Week 9 High School Football 411: can Chester complete a perfect regular season?
Check out the Week 9 High School Football 411, with all the information you need to be ready for (what would have been) the second to last week of the regular season (were it not for Hurricane Florence’s visit). Click on the links below to jump to different sections of the 411:
Who made the best play in Week 8?
The latest Hawgs of the Week are...
Get updated on the area’s Stat Monsters
The Herald’s Bret McCormick and Hall of Fame football coach Jimmy Wallace talked about Week 9 games in The Herald’s coverage area. Check it out:
-------------
Chester (9-0, 3-0 Region 4-3A) at Fairfield Central (2-6, 1-1)
Last week: Chester beat Camden 21-19 (OT); Fairfield Central was idle
Last meeting: Fairfield Central won 34-24 (2017)
Key players: C - OL Daniel Elkins, RB Emmanuel Wright, LB Javonti Jackson, LB/DB Dorrien Bagley. FC - QB Stephon Gadsden, RB Will Barber, LB Quinjae Pringle, DL Alex Boyd.
Need to know: it’s the battle of the freshman QBs! Incredibly, both of these schools have ninth grade starting quarterbacks, and both have very bright futures. Cyclones QB Zan Dunham has only thrown 82 passes in nine games, but that hasn’t prevented Chester from still running the ball at will. Young QB aside, Chester has a stark experience advantage in almost every other position on the field, a fact that should help the Cyclones end a 10-year losing streak to their rivals from Winnsboro. A Chester win would complete a 10-0 regular season; it’s not clear the last time a Chester football team did that, or if one ever has (maybe the 1960s?).
READ: Chester’s 9-0 record is the fruition of a four-year process
Nation Ford (4-4, 2-1 Region 3-5A) at Rock Hill (5-2, 2-0)
Last week: Nation Ford lost to Northwestern 21-20; Rock Hill beat Clover 27-17
Last meeting: Rock Hill won 36-14 (2017)
Key players: NF - WR Quinton Jackson, OL Devin Hodges, DE Jon Sanders, DB Micah Brown. RH - DL Logan Hicks, QB Hayden Jackson, WR Tay Anthony, LB Alex English.
Need to know: a Nation Ford win could set the table for another possible three-way tie for first place at the end of Oct. 26. A Bearcat victory would leave Bubba Pittman’s team in position to play for a region title next week against Northwestern. Rock Hill’s run game has been unstoppable for most of the season. Backs Noah Thompson and Narii Gaither have combined for almost 2,000 yards on the ground. But Nation Ford’s ground game is also stout, with Nathan Mahaffey, and it could come down to which team wins the line of scrimmage? Rock Hill’s offensive line play has been very good, but the Falcons’ blockers have flown under the radar a bit and are also having a strong season.
Northwestern (2-5, 2-0 Region 3-5A) at Fort Mill (1-7, 0-2)
Last week: Northwestern beat Nation Ford 21-20; Fort Mill was idle
Last meeting: Northwestern won 37-20 (2017)
Key players: N - WR Jamar Moore, DB Keyshard McCrorey, DB Fentrell Cypress, OL Clayton Ballog. FM - WR Cam Saunders, RB Sebastian Lach, DB Steven Neese.
Need to know: good shot for Northwestern to continue its renaissance from an 0-5 start this week against Fort Mill. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a break and should be schematically prepared. But Trojan standout Jamario Holley continues to make game-breaking plays (game-winning TD last week against Nation Ford) and Northwestern’s defense seems to be getting better too in two straight wins. The Trojans rode running back Antonio Heath last week for over 100 yards, and might be on to something there.
Ridge View (5-2, 2-1 Region 3-4A) at South Pointe (7-1, 3-0)
Last week: Ridge View beat Westwood 28-7; South Pointe beat Richland Northeast 68-0
Last meeting: South Pointe won 56-19 (2017)
Key players: RV - LB Terry Carson, ATH Dwight Jacobs, ATH Walyn Napper. SP - WR Isaac Ross, DL Ja’Marion Heath, DB Troy Frazier, ATH Marice Whitlock.
Need to know: South Pointe has won all four meetings with the Blazers; the most recent two were pretty test affairs. Ridge View baited Stallions standout Derion Kendrick into getting ejected from last season’s game, an expulsion that was later overturned by the South Carolina High School League after video evidence of Ridge View players ripping Kendrick’s helmet off repeatedly was provided to the league office. Ridge View is fresh off a key win over rival Westwood, which keeps the Blazers alive in the scrap for a league title, or at least a first round home playoff game. The Blazers are 4-0 as the away team this season, but they’re gonna need more than talk to beat South Pointe, whose average margin of victory over them is 35 points.
Westwood (4-3, 0-3 Region 3-4A) at Lancaster (5-3, 1-2)
Last week: Westwood lost to Ridge View 28-7; Lancaster lost to York 24-10
Last meeting: Westwood won 36-29 (2017)
Key players: W - WR Christian Horn, WR/DB Cam Atkins, RB Deshawn Boyd. L - WR Zach Truesdale, OL Jalen Tatah, DB Nehemiah Bailey, DB Zyon Duncan.
Need to know: two all-time meetings between these schools have been decided by a touchdown each, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if that was the case again this Friday. It’s essentially an elimination game for Westwood, which has dropped three in a row and is on the outside of the postseason, looking in. But a win over the Bruins would put the Redhawks in a good spot to be the fourth team from Region 3-4A to make the playoff cut. Lancaster’s run game was sluggish last week against York -- partly because of the Cougars -- but a couple of big touchdown plays called back seemed to ding the Bruins’ confidence and focus. QB Kemarkio Cloud was held to 20 yards on 12 carries, his lowest total of the season by a mile, and he’ll need to be at his best for Friday’s big game.
York (4-3, 3-0 Region 3-4A) at Richland Northeast (1-6, 0-3)
Last week: York beat Lancaster 24-10; Richland Northeast lost to South Pointe 68-0
Last meeting: York won 55-19 (2017)
Key players: Y - LB Brian Phillip, DB Max Necklen, DB Jahari Moore, TE/HB Khalil Ellis. RNE - WR Elias O’Neal, TE Tyheece Buchanan, DL Bryant Royal.
Need to know: Richland Northeast is in the midst of a very difficult season, and York should be able to get its fifth straight win Friday on the road. The Cougars have some question marks at QB with Ethan Mitchell’s thumb banged up and Tanner McKinney beginning his return from a concussion. Friday’s game may allow both to ease back into things. If York is able to take care of business, it’ll head into its regular season finale against South Pointe 4-0 in the region.
READ: York was supposed to sack Richland NE QB Friday night. Instead, they’re helping him
Indian Land (3-5, 1-1 Region 4-3A) at Camden (6-2, 1-1)
Last week: Indian Land beat Keenan 57-0; Camden lost to Chester 21-19 (OT)
Last meeting: Camden won 31-17 (2017)
Key players: IL - ATH Karl Ellis, RB Brandon Britton, DL Tahj Knight, DE Cornelius Barber. C - QB Bryce Jeffcoat, OL Josh Barnes, OL Derrick Leonard, DE/LB John Copley.
Need to know: interesting to see how Camden responds to the disappointment of losing in overtime to Chester last week. The Bulldogs are probably favorites to beat Indian Land, but, under coach Horatio Blades, the Warriors have performed well as region underdogs. If they’re to get an upset win Friday, they’ll need some offensive production. Indian Land had scored just 71 points in seven games, before erupting for 57 against overmatched Keenan last week. Camden is enormous on both the offensive and defensive lines, but Indian Land should have some plans, especially defensively, for dealing with that. Another fun fact: both head coaches, Camden’s Brian Rimpf and Blades, played in the NFL.
North Central (6-2, 4-0 Region 4-2A) at Lewisville (0-8, 0-4)
Last week: North Central beat Lee Central 16-12; Lewisville lost to Andrew Jackson 41-6
Last meeting: Lewisville won 12-8 (2015)
Key players: NC - LB Martez Moore, QB Christian Yoder, RB Jashawn Jason. L - OL/DL Tyreek Jenkins, LB Omarion Woods, WR/DB Markell Portee, OL/DL Tanner Stephens.
Need to know: another Kershaw County school coached by an NFL player, Tyronne Drakeford, North Central has had a great season and is in pole position to compete for a Region 4-2A title, which almost no one would have predicted. The Knights are tied with Buford, also 4-0, at the top and those two face off next week. Will North Central be completely focused on Lewisville and setting up a potential region title-deciding game with Buford next week? Or will they overlook the winless Lions?
Great Falls (4-3, 0-1 Region 2-A) at Lamar (6-1, 1-0)
Last week: Great Falls lost to McBee 36-0; Lamar beat Timmonsville 42-8
Last meeting: Lamar won 61-6 (2017)
Key players: GF - WR Kelton Talford, OL/DL Dustin Smith, LB Scott Blackmon, ATH D.J. Adams. L - RB Jacquez Lucas, OL Will Hinchcliffe, OL Jordan Green.
Need to know: Great Falls’ easiest path to the postseason evaporated last week, so now the Red Devils will need some help. It probably won’t come from Lamar, 1A football’s official juggernaut. Regardless of what happens this Friday when McBee and Timmonsville meet, Great Falls has to beat Timmonsville next week. It would cause fewer headaches in Great Falls if McBee and Great Falls both beat the Whirlwinds, allowing the Red Devils to finish third in Region 2-A and make the playoffs.
Northwestern’s Jamario Holley won the vote for best play from Week 7. Check out the plays that up for best from Week 8 in the video above, then vote below (or here if you’re on a mobile device).
Lane Towery, York - “Lanemaker,” as his Twitter handle goes, graded 94 percent with eight knockdown blocks during the Cougars’ win over Lancaster. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound senior has recruiting interest from Division I and II colleges. He’s a strong student and loves off-road vehicles.
Christian Ressalam, Indian Land - Ressalam graded out at 97 percent during the Warriors’ blowout of Keenan. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound senior had three knockdown blocks and two pancakes. He’s got a 3.4 GPA and plans to study therapy in college.
This story was originally published October 18, 2018 at 8:18 AM.