Sumter edges Ridge View in thriller. Irmo, Dutch Fork stay on collision course
Sumter extended Ridge View football’s region title drought on Friday.
Gamecocks QB Franklin Richardson scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, then Sumter’s defense came up with a stop on the final play of the game for a 36-29 win over Ridge View at Memorial Stadium.
With the victory, Sumter wins the 5-5A region title, the ninth in 11 seasons under head coach Mark Barnes. The Gamecocks have won seven straight games after losing to White Knoll on Aug. 29.
“I think everyone slept on Sumter football this year,” Barnes said. “We played without a lot of players early and lost to White Knoll early. I think everyone just put us to bed. But we can score points. Ridge View hasn’t given up many points. … I am really proud of our players. I think everyone forgot about Sumter, and we put Sumter back on the map.”
The Blazers were looking for their first region title since 2007 but couldn’t close things out after a dismal start Friday.
Ridge View trailed 21-0 in the first half but rallied and led twice in the second half. Spencer Bobian scored his third touchdown of the second half and gave the Blazers a 29-28 lead with 6:50 to go. Bobian finished with 131 yards rushing.
But Sumter answered with the Gamecocks’ powerful running game. Richardson ran in his fourth TD of the night and threw a two-point conversion to make it 36-29 with 2:01 left.
Ridge View sophomore quarterback Bijon Virgo, who was making his second varsity start, drove the Blazers down to the Sumter 20-yard line. Ridge View had one final play, but Virgo’s pass was incomplete.
It was Ridge View’s third loss of the season, all by no more than seven points.
“It is hard to win football games when you spot a team with 21 points. We were lucky to just be in it,” Ridge View coach Derek Howard said. “I’m not happy. The message was to the guys was, they have to look inside and make a decision of how they want to follow out the rest of their season.”
Ridge View closes out the regular season against Blythewood and still has hopes of getting a first-round bye in the 5A Division I playoffs.
Sumter jumped on top Friday with a pair of Richardson’s touchdown runs, the second coming on the first play of the second quarter to make it 14-0. Cayon Gordon made it 21-0 on a long touchdown run on third down. Gordon led the Gamecocks with 134 yards rushing.
The Blazers, who struggled for most of the first half, finally got things right before halftime. Virgo hit Khristian Jackson on a 20-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to cut the lead to 21-7 with five seconds left in the second quarter.
Jackson caught nine passes for 111 yards.
Irmo, Dutch Fork win final tuneups before showdown
Top-ranked Irmo and No. 3 Dutch Fork won their final games before next week’s region championship showdown.
Irmo defeated Chapin 48-6, while Dutch Fork beat River Bluff, 37-0.
In Irmo’s win, Amire White and Britt Davis had two touchdown runs. Michael Robinson and Drevon Dopson rushed for scores. Caden Hall picked off two passes and returned one for a TD.
In Dutch Fork’s win, Kyle Henry rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns. QB Jaxon Knotts threw for 193 yards and had a TD pass to Stone Furrey.
KJ Dupree returned an interception for a score and Brad O’Leary kicked three field goals, including a 48-yarder just before halftime.
Wooden sets Batesburg-Leesville record
Batesburg-Leesville running back Amadre Wooden became the school’s all-time leading rusher as the Panthers defeated Pelion, 60-14.
Wooden rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns and now has 4,714 career rushing yards, breaking the mark set by his uncle Terrence Wilson (4,692). The senior’s record-breaking total came on a 31-yard TD run in the third quarter.
Woodson has rushed for 200 or more yards in six straight games and has 1,638 yards on the season.
KD Whitt also had four touchdowns for the Panthers and finished with 150 all-purpose yards. He has 1,135 career receiving yards and needs 125 more to become the school’s all-time leader in that category.
Reese Boehnke threw two TDs to Whitt and Jayden Millhouse returned a fumble for a score.
Gray Collegiate wins region
Gray Collegiate won its first region title in Class 4A with a 48-0 over Aiken.
Quarterback Xavier Wright threw two TD passes and Trevon Williamson had two TD runs for the War Eagles. Williamson finished with 231 yards rushing and Wright threw for 144 yards.
Royce Williamson caught a TD pass and ran one in. Ryan Mobley blocked a punt for a TD and Nate Dixon had a TD run.
Perfect regular season continues for Newberry
Newberry ran its record to 9-0 with a 37-6 win over Keenan. The Bulldogs will go for a perfect regular season and region title next week against Swansea.
Freshman Sincere Gymph threw two touchdown passes and ran one in. Glymph started in place of injured QB Kenton Caldwell. BJ Jones and Jordan Holliday also had rushing TDs.
Around the Midlands
Camden 43, Lancaster 21: The Bulldogs scored 36 points in the first half on their way to a region win over the Bruins. Quarterback Greyson Rimpf threw three touchdown passes for Camden.
Gilbert 55, Airport 3: Kitt McLauchlin had 140 yards passing and three touchdowns in Gilbert’s win. Chandler Guthrie had two touchdown catches and Jiraiya Staley rushed for 132 yards and two TDs.
Hammond 37, Ben Lippen 0: Cade Amell threw two touchdown passes to Jackson Ross and Bubba Alexander had two touchdown runs in the Skyhawks win. Ross also had a safety for Hammond, and Levi Myers had a TD run.
Eau Claire 22, Columbia 18: Jacory Sumpter scored a touchdown with 3:53 left as the Shamrocks defeated the Capitals to clinch a playoff spot.
Sumpter finished with two touchdown runs. Josh Smith threw a TD pass to Kyle Walker.
Jesse Bryant sealed the win with an interception. Eau Claire has five wins on the season for the first time since 1992.
Rondrecus Peterson had three touchdowns for Columbia.
Mid-Carolina 38, Chester 35: The Rebels scored the go-ahead touchdown with 30.2 seconds left to upset the Cyclones and tighten things in the region race. Davis Ruff had the game-winning pass to Ryker Woolstenhulme. Wyatt Mazza had three TDs for the Rebels.
Heathwood Hall 35, Camden Military 12: Patrick Belk threw five touchdown passes to four different receivers in the Highlanders’ win.
Keon McKinley, Julian Hughes, Jamonie Batts, Jackson Noble and Charlie Hudson all had TD catches for Heathwood.
Lugoff-Elgin 21, Spring Valley 14: The Demons bounced back after a tough loss last week to beat the Vikings.
Florence Christian 35, Northside Christian 6: Five different players had TDs in FC’s win over Northside.
Strom Thurmond 20, Saluda 14: Zy Rouse scored a touchdown with 2:36 left to give the Rebels the win over the Tigers. Tristan Daniels had 122 yards and a TD for Saluda.
North Central 17, Andrew Jackson 7: Johnathan Coates and Brayden Price had TD runs as the Knights moved into a three-way tie for first place in the region standings.
White Knoll 37, Lexington 6: The Timberwolves snapped a 2-game losing streak with a win over the Wildcats.
Caleb Geronomi had a punt return for a touchdown and had a rushing touchdown for White Knoll. QB Jhais McKiever had a TD run and threw a TD. Tiyon Fanning also had a rushing TD for White Knoll.
Swansea 24, Fox Creek 13: Dante Caldwell had three rushing touchdowns as the Tigers bounced back from their first loss of the season and set up a winner-take-all game next week with Newberry for the region title.
South Pointe 42, Dreher 0: South Carolina commit J’Zavien Currence threw two touchdown passes and ran for two as the Stallions wrapped up the region title.
WW King 48, Newberry Academy 6: The Knights moved to 9-0 in SCISA 8-man football and play Laurens Academy for region title next week.
Next Week’s Schedule
All games are at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted
Oct. 30
American Leadership at Pelion
Brookland-Cayce at Airport
Camden at AC Flora
Cardinal Newman at Hammond, 6:30 p.m.
Chapin at White Knoll
Gilbert at Gray Collegiate
Lexington at River Bluff
Oct. 31
Augusta Christian at Ben Lippen
Blythewood at Ridge View
CA Johnson at Lee Central
Central at North Central
Columbia at Fairfield Central
Dutch Fork at Irmo
Heathwood Hall at Northwood
Mid-Carolina at Eau Claire
Northside Christian at Camden Military, 4 p.m.
Richard Winn at Wardlaw
Richland Northeast at South Pointe
Saluda at Batesburg-Leesville
Sumter at Westwood
Swansea at Newberry
Thrornwell at Clear Dot Charter
West Florence at Spring Valley
WW King at Laurens Academy
This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 11:56 PM.
