Countdown to kickoff: The must-see August games for Midlands HS football teams
The start of the high school football season in South Carolina is just around the corner.
Practice for S.C. High School League teams begins July 30, with Week 1 games set for Aug. 21. (There is no more “Week 0,” with teams having 11 weeks to play 10 games.)
Here are six August games involving Midlands squads that you don’t want to miss.
Aug. 21
Abbeville at Saluda: The matchup of two teams with passionate fan bases takes place for the 55th time.
Abbeville leads the series 37-17, including a 41-16 win in the 2022 Class 2A Upper State championship.
Saluda is coming off a 6-6 season in Greg Woerner’s first year as head coach. The Tigers return 1,000-yard rusher Tristan Daniels and added Lexington QB Avery Croyle. Former Gilbert head coach Chad Leaphart also joined the Saluda coaching staff.
Abbeville is coming off a 9-3 season, the first time it didn’t win at least 10 games in a year since 2014.
Camden at Dillon: Another matchup of small-town powerhouse programs that will be moving down in classifications. Camden is dropping down to Class 3A, while Dillon is moving to Class 2A.
This will be the 15th all-time matchup between the two programs but the first in the regular season since 1975. Dillon leads the all-time series 8-6, but Camden won the last game (35-21) in the 2023 playoffs.
The Bulldogs return QB Greyson Rimpf, Division 1 linebacker prospect Lavay Penny and tight end Will Haunert. Dillon also has a talented roster but must replace QB Khayel Sam Fong-Talia, who transferred to a high school in Georgia over the spring.
Gray Collegiate at Chambers (NC): The War Eagles play their first game as a Class 5A program on the road in Charlotte against Chambers, which is coached by former USC Gamecocks great Captain Munnerlyn. The former Gamecock spent the spring as defensive coordinator in the United Football League with the Columbus Aviators.
Chambers won one of the 7-on-7 events this summer at the University of South Carolina and features Wake Forest safety commitment Keland Sutton.
Gray is coming off a trip to the 4A Lower State championship and returns such key players as sophomore QB Xavier Wright, WR Corey Gleaton, OL Jack Armstrong, WR/DB Royce Williamson and RB Trevon Williamson.
Hammond at Brookland-Cayce: Hammond steps out of the private school ranks to play B-C in its season opener. It’s the first meeting between the two teams.
The Skyhawks saw their SCISA championship streak end last year at eight, but they return several players, including South Carolina linebacker commitment Jackson Ross, DL John Stokes and DE Hugh Manning.
The Bearcats start year two under Louis Clyburn and return quarterback Andrew Frick, among others. B-C offensive coordinator GA Mangus was a former assistant at Hammond along with South Carolina and S.C. State.
Rock Hill at Irmo: The Yellow Jackets begin their quest for a third-straight state championship appearance at home against Rock Hill.
Irmo is loaded with Division I talent, including Miami commitment Jaiden Bryant, South Carolina commitment Nate Carson and Alabama commitment Tai Phillips, who rushed for 919 yards and 12 touchdowns last season at Cape Fear High in North Carolina.
The Yellow Jackets tied a school record last season with their third-straight year with 10 wins or more in a season.
Rock Hill is in the second season under alum and former Lugoff-Elgin head coach Leon Boulware The Bearcats went 7-5 last year and looked impressive over the summer at 7-on-7s. Rock Hill features James Madison commitment WR/DB Kaiden Watkins, who transferred from South Pointe.
Rock Hill leads the all-time series 7-5, including a 28-3 win in the 2008 playoffs.
Aug. 28
Dutch Fork at Ridge View: It’s the third-straight year the teams will be playing, with Dutch Fork edging Ridge View 28-21 last season.
It’s the season opener for Dutch Fork, which is going for its fifth-straight state championship. The Silver Foxes return several key playersL quarterback Jaxon Knotts, defensive end Jaden Wuerth, center Brody Lorenzo, defensive backs KJ Dupre and TJ Gibson along with transfers Maleek and Corey Miller, Peyton Bishop and James Smith.
The game is part of a tough three-week stretch for Ridge View, who will play three defending state champions from last year to start the season. The Blazers open up with 4A champion South Pointe on Aug. 21 and play 3A champion Oceanside Collegiate on Sept. 5.
Quarterback Tre Howard is back for the Blazers after missing most of last year with injury. Ridge View also has South Carolina offensive line commitment James Ross as well as receivers Khristian Jackson and transfer Isaiah Smalls and Kanye Reed.
There is a chance both teams might play without some of their senior transfers. A new S.C. High School League rule says senior players who are transferring for the first time must miss the first three weeks of the season.
