5 top Midlands high school football storylines — and our Week 10 predictions
Here are five things to keep an eye on this week in Midlands high school football:
Weather alters schedule again
With the threat of inclement weather for Friday, more than half of the games scheduled in the Midlands have been moved up to Thursday.
District rivals Airport and Brookland-Cayce will meet Sunday with the Region 5-4A title on the line.
Region titles at stake
Airport at Brookland-Cayce will be one of four games that will determine region titles.
Sumter at Irmo will determine the Region 4-5A championship. If Sumter wins, it is the champion outright. If Irmo wins and Blythewood loses to Spring Valley, the Yellow Jackets are region champs.
If Irmo wins and Blythewood wins, there will be a three-way tie. The tiebreaker is a coin flip among the three teams, then head-to-head result of the two winners of the coin toss.
Richland One rivals AC Flora and Dreher will determine the Region 4-4A crown. A.C. Flora wins the championship with a win. If Dreher wins and Lower Richland loses to Orangeburg-Wilkinson, the Blue Devils are champs.
If Dreher and Lower Richland both win, there will be a three-way tie with defensive points allowed between the three teams as the tiebreaker.
North Central tries to end title drought
The fourth game to decide a region title will be North Central’s matchup at Buford to decide the Region 4-2A crown. Both teams are unbeaten in region play.
North Central has been one of the biggest surprises this year and hasn’t won a region title since 1992. The Knights’ seven wins are the most since 1998. North Central had eight wins combined in the previous three seasons.
Lexington-River Bluff rivalry
Lexington and River Bluff is one of the area’s top rivalries no matter which sport is going on, but there will plenty at stake for Thursday’s matchup.
The winner of the game finishes second in Region 5-5A and hosts a first-round playoff game. River Bluff has never hosted a home playoff game and is a win away from tying the school record for wins in a season set in 2014.
Lexington has won all four games in the series with the last two by 10 points or more.
Hammond, Dutch Fork look to stay perfect
Dutch Fork and Hammond will try to cap off perfect regular seasons this week.
The Silver Foxes (7-0) play White Knoll on Thursday in their regular-season finale. Dutch Fork was scheduled to play Blythewood next week as a makeup game but it won’t be played. Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts said he is trying to schedule a game for next week.
Hammond will go for its sixth unbeaten regular season when it travels to Heathwood Hall. The Skyhawks (9-0) have clinched the top seed for the SCISA 3A playoffs, which begin next week.
Midlands Top 10 Poll
1. Dutch Fork (7-0)
2. Hammond (9-0)
3. River Bluff (7-1)
4. Blythewood (6-2)
5. A.C. Flora (6-2)
6. Irmo (5-3)
7. Brookland-Cayce (6-3)
8. Airport (6-3)
9. Lexington (5-3)
10. Ridge View (5-3)
This Week’s Picks
Thursday
Cardinal Newman at Ben Lippen
Bezjak: Cardinal Newman
Dearing: Cardinal Newman
Eau Claire at Columbia (Keenan Stadium)
Bezjak: Columbia
Dearing: Columbia
Fairfield Central at Indian Land
Bezjak: Indian Land
Dearing: Fairfield Central
Gilbert at Pelion
Bezjak: Gilbert
Dearing: Gilbert
Hammond at Heathwood Hall
Bezjak: Hammond
Dearing: Hammond
Keenan at Camden
Bezjak: Camden
Dearing: Camden
Lancaster at Ridge View
Bezjak: Ridge View
Dearing: Ridge View
Lower Richland at Orangeburg-Wilkinson
Bezjak: Lower Richland
Dearing: Lower Richland
Newberry at Mid-Carolina
Bezjak: Newberry
Dearing: Newberry
North Central at Buford
Bezjak: North Central
Dearing: North Central
Richland Northeast at Westwood
Bezjak: Westwood
Dearing: Westwood
River Bluff at Lexington
Bezjak: River Bluff
Dearing: Lexington
Saluda at Batesburg-Leesville
Bezjak: Saluda
Dearing: Saluda
Spartanburg Christian at Northside Christian
Bezjak: Spartanburg Christian
Dearing: Spartanburg Christian
Sumter at Irmo
Bezjak: Irmo
Dearing: Sumter
Wardlaw at Richard Winn
Bezjak: Wardlaw
Dearing: Wardlaw
White Knoll at Dutch Fork
Bezjak: Dutch Fork
Dearing: Dutch Fork
Friday
Blythewood at Spring Valley
Bezjak: Blythewood
Dearing: Blythewood
Dreher at AC Flora (Memorial Stadium)
Bezjak: AC Flora
Dearing: AC Flora
Gray Collegiate at CA Johnson (Keenan Stadium)
Bezjak: Gray Collegiate
Dearing: Gray Collegiate
Nation Ford at Chapin
Bezjak: Nation Ford
Dearing: Nation Ford
Swansea at Edisto
Bezjak: Swansea
Dearing: Swansea
WW King at Clarendon Hall
Bezjak: Clarendon Hall
Dearing: Clarendon Hall
Sunday
Airport at Brookland-Cayce
Bezjak: Brookland-Cayce
Dearing: Brookland-Cayce
This season’s records
Bezjak: 178-49
Dearing: 171-56
This story was originally published October 24, 2018 at 4:39 PM.