What to know about the AC Flora-South Pointe showdown, other Week 5 games
It is the fifth week of the 2025 regular season for South Carolina public high school football. Here is a look at this week’s top games in the Midlands and predictions for winners for Week 5:
South Pointe (3-1) at AC Flora (4-0)
Players to Watch - SP: QB/SB J’Zavien Currence, DL Seth Tillman; QB Roper Wentzy, WR/DB Blake Betette
Notes: Game will be at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. Region 3-4A opener for both teams. SP leads the all-time series, 2-1, including a 56-14 win last season. The Stallions are ranked No. 1 in 4A and have won three straight since the season-opening loss to Hough (NC). South Pointe has two 2026 South Carolina commits in QB/DB J’Zavien Currence and OL Anthony Baxter. Currence has thrown for 510 yards, rushed for 309 with seven total touchdowns and has picked off two passes on defense. The Stallions’ defense has 20 sacks through four games. AC Flora, ranked No. 4 in 4A, is 4-0 for the first time since 2022. AC Flora quarterback Roper Wentzky is completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,099 yards and 14 touchdowns. Flora WRs Joshua Davis, Charlie Scott and Kendall Byrd each have more than 200 yards receiving and have combined for nine touchdowns. Nasir Walker leads the Falcons with four sacks and Harvard commit Azal Banag has two interceptions.
Dutch Fork (3-0) at Oceanside Collegiate (2-2)
Players to Watch - DF: DE Jaden Wuerth, DE Julian Walker; OC: QB Aidan Manavian, WR Terence Johnson
Notes: Game will be played at The Citadel, where Oceanside plays its home games. It’s the second meeting between the two schools. Dutch Fork won, 51-0, last season. Matchup of state champions from last year with DF winning 5A Division I championship and OC winning Class 3A title. Dutch Fork enters the game ranked No. 1 in 5A SC media poll while the Landsharks are No. 7 in 3A. Jaden Wuerth and Julian Walker have combined for 11 of DF’s 20 sacks. Stone Furrey leads DF with 14 catches for 241 yards and a TD. Oceanside quarterback Aidan Manavian has thrown for 1,235 yards and 10 TDs. Terence Johnson leads the team with 23 catches for 478 yards and seven touchdowns. Tyler Stafford leads OC with 41 tackles.
Fairfield Central (3-1) at Newberry (4-0)
Players to Watch - FC: S Kaylin Culp, WR/S Dre Walker; N: QB Kenton Caldwell, WR Jamere Crooks.
Notes: Newberry leads the series, 29-27-1 but Fairfield has won the last three meetings. FC has won three in a row since the opening loss to Ridge View. Newberry is ranked No. 4 in 3A and FC is No. 4 in 2A. Freshman Kaylin Culp is second on FC with 37 tackles, one behind Joey Jamison. Newberry’s is averaging 48.2 points per game. Newberry QB Kenton Caldwell has thrown for 825 yards and rushed for 490 with 20 total touchdowns. Jamere Crooks leads the team with 20 catches for 337 yards and six touchdowns. South Carolina commit Jamel Howse has 16 catches for 237 yards and three touchdowns.
Gray Collegiate (1-2) at Midland Valley (3-0)
Players to Watch - GC: WR/DB Corey Gleaton, LB Michael Boulware; MV: Xavier Geter, Bryston Newton.
Notes: Region opener for both teams. Corey Gleaton leads Gray with 12 catches for 309 yards and three TDs. He is also tops on the team with two interceptions. LB Michael Boulware leads Gray with 60 tackles and JP Sweat has 46 and two sacks. Midland Valley is ranked No. 9 in Class 4A. Midland Valley quarterback Xavier Geter has thrown for 1,070 yards and has 11 total touchdowns. Cameron Gleaton leads MV with 19 catches for 307 yards and three TDs.
Westwood (3-1) at Blythewood (2-2)
Players to Watch - W: QB Carrington Carter, DB Jayden Boyd; B: OL Reed Paolucci, RB Landyn Strong
Notes: The winner of this game receives the Battle of the Axe Trophy between the two Richland 2 District schools. Region opener for both teams. Westwood leads the all-time series, 6-5, including last year’s 7-0 win. That was only the third shutout in the series. Blythewood running Landyn Strong had rushed for 458 yards and three TDs. Bengals QB James Veasey has 822 total yards and 10 TDs. Dylan Hutchinson and Jeremy Harris lead the Bengals with three sacks apiece. Westwood has won three straight after losing the opener to AC Flora. The Redhawks are averaging 53.3 points per game in their three wins. Westwood scored 65 points last week against Airport, the most it has scored in a game since going for 70 in the first round of the 2019 playoffs against Eastside. Westwood has a 1-2 punch in the backfield with Angelo Rios and Jovan Howard. QB Carrington Carter has thrown 10 TD passes.
Game schedule, predictions
(Winner picks in bold face, all caps. Games start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted)
Thursday
York at DREHER
Friday
BATESBURG-LEESVILLE at Calhoun County
Ben Lippen at NORTHWOOD
Brookland-Cayce at SOUTH AIKEN
CA JOHNSON at Allendale Fairfax
CALHOUN FALLS at Clear Dot Charter
CAMDEN at Richard Northeast
Cheraw at RIVER BLUFF
DUTCH FORK at Oceanside Collegiate at The Citadel
EAU CLAIRE at Ridge-Spring Monetta
Fairfield Central at NEWBERRY
Gilbert at NORTH AUGUSTA
GRAY COLLEGIATE at Midland Valley
HAMMOND at Hilton Head Christian
HEATHWOOD HALL at Cardinal Newman
IRMO at Myrtle Beach
Laurens Academy at WW KING
LOWER RICHLAND at Darlington
LUGOFF-ELGIN at West Florence
Mid-Carolina at PELION
North Central at LAMAR
ORANGEBURG-WILKINSON at Keenan
SOUTH POINTE at AC Flora
Southside Christian at SALUDA
Spartanburg Christian at NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN
Spring Valley at at SUMTER
SUMMERVILLE at Chapin
SWANSEA at Barnwell
Wagener-Salley at COLUMBIA
Wardlaw at RICHARD WINN
WESTWOOD at Blythewood
WHITE KNOLL at Cane Bay
Last Week’s Record: 25-2
Season Total: 92-25
