Week 10’s top local high school football games, predictions and playoff scenarios
Here are the top games to watch, playoff scenarios and predictions for Week 10 of high school football in the Midlands:
Games to Watch
Batesburg-Leesville (5-4, 3-1) at Saluda (7-2, 3-1): Winner finishes second in Region 3-2A. Win or lose, both teams are assured of a home playoff game in the first round. Saluda quarterback Noah Bell has thrown for 2,401 yards and 31 TDs.
Brookland-Cayce (6-3, 4-0) at Airport (7-2, 4-0): Winner earns Region 5-4A championship and would be home in first two playoff games. Airport has won five straight games with three coming by three points or less. B-C won the first meeting against Airport, 35-32, on Aug. 30. Airport leads the all-time series 46-31. B-C’s Will Way is third in Midlands with 1,319 yards rushing and 14 TDs.
CA Johnson (4-5, 2-1) at Gray Collegiate (6-3, 3-0): Game will be played at Midlands Sports Complex. Gray Collegiate wins Region 3-2A title with victory. If CAJ wins, it forces a three-way tie with Calhoun County with tiebreaker defensive points allowed between the three teams. The first and third place teams from the region will be in the Upper State bracket of the 2A playoffs. CAJ’s four wins are its most since winning four in 2013. Gray QB Hunter Helms leads Midlands with 3,063 yards passing and 35 TDs. CAJ’s Desmond Martin leads area with 7 INTs.
Eau Claire (0-9, 0-3) at Columbia (1-8, 0-3): Winner earns final playoff spot from Region 3-2A and will be in the Lower State bracket of the 2A playoffs.
Keenan (3-6, 0-3) at Camden (8-1, 2-1): Camden clinches top seed in Region 4-3A with a win. Bulldogs hold tiebreaker over Fairfield Central and Chester if teams finish in three-way tie.
Lexington (7-2, 2-1) at River Bluff (7-2, 1-2): Lexington clinches No. 2 spot in Region 5-5A and a home playoff game with a win. River Bluff clinches second with a win and a White Knoll loss to Dutch Fork. If River Bluff and White Knoll both lose, there will be a three-way tie with Chapin for third. The tiebreaker is point differential against Dutch Fork. River Bluff lost to DF by 34, Chapin 45 and WK plays DF on Friday. Lexington leads all-time series, 4-1, but RB won last year, 35-21.
Spring Valley (4-5, 1-2) at Blythewood (5-4, 1-2): Winner of game clinches the final guaranteed playoff spot from Region 4-5A. If SV wins, it finishes second in region. Blythewood finishes third with a victory. Blythewood might have a shot at an at-large spot in the playoffs with a loss.
Week 10 Midlands game schedule, predictions
Predictions from The State’s Lou Bezjak and Chris Dearing. (All games at 7:30 p.m.)
AC Flora at Dreher (Memorial Stadium) (Lou-AC Flora; Chris-AC Flora)
Batesburg-Leesville at Saluda (Lou-Saluda; Chris-Saluda)
Ben Lippen at Cardinal Newman (Lou-Ben Lippen; Chris-Ben Lippen)
Buford at North Central (Lou-Buford; Chris-Buford)
Brookland-Cayce at Airport (Lou-Brookland-Cayce; Chris-Brookland-Cayce)
Chapin at Nation Ford (Lou-Nation Ford; Chris-Chapin)
Dutch Fork at White Knoll (Lou-Dutch Fork; Chris-Dutch Fork)
Eau Claire at Columbia (Lou-Columbia; Chris-Columbia)
Edisto at Swansea (Lou-Swansea; Chris-Edisto)
CA Johnson at Gray Collegiate (Midlands Sports Complex) (Lou-Gray Collegiate; Chris-Gray Collegiate)
Heathwood Hall at Hammond (Lou-Hammond; Chris-Hammond)
Indian Land at Fairfield Central (Lou-Fairfield Central; Chris-Fairfield Central)
Irmo at Sumter (Lou-Sumter; Chris-Sumter)
Keenan at Camden (Lou-Camden; Chris-Camden)
Laurens Academy at Newberry Academy (Lou-Laurens; Chris-Laurens)
Lexington at River Bluff (Lou-Lexington; Chris-Lexington)
Mid-Carolina at Newberry (Lou-Newberry; Chris-Newberry)
Orangeburg-Wilkinson at Lower Richland (Lou-Lower Richland; Chris-Lower Richland)
Palmetto Christian at Northside Christian (Lou-Palmetto Christian; Chris Palmetto Christian)
Pelion at Gilbert (Lou-Gilbert; Chris-Gilbert)
Richard Winn at Wardlaw (Lou-Richard Winn; Chris-Wardlaw)
Ridge View at Lancaster (Lou-Ridge View; Chris-Ridge View)
Spring Valley at Blythewood (Lou-Spring Valley; Chris-Spring Valley)
Westwood at Richland Northeast at Harry Parone Stadium (Lou-Westwood; Chris-Westwood)
Season Totals for predictions
Lou Bezjak: 204-59-1
Chris Dearing: 216-47-1
SC Prep Media Polls
First-place votes in parentheses:
SCHSL
Class 5A: 1. Dutch Fork (12); 2. Dorman; 3. Fort Dorchester; 4. Byrnes; 5. Sumter; 6. Clover; 7. Carolina Forest; 8. Laurens; 9, Gaffney; 10. River Bluff
Receiving votes: Goose Creek, T.L. Hanna, Berkeley, Lexington
Class 4A: 1. Myrtle Beach (12); 2. Daniel; 3. South Pointe; 4. Eastside; 5. Wren; 6. Hartsville; 7. Greenville; 8. AC Flora; 9. Belton Honea Path; 10. Wilson
Others receiving votes: Walhalla, Airport
Class 3A: 1. Chapman (12); 2. Aynor; 3. Gilbert; 4. Dillon; 5. Camden; 6. Wade Hampton; 7. Chester; 8. May River; 9. Union County; 10. Strom Thurmond
Others receiving votes: Cheraw
Class 2A: 1. Abbeville (12); 2. Barnwell; 3. Southside Christian; 4. Oceanside Collegiate; 5. Andrew Jackson; 6. Timberland; 7. Saluda; 8. Bamberg-Ehrhardt; 9. Gray Collegiate; 10. Andrews
Others receiving votes: St. Joseph’s, Woodland, Mullins, Buford
Class A: 1. Wagener-Salley (8); 2. Green Sea Floyds (4); 3. Lamar; 4. Blackville-Hilda; 5. C.E. Murray; 6. Branchville; 7. Lake View; 8. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler; 9. Whitmire; 10. Ridge Spring-Monetta
Receiving votes: Baptist Hill, Denmark-Olar, Cross
SCISA
Class 3A: 1. Hammond (6); 2. Laurence Manning; 3. First Baptist; 4. Heathwood Hall; 5. Ben Lippen
Also receiving votes: None
Class 2A: 1. Trinity-Byrnes (6); 2. Robert E. Lee; T-3. Hilton Head Christian; T-3. Florence Christian; 5. Orangeburg Prep
Also receiving votes: None
Class A: 1. Bethesda Academy (4); 2. Carolina Academy (2); 3. Thomas Heyward; 4. Pee Dee Academy; 5. Colleton Prep
Also receiving votes: None
8-man: 1. Andrew Jackson (5); 2. St. John’s Christian; 3. Wardlaw; 4. Clarendon Hall; 5. Richard Winn
Also receiving votes: None
This story was originally published October 31, 2019 at 1:24 PM.
