River Bluff-Gilbert showdown plus Week 5’s other top football games, predictions
Here are the top games to watch and predictions for Week 5 of high school football in the Midlands:
5 Can’t Miss Games
Brookland-Cayce (1-3) at Newberry (3-1): Only second meeting between two schools since 2001. B-C won last year 56-35, but Newberry had won six straight since 1996-2001. B-C trying to avoid first 1-4 start since 2011 season. Newberry’s Ahmorae Wilmore has rushed for 445 yards over the last two weeks.
Chapin (3-1) at AC Flora (4-0): Eighth straight year two teams are meeting. AC Flora leads series 4-3 in that span with four of the games decided by seven points or less. Chapin coming off 41-38 overtime win over Spring Valley. Chapin QB Roger Pedroni has 14 total TDs this season and needs 81 yards for 1,000 passing this season. AC Flora looking for first 5-0 start since 2014 when it went 12-2 that season. Falcons running back Matthew Pack leads the team with 588 yards and 9 touchdowns this season.
First Baptist (5-0) at Hammond (3-2): Rematch of last year’s SCISA 3A championship game won by Hammond 40-7. Skyhawks have outscored opponents 104-7 in last two games with all of their points coming in the first half of those games. First Baptist quarterback Will Daniel has thrown for more than 1,000 yards this year and Hurricanes have an impressive win at North Florida Christian, 21-20, last month.
Gilbert (5-0) at River Bluff (5-0): One of the top games in the Midlands and the state this week. Both teams are unbeaten and ranked in the top 10 in their respective classes. Gilbert’s offense is averaging 543 yards a game and 49 points a game. Indians QB Jy Tolen has thrown for at least 280 yards in every game this year and has 20 total TDs. River Bluff’s defense is giving up just 105 yards and seven points a game. Gators secondary has six interceptions.
Lexington (4-1) at Spring Valley (2-2): Will be big night at Harry Parone Stadium with the induction of Spring Valley’s first Hall of Fame of Class. On the field, the game should be pretty good as well with Lexington’s rushing attack going up against Spring Valley’s revamped passing attack. Lexington is averaging 247 yards a game on the ground and Ahmad Bynem-Scott has back-to-back 100 yard games. With 801 yards passing as a team, Spring Valley has more than doubled its total of 343 last season.
Week 5 Midlands game schedule, predictions
Predictions from The State’s Lou Bezjak and Chris Dearing. (All games at 7:30 p.m.)
Augusta Christian at Heathwood Hall (Bezjak-Heathwood; Dearing-Heathwood)
Blythewood at Beaufort (Bezjak-Blythewood; Dearing-Blythewood)
Brookland-Cayce at Newberry (Bezjak-Newberry; Dearing-Newberry)
Chapin at AC Flora at Memorial (Bezjak-AC Flora; Dearing-AC Flora)
Clover at Irmo (Bezjak-Clover; Dearing-Clover)
Columbia at Pelion (Bezjak-Columbia; Dearing-Columbia)
Dutch Fork at Northwestern (Bezjak-Dutch Fork; Dearing-Dutch Fork)
Eau Claire at Allendale-Fairfax (Bezjak-Allendale-Fairfax; Dearing-Allendale-Fairfax)
Edisto at CA Johnson at Benedict College (Bezjak-Edisto; Dearing-Edisto)
First Baptist at Hammond (Bezjak-Hammond; Dearing-Hammond)
Gilbert at River Bluff (Bezjak-River Bluff; Dearing-Gilbert)
Jefferson Davis at Newberry Academy (Bezjak-Jefferson Davis; Dearing-Jefferson Davis)
Keenan at Ridge View (Bezjak-Ridge View; Dearing-Ridge View)
Laurence Manning at Ben Lippen (Bezjak-Ben Lippen; Dearing-Laurence Manning)
Lexington at Spring Valley (Bezjak-Lexington; Dearing-Lexington)
Northside Christian at Beaufort Academy (Bezjak-Beaufort Academy; Dearing-Beaufort Academy)
Richard Winn at Clarendon Hall (Bezjak-Clarendon Hall; Dearing-Richard Winn)
Richland Northeast at Camden (Bezjak-Camden; Dearing- Camden)
Rock Hill at Lugoff-Elgin (Bezjak-Rock Hill; Dearing-Rock Hill)
Saluda at Southside Christian (Bezjak-Southside Christian; Dearing-Southside Christian)
Silver Bluff at Swansea (Bezjak-Swansea; Dearing-Swansea)
Wardlaw at WW King (Bezjak-Wardlaw; Dearing-Wardlaw)
Westwood at Fairfield Central (Bezjak-Westwood; Dearing-Westwood)
Season Totals for predictions
Lou Bezjak: 91-35-1
Chris Dearing: 98-28-1
SC PREP MEDIA POLLS
First-place votes in parentheses
SCHSL
Class 5A
1. Dutch Fork (11); 2. Byrnes; 3. Fort Dorchester; 4. Gaffney; 5. Dorman; 6. T.L. Hanna; 7. Sumter; 8. River Bluff; 9. Clover; 10. Carolina Forest
Receiving Votes: West Florence, White Knoll, Berkeley
Class 4A
1. Myrtle Beach (11); 2. Daniel ; 3. North Myrtle Beach; 4. South Pointe; 5. Wilson ; 6. Hartsville; 7. AC Flora; 8. Eastside; 9. Walhalla; 10 Travelers Rest
Others receiving votes: Wren, Greenville, Greer
Class 3A
1. Dillon (9); 2. Chapman (2); 3. Camden; 4. Chester; 5. May River; 6. Gilbert; 7. Wade Hampton; 8. Strom Thurmond; 9. Aynor; 10. Marion
Others receiving votes: Cheraw, Newberry, Union County
Class 2A
1. Abbeville (10); 2. Barnwell (1); 3. Bamberg-Ehrhardt; 4. Southside Christian; 5. Saluda; 6. Oceanside Collegiate; 7.Timberland; 8. Whale Branch; 9. Andrew Jackson; 10. (tie) Lee Central, St. Joeseph’s
Others receiving votes- Gray Collegiate, Blacksburg, East Clarendon, Woodland
Class A
1. Lamar (5); 2. Wagener-Salley (5); 3. Green Sea Floyds (1); 4. Blackville-Hilda; 5. Lake View; 6. Branchville; 7. C.E. Murray; 8. Baptist Hill; 9. Ridge Spring-Monetta; 10. Denmark-Olar
Others receiving votes- Great Falls, Cross, Calhoun Falls Charter
SCISA
Class 3A
1. Hammond (5); 2. First Baptist; 3. Laurence Manning; 4. Ben Lippen; 5. Heathwood Hall
Others receiving votes: Porter-Gaud
Class 2A
1. Robert E. Lee (4); 2. Trinity-Byrnes (1); 3. Orangeburg Prep; 4. Florence Christian; 5. Hilton Head Christian
Others receiving votes: Williamsburg Academy
Class A
1. Thomas Heyward (5); 2. Carolina Academy; T3. Pee Dee Academy; T3. Dillon Christian; T3. Bethesda Academy
Others receiving votes: Dorchester Academy
8-man
1. Andrew Jackson Academy (4); 2. Clarendon Hall (1); 3. Richard Winn Academy; 4. Palmetto Christian; 5. St. John’s Christian
Others receiving votes: Jefferson Davis Academy, Holly Hill Academy
This story was originally published September 26, 2019 at 9:26 AM.