Midlands roundup: Dutch Fork extends win streak. Gilbert, Irmo earn shutouts
Scores and game recaps from this week’s Midlands high school football games.
Dutch Fork 51, Chapin 12
Will Taylor threw three touchdown passes and Elijah Spencer caught three as Dutch Fork ran its unbeaten streak to 42 games.
Taylor, the Clemson football and baseball commit, was 11-of-18 for 228 yards. Spencer, who is committed to Charlotte, caught eight passes for 190 yards and three TDs.
Jarvis Green ran for two Dutch Fork touchdowns and Trace Danley returned an interception 67 yards for a TD.
Chapin quarterback Hunter Sheppard threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Zavier Short.
Northwestern 19, Blythewood 7
Christian Watkins’ 92-yard kickoff return put Northwestern ahead in the fourth quarter and it went on for a win over Blythewood on Friday in high school football action.
It was Northwestern’s second straight trip to District 2 Stadium in Blythewood. Northwestern defeated Ridge View last week and are in 2-0, equaling its win total from last season.
Northwestern led 6-0 going into the fourth quarter as Blythewood’s defense kept them in the game, holding the Trojans to just two field goals despite four trips inside the 20-yard line in the first half.
Blythewood took the lead 7-6 with 8:37 left in the fourth quarter when Jordan Burrell found his brother Joshua Burrell for a 7-yard TD. Joshua Burrell, the Florida State commit, finished with six catches for 98 yards.
The drive was set up by DJ Hutcherson’s blocked punt. It was his second straight game with a blocked punt.
But the lead was short-lived as Watkins ran the ensuing kickoff back 92 yards to put the Trojans up 12-7 with 8:24 left.
“We found a way,” Northwestern coach Page Wofford said. “There is something special in Rock Hill and something special about Northwestern High School. We could have hung our heads after the blocked punt and just gone home up I-77. But we didn’t do that.”
Qua Howard added a 1-yard run with 3:34 left to cap the scoring for the Trojans. Howard finished with 125 yards rushing.
Irmo 14, Dreher 0
Dylan Williams and Dedrick Starkes each had TD runs as the Yellow Jackets moved to 2-0 on the season.
Starkes finished with 107 yards rushing.
Irmo hosts AC Flora next week in a key region contest.
Fairfield Central 28, Lower Richland 18
Will Barber ran for two touchdowns in the Griffins’ victory.
Stephon Gadsen threw a TD to Mel Peay and also ran for a score.
Hammond 19, Trinity-Byrnes 0
Jack Weston threw three touchdown passes to Cam Scott as the Skyhawks’ defense turned in another strong performance as they stayed unbeaten on the season.
Weston was 12-of-17 for 167 yards and three TDs. Scott had seven catches for 107 yards and three TDs.
Gilbert 43, Fox Creek 0
Colton Mason ran for 199 yards and three touchdowns in Gilbert’s home-opening win.
Izayah Whiteside added 140 yards passing and a touchdown.
Gilbert outgained Fox Creek, 492-145. The Indians face Brookland-Cayce in a key region showdown next week.
Camden 57, Manning 0
Quarterback Jaffari Pearson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another in Camden’s season opener.
Pearson finished with 196 yards passing and also 50 rushing. Running back Willis Lane added 166 yards and two TDs on the ground and also caught a TD pass.
CA Johnson 62, Great Falls 22
Isom Harris threw five touchdown passes, four to Desmond Martin as the Green Hornets won their second straight game.
Harris was 17-of-22 for 353 yards. Martin caught eight passes for 237 yards and four TDs. Cece Bailey had 273 all-purpose yards and four TDs, including a kickoff return for a TD.
Ben Lippen 50, Cardinal Newman 7
Will Owens ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns in Ben Lippen’s second straight win.
Chase Martin added a TD pass to Jack Austin and Stryker Gandy ran for a TD.
Josh Plush had a 90-yard kickoff return and also returned a fumble 42 yards for a TD.
Gray Collegiate 56, Columbia 0
Tre Robinson threw for 205 yards, four TDs and also rushed for a TD and the War Eagles’ defense shut out the Caps for their second straight win.
Gray hosts defending state champion Saluda next week.
Westwood 34, Lugoff-Elgin 17
The Redhawks rallied from a 17-8 deficit in the second half to even their record at 1-1.
Nick Gilliam had a 50-yard TD in the second half.
South Aiken 31, White Knoll 6
EJ Hickson threw two touchdown passes to Jonathan Burns in South Aiken’s win over White Knoll.
Hickson passed for 191 yards and Burns had five catches for 111 yards.
Strom Thurmond 42, Brookland-Cayce 28
The Rebels scored a pair of TDs in the fourth quarter to break a 28-28 tie and win their season opener.
With the score tied at 28-28, the Rebels returned an interception 99 yards to take the lead with eight minutes left. Devron Williams added his third TD later in the fourth. Charquez Booker also had two TDs for ST.
Brookland-Cayce QB Peyton Whitten threw TD passes of 50 and 76 yards and also ran for a score. Will Way had a TD run for the Bearcats.
North Central 24, Andrew Jackson 10
Shyheem Shropshire and Kalab Haven each had two TDs in the win over Andrew Jackson.
It was North Central’s first home football game in revamped stadium after the devastating tornado hit in February.
Batesburg-Leesville 52, Eau Claire 0
Jenavas Williams threw for 295 yards and five touchdowns, all to Damahzay Long, in the Panthers’ first win of the year.
Long finished with eight catches for 245 yards. The five TD catches were a school record.
Marvin Gantt added 139 yards rushing and the Panthers also scored two defensive touchdowns.
North Augusta 41, Airport 6
Jacari Buckson and DJ Curry each had two touchdowns as new North Augusta coach Jim Bob Bryant got his first victory.
Immanuel Bovain had Airport’s lone TD in the first quarter to put the Eagles up 6-0.
Chester 34, Keenan 8
Jaden Simmons and Darius Head each had two TDs in Chester’s victory.
First Baptist 21, Heathwood Hall 0
Will Daniel threw a TD and ran for one as First Baptist shut out the Highlanders.
Richard Winn 54, Laurens Academy 22
Quarterback Zack Taylor accounted for six TDs as Richard Winn moved to 6-0 on the season.
Taylor ran for 272 yards and four TDs and also threw for 71 yards with two TDs.
W.W. King 48, Northside Christian 18
WW King snapped a three-game losing streak on Friday.
Northside QB Max McKenna threw for 210 yards, two TDs and also rushed for a score in the loss. Charlie Compton had 10 catches for 180 yards and a TD.
Saluda-Newberry postponed
The anticipated Newberry-Saluda football matchup was postponed because of COVID-19 concerns with the Newberry football team.
Both teams came into the game at 1-0 and ranked in top 10 in Class 2A rankings. The game will be made up on Oct. 30 at Saluda. Newberry was scheduled to play Mid-Carolina that day and Saluda was supposed to face Blacksburg.
There is a chance Newberry’s game against Eau Claire on Oct. 9 might also have to be postponed, but no decision has been made, according to Newberry athletic director Chad Cary.
AC Flora 49, Richland Northeast 8
On Thursday, quarterback Ethan Beamish threw five first-half touchdowns as AC Flora moved to 2-0 on the season.
All of the Falcons’ scoring came in the first half with 42 points coming in the first quarter.
Beamish finished with 283 yards on 8-of-10. passing. Eriq Rice had two touchdowns, including an 81-yarder and Chris Lofton also caught two TD passes.
Orangeburg-Wilkinson 36, Swansea 13
On Thursday, O-W quarterback Anthony Mack threw three TD passes, two to Nah’Shawn Hezekiah.
MJ Reed ran for a TD and Lane Jeffcoat threw a TD pass to Da’quarius Crum for Swansea’s two touchdowns.
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 11:48 PM.
