Get the lowdown on season-opening high school football games
Northwestern at South Pointe
Record in last 10 season openers: NHS - 4-6; SP - 10-0
Last meeting: South Pointe won 30-23 (2016)
Key players: NHS - Jr. DB Fentrell Cypress, Sr. DB La’Dell Massey, Sr. RB Dequez Harris; SPHS - Sr. OL Jaydon Collins, Sr. DB Jamari Currence, Sr. DB/LB B.J. Davis.
Need to know: Each of the last three games between these two teams has been decided in the final period or overtime and Friday’s contest is a season-opener, which suggests conditioning will be crucial. Muggy conditions with temperatures around the 90s will only exacerbate that issue. Both teams are talented and neither is the finished product. Don’t be surprised if the game is decided late again.
Blythewood at Rock Hill
Record in last 10 season openers: BHS - 6-4; RHHS - 5-5
Last meeting: Blythewood won 27-20 (2016)
Key players: BHS - Sr. DB Jaydon Brunson, Jr. QB Quinton Patten, Sr. OL Brandon Tucker; RHHS - Sr. QB Logan McFadden, Sr. RB Des Buchanan, Sr. OL Devin Cannon.
Need to know: Thirty-eight points in last Friday’s WRHI Football City USA Kickoff certainly got Rock Hill Bearcats fans excited. Can Bubba Pittman’s team do something similar in a game that counts? Blythewood lost standout and big-time college recruit Jordyn Adams in the offseason and has a new coach, too, Brian Smith (from 1A C.E. Murray). No question Pittman’s crew will be fired up for this one after losing the 2016 edition on a controversial call late in the game.
Spring Valley at Fort Mill
Record in last 10 season openers: SVHS - 7-3; FMHS - 6-4
Last meeting: Spring Valley won 21-13 (2016)
Key players: SVHS - Sr. LB Channing Tindall, Sr. QB Quincy Flowers, Jr. ATH Jalen Geiger; FMHS - Sr. RB/DB Ryan Heriot, Jr. DL Mel Plankenhorn, Sr. LB Josh Cairns.
Need to know: Ed Susi thinks his Fort Mill club can surprise people and the season-opener against state-ranked Spring Valley offers a perfect opportunity. The Yellow Jacket blockers will need to find top linebacker recruit Channing Tindall every play. The Vikings lost 30 seniors from a nine-win team and opening night seems a perfect time for them to land on Fort Mill’s schedule.
Nation Ford at Irmo
Record in last 10 season openers: NFHS - 6-4; IHS - 2-8
Last meeting: Nation Ford 28-27 in overtime (2016)
Key players: NFHS - Jr. WR Dewuan McCullum, Sr. LB Vinny Catan, Sr. LB/DB John Young; IHS - Sr. DL Trajan Jeffcoat, Jr. ATH Kendrell Flowers, Sr. OL Kendrick Smith.
Need to know: Irmo hasn’t had a winning season since former coach Bob Hanna left and fourth-year head man Reggie Kennedy would certainly like to get 2017 off to a good start against a Nation Ford squad that just missed out on the 5A top-10 preseason rankings. The Falcons’ defense should be relatively settled and prepared for the opener but the offense will be an interesting watch, especially seeing which QB runs out with the first team.
Clover at Ashbrook (N.C.)
Record in last 10 season openers: CHS - 5-5; AHS - 3-7
Last meeting: Clover won 48-13 (2016)
Key players: CHS - Sr. DL Devon Chisholm, Sr. K/P Nick Sciba, Sr. OL Jordan Sebert; AHS - Sr. LB Bobby Watson, Sr. RB British Brooks, Sr. OL Will Bryson.
Need to know: Clover smashed the Green Wave in last year’s opener, part of a 5-0 start. The new-look Blue Eagles’ offense will clash with an Ashbrook defense led by coordinator John Devine, who Clover fans will remember well for an ill-fated and brief stint in charge of the Blue Eagles six years ago. Under new head coach Brian Andrews, Ashbrook plans to focus much more on the run game offensively giving Clover even more of a look into its football past.
Indian Land at Lancaster
Record in last 10 season openers: ILHS - 5-5; LHS - 10-0
Last meeting: Lancaster won 47-10 (2016)
Key players: ILHS - Jr. LB Robbie Csuhta, Sr. QB David Loughry, Sr. DB/WR John Gregory; LHS - Sr. OL Jalen Tatah, Sr. LB Markees Watts, Sr. WR Desmond Stowers.
Need to know: The Bruins racked up over 450 yards of offense on the ground in last year’s win over Indian Land, but its unclear if they’ll be able to do that again given the losses to graduation in the backfield. Additionally, the Warriors appear much stronger physically after a more devoted offseason in the weight room and they’re another year older, crucial for a team that only lost a few seniors.
Westwood at Chester
Record in last 10 season openers: WHS - 3-2; CHS - 5-5
Last meeting: Westwood won 23-20 (2016)
Key players: WHS - Sr. ATH Jaylon Riley, Sr. LB Brian Horn, Sr. QB Elijah Heatley. CHS - Jr. OL Wyatt Tunall, Jr. RB Pha’Leak Brown, Sr. QB John Erby.
Need to know: This should be an interesting game. Chester is eager to prove it can take the next step and win over 4A Westwood would be a huge indicator that can happen this fall. Westwood is looking to bounce back from a 2-8 season and a win over 3A state-ranked Chester would suggest that too could happen. The Cyclones led in the fourth quarter last season before letting the lead slip in a Redhawks’ win.
Andrew Jackson at Lewisville
Record in last 10 season openers: AJHS - 0-10; LHS - 4-6
Last meeting: Lewisville won 36-6 (2016)
Key players: AJHS - Sr. DE/TE Dalton McKittrick, Sr. RB/LB Isaiah Parker, Sr. DL/OL C.J. Collins; LHS - Sr. DB/WR Mikial Fourney, Sr. LB Jaylen McFadden, Sr. OL Qay Simpson.
Need to know: looked like the Vols had some momentum headed into 2017 after winning seven games and making the playoffs last year, but coach C.J. Frye left the program unexpectedly over the summer. Frye did a nice job of turning the program around in his two years, and Andrew Jackson has some talent back this season. This should be a closer game than last year’s encounter, when Lewisville launched a 10-win campaign with a 30-point blowout win over AJ.
Laurens at York (Bank of York scrimmage)
York JV at Great Falls (Thursday night)
This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Get the lowdown on season-opening high school football games."