High school rewind: Mickens tribute highlights Westwood game
Week 3 of high school football in the Midlands is in the books. Here is what stood out:
#Mark5Strong
Football just was part of the story of Friday’s Westwood-Keenan game at District Two Stadium. Yes, the Redhawks won the game 21-7 and improved to 4-0 on the season.
But the real story was the way Westwood paid tribute to injured teammate Mark Mickens. Signs, banners, stickers and t-shirts all honored Mickens, who continues to recover from a neck injury suffered in the fourth quarter against Clover on Sept. 4.
Two of the most touching moments was when Mickens’ parents, Dot and Mark, walked onto the field and when coach Rodney Summers held up Mickens’ jersey as the team came through the tunnel.
Davis begins with a bang
Dutch Fork’s Stephen Davis Jr. made his first start on offense a memorable one.
The senior rushed for 202 yards and six touchdowns and also caught a 50-yard TD pass in his first start at tailback.
The performance puts the cap on a busy week for Davis, who decommitted from Auburn on Sept. 6. He lists South Carolina, Clemson and Florida State as his favorites.
Davis planned to attend the South Carolina-Kentucky game Saturday.
As a team, Dutch Fork outgained Boiling Springs 657-271.
Comeback kids Part I
For the second straight week, Ridge View needed a second-half comeback to pull out a victory.
The Blazers overcame a 27-7 second-half deficit in the 47-41 win over Irmo on Friday, a week after rallying to beat Goose Creek 28-27.
"Not the way you draw it up," Ridge View coach Perry Parks said. "We got on them at halftime and the seniors showed they are willing to lead this team."
The Blazers used three quarterbacks in the game, with Camden transfer Jaylen Nelson the most effective of the bunch. Nelson threw for 243 yards and had two touchdowns.
D’Marco Zeigler, the team’s projected starter at the beginning of the season, saw his first action of the season but reinjured his ankle. Zeigler missed the first two games because of an injured ankle.
Parks said he probably will hold Zeigler out until region play begins, and Nelson will start next week against Nation Ford. Tre High, the team’s third QB, will go back to receiver.
Comeback kids Part II
Ridge View isn’t the only Midlands team who needed a fourth-quarter comeback for the second straight week.
Lexington played in its second straight nail-biter. The Wildcats shook off a slow start and trailed by 14 with 12 minutes left before scoring the final 19 points to win 40-35.
Lexington had 519 yards of offense and forced two key turnovers in the fourth, the final coming when Wando was inside the Wildcats’ 10-yard line and looking to put the game away.
Streak snappers
Lugoff-Elgin snapped its 18-game losing streak with a 13-3 win over West Florence.
It was the Demons’ first victory since defeating Richland Northeast on Oct. 11, 2013. The three points Lugoff-Elgin allowed was its best defensive performance since shutting out White Knoll in the 2009 season opener.
C.A. Johnson snapped its 11-game losing streak with an 18-0 win over Pelion. It was the Hornets’ first shutout since 2011 against McBee.
The unbeatens
Through the first three weeks of the season, there are just seven unbeaten teams in the Midlands – Westwood (4-0), Spring Valley (3-0), Chapin (4-0), Hammond (3-0), Airport (3-0), Batesburg-Leesville and North Central (3-0).
Top performers
Stephen Davis Jr. and Rory Gallman (Dutch Fork) – Davis helped kick start the Dutch Fork offense by rushing for 202 yards and six touchdowns against Boiling Springs. He also caught one pass for 50 yards and a TD. Gallman led the Dutch Fork defense with five sacks.
Brandon Blake and Taylor Schadewald (Lexington) – Blake threw for threw 351 yards and two TDs, both to Schadewald, who had eight catches for 187 yards and two TDs.
Graham Smith (Hammond) – Quarterback threw for 199 yards, rushed for 81 and scored two touchdowns.
Terrence Wilson (Batesburg-Leesville) – Rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns and also had a special teams touchdown.
River Bluff running game – Had three players, Brandon Tillmon, Ti’juan Glenn and Davon Johnson, rush for more than 100 yards against Fort Mill. As a team, the Gators rushed for 388 yards.
Jaylen Nelson (Ridge View) – Threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns against Irmo.
Three to watch
Here is a look at some of next week’s top games in the Midlands for next week:
Lexington at Westwood – Matchup of two of the top-10 teams in the Midlands Top 10 poll. Game will be a contrast in style with Lexington’s passing offense against Westwood’s powerful running game.
Dorman at Dutch Fork – Silver Foxes got their first win Friday and look to knock off unbeaten Dorman, which features quarterback and Colorado State commit Collin Hill.
Porter-Gaud at Hammond – Two of the three unbeatens in SCISA 3A meet in Columbia on Friday.
This story was originally published September 13, 2015 at 12:27 AM.