Picks and previews for second round of high school football playoffs

Looking at this week’s top high school football games in the Midlands and picking winners for the second week of the playoffs.

Bluffton (7-3) at Gilbert (11-0)

Players to Watch – B: QB Hunter Eldridge, WR Jermaine Patterson; G: WR Manny Bright. QB Josh Strickland

Notes: First meeting between two teams. … Gilbert’s 11 wins are the most in school history. … Gilbert RB Cody Temples went over 1,000 yards rushing last week and has 1,027 yards. … Gilbert QB Josh Strickland needs 181 yards for 2,000 yards passing and Jy Tolen needs 64 passing yards for 1,000. … Indians have gained more than 500 yards of offense in six games this year.

Pick: Gilbert

Laurence Manning (9-2) at Ben Lippen (7-2)

Players to Watch – LMA: LMA: WR Taylor Lee, RB Burgess Jordan; BL: QB Trad Beatty, RB Kyle Wright

Notes: Winner advances to SCISA 3A championship. Ben Lippen is looking for its second straight title appearance. … Second meeting of year between two teams. Ben Lippen won, 26-23, on Sept. 29. Kyle Wright rushed for 211 yards in that game. … BL quarterback Trad Beatty threw for 508 yards and four TDs in regular-season finale against Cardinal Newman.

Pick: Ben Lippen

Myrtle Beach (7-4) at Lower Richland (6-5)

Players to Watch – MB: QB Logan Cribb, RB LR: QB Tevaughn Higgins, LB Malich Jacobs

Notes: Second meeting between two teams with the other coming in 1962 and won by Lower Richland, 21-12. … Both teams enter game on four-game winning streaks. … LR quarterback Tevaughn Higgins had 377 yards of total offense and six TDs last week against Darlington. Higgins has 1,129 yards rushing and 1,301 passing this year. … Myrtle Beach is averaging 420 yards of offense per game. … MB starting receiver and backup QB Luke Doty has a South Carolina offer.

Pick: Myrtle Beach

Newberry (10-1) at Fairfield Central (8-3)

Players to Watch – N: RB Amir Abrams, QB Tyriq Goodman; FC: LB Dorian Glenn, RB Tony Ruff.

Notes: Fairfield Central leads the series 14-11 since 1986. … Second meeting of season between two teams. Newberry won 22-21 on a two-point conversion with three seconds left on Sept. 15. … Newberry’s Amir Abrams needs one TD for 100 in his career. … One of these two teams has played for the upper-state championship each year since 2012.

Pick: Newberry

Porter-Gaud (6-5) at Hammond (10-0)

Players to Watch – P-G: QB Andrew Thomas, LB/S Graham Kaplan; H: QB Corbett Glick, DL Jordan Burch

Notes: Winner advances to SCISA 3A title game. … Second meeting of season. Hammond won, 35-0, on Oct. 6. … Hammond QB Corbett Glick needs 269 yards for 3,000 passing on the season. … Skyhawks are averaging 461 yards of offense per game. … Hammond WR Lucas Prickett leads Midlands with 1,247 yards and 15 TDs.

Pick: Hammond

Spring Valley (10-1) at Conway (10-1)

Players to Watch – SV: LB Channing Tindall, RB Jaylon Morris; C: QB Darren Grainger, OL/DL Raiqwon O’Neal

Notes: Second straight year teams have met in playoffs. Conway won 14-0 in Conway last season. … SV leads all-time series, 4-3. … Conway QB Darren Grainger has 2,500 yards of total offense and 21 TDs. … Spring Valley is averaging 305.2 yards per game on the ground. … SV has won at least 10 games in a season for 11^th time in school history, first time since 2013.

Pick: Spring Valley

West Florence (5-6) at Dutch Fork (9-1)

Players to Watch – WF: RB Ailym Ford, LB Stephon Alexander; DF: RB Bryce Thompson, WR Jalin Hyatt

Notes: First meeting between the two teams. … Dutch Fork set eight school records in last week’s 77-20 win over Stratford, including most post points and total yards with 693. … DF’s Jalin Hyatt has four straight 100 yard receiving games. … Dutch Fork’s Bryce Thompson has 32 total touchdowns. … WF has won four straight after 1-6 start. … WF’s RB Ailym Ford has 812 yards and seven TDs in last four games.

Pick: Dutch Fork

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 11:15 AM.