleton County
MIDLAND VALLEY at Lexington
Nation Ford at RIVER BLUFF
NEWBERRY at Clinton
Richland Northeast at WESTWOOD
Ridge View at DUTCH FORK
Spring Valley at CHAPIN
SWANSEA at Wagener-Salley
WARDLAW ACADEMY at Newberry Academy
Whitmire at MID-CAROLINA
WW KING at Richard Winn
—— Last Week’s Record for Predictions: 27-5
—— Season Total: 44-16
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
