Can Northwestern clinch region title? Rock Hill-area predictions, story lines in Week 8
Editor’s note: A previous version of the article incorrectly stated how many teams from Region 3-4A make the state playoffs. Four teams make it.
Plenty is on the line as teams in York, Chester and Lancaster counties prepare for Week 8 of the high school football season.
How consequential could this week be, exactly?
Here’s your weekly football preview — complete with a full Friday (and Thursday) area football schedule, game-by-game story lines and predictions from Herald sports editor Alex Zietlow.
High school football schedule, Zietlow picks
Blythewood (0-1, 3-3) at Rock Hill (0-1, 1-4). Last week, Rock Hill fell in a one-sided shutout to Spring Valley, and the loss put the team behind the proverbial eight ball. But a win against Blythewood on Friday could rectify last week’s tough start in the region: The Bearcats, after all, have three region games left, and winning two of those three would reserve them a spot in the postseason. (They play Blythewood, then Ridge View, and then their regular season finale is against Northwestern, a team the Bearcats lost big to earlier this season.) Rock Hill will look to replicate its win over Clover earlier this year — one that saw an emphasis on the rushing attack (led by quarterback Matthew Wilson and running back Damion Fee) and a reliance on Rock Hill’s talented defense.
Listen: FM 94.3
Zietlow’s prediction: Blythewood wins.
Northwestern (2-0, 7-1) at Spring Valley (2-0, 5-1). Both Spring Valley and Northwestern are playing well: Spring Valley is coming off of two consecutive quality wins — the first against South Pointe and the other against Rock Hill — and Northwestern is rolling like a tide from Tuscaloosa. The Trojans, who have a chance to clinch region Friday, had dominant performances everywhere you looked last Friday against Blythewood. Defensive lineman Isaac McLellan, linebacker Ashton Latta and kicker Kanoah Vinesett all earned Tri-County Coaches Association Player of the Week honors. (And when talking Northwestern football, you can’t forget quarterback Will Mattison, who now on the season has run for seven touchdowns and thrown for 26. Yes, 26.)
Listen: Comporium Channel 103
Zietlow’s prediction: Northwestern wins.
Clover (1-0, 2-3) at Boiling Springs (0-2, 0-7). After a convincing win over Fort Mill last week, Clover is looking to stay undefeated in region play against a team that hasn’t yet won a game. A win keeps the Blue Eagles in the hunt for a region title and goes a long way toward reserving them a top-3 spot in Region 3-5A (and thus a spot in the state playoffs). It’s worth mentioning, too, that Clover is playing well — thanks to recent breakout performances from receiver Darius Bowser, running back Demarco Evans and quarterback Joe Boyd — and that Boiling Springs has averaged 8.5 points in the team’s last four games.
Zietlow’s prediction: Clover wins.
Indian Land (0-1, 4-1) at South Pointe (2-0, 5-1). This one is hugely consequential. Region 3-4A, after all, is stacked this year — and Indian Land, South Pointe, Catawba Ridge and York are each fighting for state playoff spots. The Stallions have won two straight against Catawba Ridge and Lancaster, and Indian Land is coming off a loss to York and a bye. The determinant in Rock Hill Friday comes down to a few simple questions: Which teams will we see? Will we see a South Pointe team that rises to the moment, one that can come back and win a game in triple-overtime or that can force a turnover on the game’s last meaningful possession to seal a win? Or not? Will we see an Indian Land team that averages 34 points a game (as it did in its first four wins)? Or will we see the team that scored 13 against York? Should be fun.
Listen: FM 107.1
Zietlow’s prediction: South Pointe wins.
Nation Ford (2-0, 4-3) at Gaffney (1-0, 7-0). Nation Ford — a team that appears to be coming together thanks to big performances by athlete Jerrick Foster, QB Carson Black and others — will have to be ready for a Gaffney team that is ranked No. 3 in the S.C. football media poll this week. The last time these two teams met? The Falcons, thanks to six total touchdowns by Black, took Gaffney into overtime and fell one point short of a win. Expect a fun one.
Listen: WRHI.com
Zietlow’s prediction: Gaffney wins.
Fort Mill (0-2, 1-5) at York (2-0, 5-1). This is a non-region contest between two schools that are old rivals. York has done well lately, succeeding expectations and winning (by the same score, 19-13) against region foes Indian Land and Catawba Ridge. The Cougars have done so thanks to a stout running game — thanks to quarterback Ayden Davis, running back Frank Thompson — and a defense that can turn anyone over. (They forced three Catawba Ridge interceptions last Friday.) Fort Mill is looking to bounce back after its loss to Clover.
Listen: WRHI.com
Zietlow’s prediction: York wins.
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Catawba Ridge (0-2, 3-4) at Lancaster (0-1, 2-2). Catawba Ridge, plain and simple, needs a win. The Copperheads are uber-talented — with Division I-caliber players like quarterback Jadyn Davis, wide receiver Jacobie Henderson, cornerback Andre Hodge, offensive lineman Cade Purgason, linebacker Asa Johnson and more — but have been just one or two plays short in their two region losses. (Both games came down to a final possession.) Lancaster is looking for its first region win since 2019.
Listen: FM 104.1
Zietlow’s prediction: Catawba Ridge wins.
Andrew Jackson (2-0, 5-2) at Cheraw (2-0, 4-2). Andrew Jackson is on a roll, but the Volunteers must be ready for a good Cheraw team on Friday. Cheraw has the advantage of playing at home in a contest that has the winner take over the top spot in Region 4-2A. The Volunteers dominated archrival North Central last week, and their only losses have been to 4A schools (Richland Northeast and Indian Land).
Zietlow’s prediction: Andrew Jackson wins.
Lewisville (0-2, 3-4) at McBee (1-1, 1-4). Lewisville is out of the region title picture, but the Lions can still get a playoff berth depending on how the rest of the year shakes out. A win over McBee, which defeated Great Falls last week, would be huge. Lewisville has lost four straight after starting the year 3-0.
Zietlow’s prediction: Lewisville wins.
(Thursday) St. Joseph’s (2-0, 6-1) at Legion Collegiate (0-4). Legion Collegiate will have its proverbial hands full with a very strong St. Joseph’s team in a Thursday night non-region matchup. The Lancers were shut out in their first three contests but put up 28 points in a loss to Chesnee last week.
Zietlow’s prediction: St. Joseph’s wins.
(Thursday) Chester (2-1, 4-3) at Hickory (1-2, 3-4). The Cyclones step out of the region for a Thursday night game at Hickory. Chester is riding high after routing rival Fairfield Central 31-0 last week. The victory locked up the No. 2 spot in the region with one region game left next week.
Listen: FM 90.3
Zietlow’s prediction: Chester wins.
As of Thursday morning, Great Falls was not scheduled to play on Friday.
Tri-County Coaches Association Players of Week 7
The Tri-County Coaches Association — made up of the head football coaches at the high schools in York, Chester and Lancaster counties — voted on its Players of the Week on Tuesday. The Herald facilitated the vote, as it has for years.
5A
Offensive Player: Carson Black, Nation Ford, 23 of 30 passing for 351 yards, 5 touchdowns, 1 interception; Offensive Lineman: Michael Agnew, Nation Ford, 87% grade, 2 knockdown blocks, no sacks allowed; Defensive Player: Ashton Latta, Northwestern, 12 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass deflections, 2 tackles for loss; Defensive Lineman: Isaac McLellan, Northwestern, 9 tackles, 1 recovered fumble, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, a reception on a 2-point conversion; Special Teams Player: Kanoah Vinesett, Northwestern, 2 for 2 on extra points, 2 for 3 on field goals (made from 21 & 25 yards, missed from 52 yards), 5 touchbacks.
4A
Offensive Player: Zaveion McCrorey, South Pointe, 17 of 27 passing for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, 4 carries for 30 yards and 1 touchdown rushing; Offensive Lineman: Will Mullis, York, 74% grade, 3 knockdowns; Defensive Player: Debo Hall, York, 10 tackles, 1 hurry, 1 interception for a 68-yard touchdown; Defensive Lineman: Anquerrious Davis, South Pointe, 10 tackles, 1 QB pressure; Special Teams Player: Chip Distasio, South Pointe, 6-6 on PATs, 1-1 field goals (24 yards), 3 touchbacks, punt average of 40 yards.
3A, 2A, 1A
Offensive Player: Zay Brown, Great Falls, 9 for 19 passing for 2 touchdowns, 12 carries for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns rushing, 2 catches for 48 yards and 1 touchdown receiving; Offensive Lineman: Mike Hinson, Andrew Jackson, 85% grade, 3 pancakes; Defensive Player: Rathael Pendergrass, Chester, 12 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception for a touchdown; Defensive Lineman: Jahmad Evans, Andrew Jackson, 3 tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 2 fumble recoveries; Special Teams Player: Banks Helms, Andrew Jackson, 2 kick returns for 119 yards, 1 touchdown (96 yards), 1 punt return for 19 yards, 1 reception for 14 yards, 2 tackles.
Sam Copeland contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 14, 2021 at 8:00 AM.
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