5 top Midlands high school football story lines — and our Week 2 predictions
Here are five things to keep an eye on this week in Midlands high school football action:
Top 10 matchups
This week features a pair of matchups between teams ranked in The State’s Midlands Top 10 when No. 1 Dutch Fork hosts No. 4 Spring Valley and eighth-ranked Blythewood hosts fifth-ranked Westwood.
It will be the season openers for Dutch Fork and Spring Valley. The Silver Foxes had their anticipated game against Mallard Creek canceled because of weather while the Vikings were off last week. Dutch Fork has won 10 in a row against the Vikings, including 34-19 last year.
Both Blythewood and Westwood are coming off impressive opening week victories. The Bengals defeated Ridge View 38-21, while the Redhawks beat Lugoff-Elgin 53-14.
The all-time series is tied 3-3 with Westwood winning last season 28-9.
Battle of Kershaw County
The annual battle of Kershaw County takes place when Camden travels to Lugoff-Elgin.
L-E snapped a six-game losing streak to its rival with a 33-28 win last season, but the Bulldogs hold a 30-8 series edge.
True home opener for Richland Northeast
Richland Northeast will have a true on-campus home opener (and not play at Harry Parone Stadium) on Friday when it hosts River Bluff.
It’s only the fourth on-campus home game at RNE in school history. The Cavaliers also will honor their 1993 state championship team.
Eau Claire, Columbia go for rare 2-0 starts
After opening-week victories, the Columbia and Eau Claire football programs will look to start the season 2-0, something that hasn’t happened in a decade.
The Capitals travel to North Central on Friday and haven’t started 2-0 since 2008, when they won four straight to start the year.
Eau Claire, which is coming off 44-18 win against Lewisville, hasn’t won two in a row to start the season since 2006, when it won its first two games before losing the final eight.
Powerhouse programs meet in Abbeville
One of the most intriguing matchups of the week is Newberry traveling to Abbeville.
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 7 in this week’s S.C. Prep Media Class 3A poll while the Panthers are the top-ranked team in Class 2A and three-time defending state champs. Since 2011, the programs have combined for 140 victories and eight state appearances. Abbeville has won five state championships in that span.
It will be the first meeting between the teams since 2013. Newberry holds the all-time series lead 4-2.
The State’s Midlands Top 10 Poll
1. Dutch Fork (0-0)
2. Hammond (1-0)
3. Gilbert (1-0)
4. Spring Valley (0-0)
5. Westwood (1-0)
6. Brookland-Cayce (1-0)
7. Lexington (1-0)
8. Blythewood (1-0)
9. Newberry (0-0)
10. River Bluff (1-0)
Also receiving votes: Lower Richland, Gray Collegiate
Week 2 Picks
The State’s Lou Bezjak and Chris Dearing give their picks for this week’s high school football games
All games at 7:30 p.m.
AC Flora at Union County
▪ Bezjak: A.C. Flora
▪ Dearing: Union County
Ben Lippen at Pinewood Prep
▪ Bezjak: Ben Lippen
▪ Dearing: Ben Lippen
Brookland-Cayce at Airport
▪ Bezjak: Brookland-Cayce
▪ Dearing: Brookland-Cayce
CA Johnson at Lewisville
▪ Bezjak: Lewisville
▪ Dearing: Lewisville
Camden at Lugoff-Elgin
▪ Bezjak: Camden
▪ Dearing: Camden
Cardinal Newman at Porter-Gaud
▪ Bezjak: Porter-Gaud
▪ Dearing: Porter-Gaud
Colleton County at White Knoll
▪ Bezjak: White Knoll
▪ Dearing: White Knoll
Columbia at North Central
▪ Bezjak: Columbia
▪ Dearing: Columbia
Dreher at Lexington
▪ Bezjak: Lexington
▪ Dearing: Lexington
Eau Claire at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler
▪ Bezjak: Eau Claire
▪ Dearing: Eau Claire
Fairfield Central at Lancaster
▪ Bezjak: Fairfield Central
▪ Dearing: Lancaster
Gilbert at Batesburg-Leesville
▪ Bezjak: Gilbert
▪ Dearing: Gilbert
Gray Collegiate at Swansea
▪ Bezjak: Swansea
▪ Dearing: Gray Collegiate
Hammond at Trinity-Byrnes
▪ Bezjak: Hammond
▪ Dearing: Hammond
Heathwood Hall at Wilson Hall
▪ Bezjak: Wilson Hall
▪ Dearing: Wilson Hall
Keenan at Irmo
▪ Bezjak: Irmo
▪ Dearing: Irmo
Lower Richland at Carolina Forest
▪ Bezjak: Carolina Forest
▪ Dearing: Carolina Forest
Mid-Carolina at Chapin
▪ Bezjak: Chapin
▪ Dearing: Chapin
Newberry at Abbeville
▪ Bezjak: Abbeville
▪ Dearing: Abbeville
Pelion at Calhoun County
▪ Bezjak: Pelion
▪ Dearing: Calhoun County
Richard Winn at Cathedral
▪ Bezjak: Richard Winn
▪ Dearing: Cathedral
Ridge View at Providence Day
▪ Bezjak: Ridge View
▪ Dearing: Providence Day
River Bluff at Richland Northeast
▪ Bezjak: River Bluff
▪ Dearing: River Bluff
Saluda at Ridge Spring-Monetta
▪ Bezjak: Saluda
▪ Dearing: Saluda
Spring Valley at Dutch Fork
▪ Bezjak: Dutch Fork
▪ Dearing: Dutch Fork
Westwood at Blythewood
▪ Bezjak: Westwood
▪ Dearing: Westwood
WW King at Andrew Jackson
▪ Bezjak: Andrew Jackson
▪ Dearing: Andrew Jackson
This season’s records
▪ Bezjak: 15-8
▪ Dearing: 13-10
This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 10:45 AM.