High school football gameday: S.C. state championship results, previews

Northwestern and Irmo meet at 6 p.m. Saturday in Orangeburg for the S.C. High School League’s Class 5A/Division 2 football championship, capping three days of state title games on the S.C. State campus.

The action began Thursday, with Clinton (2A) and Abbeville (1A) winning state championships.

Dutch Fork then captured the Class 5A/Division 1 title Friday afternoon, before South Florence and Westside put on a dramatic show Friday night in the 4A finals. South Florence prevailed 43-42 in a shootout.

Here is a look ahead at Saturday’s two title games, along with summaries of the games already completed.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Belton-Honea Path (13-1) vs. Oceanside Collegiate (10-3), noon — Belton-Honea Path won a state title in 2014, while Oceanside Collegiate is aiming at its second straight championship. The Landsharks also finished second two years ago.

Belton-Honea Path’s offensive leader is RB Marquise Henderson, who has rushed for 1,934 yards, has scored 25 touchdowns, and has 10 100-yard games this season. Oceanside Collegiate lost three of its first five games, but those were to Irmo and Dutch Fork (S.C. state finalists) and Georgia power Savannah Christian. Sophomore QB Aiden Manavian has thrown for 3,000 yards.

Northwestern (13-0) vs. Irmo (12-1), Class 5A/Division 2, 6 p.m. — Northwestern is making its 12th title-game appearance and has won the championship five times. Irmo is a traditional S.C. power but has won it all just once — 44 years ago.

QB Finley Polk (70 percent completion rate; 3,284 passing yards; 42 touchdowns) powers the Northwestern attack, although Zymier Gordon-Miles (1,198 rushing yards) is a big help. Andre Pickett (5.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss) leads the defense. Irmo QB A.J. Brand Jr., son of head coach Aaron Brand, is the Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina, He has rushed for 1,861 yards and 25 touchdowns and thrown for 2,449 yards and 28 scores. Watch out for sophomore LB Jaiden Bryant, who has 18.5 sacks and four caused fumbles.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

CLASS 5A / DIVISION 1: Dutch Fork 35, Summerville 21 — The Silver Foxes (13-0) won the school’s ninth state championship and earned head coach Tom Knotts his 17th state title, as Maurice Anderson ran for three touchdowns.

Anderson’s 27-yard run gave Dutch Fork a 6-0 lead, but Summerville (13-1) gained the lead on a fourth-down pass of 18 yards from Jaden Cummings to Jaiden Kelly-Murray. The Green Wave made it 14-0 on a 43-yard run by Williams early in the second quarter.

Dutch Fork responded, scoring on a 19-yard pass from Ethan Offing to Boykin Bickley and on a short run by Anderson. Offing and Bickley connected on a 20-yard touchdown pass midway in the third quarter, giving Dutch Fork a 28-14 lead.

Summerville narrowed the gap on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Kafina to Kelly-Murray with six minutes left in the third quarter.

But Dutch Fork twice stopped Summerville on downs in the fourth quarter, after the Green Wave drove into Silver Fox territory. Anderson finished the scoring with a 38-yard run in the closing minutes. He finished with 146 rushing yards on 16 carries.

CLASS 4A: South Florence 42, Westside 41 — In what was almost certainly one of the state’s most exciting championship games in years, South Florence (12-3) avenged a 34-32 loss to Westside in the finals a year ago and won the 4A crown for the second time in three years.

Trailing 35-28 early in the fourth quarter, South Florence tied the score on a 33-yard fourth-down pass from Messiah Jackson to Jayden Sellers. South Florence then pulled ahead with two minutes left, on a 4-yard run by Tre Leonard. The conversion kick gave the Bruins a 42-35 lead.

But Westside (13-1) answered, as Cutter Woods fired a 50-yard touchdown pass to Chamarryus Bomar with 1:52 remaining. The Rams elected to go for a two-point conversion, but the pass attempt was broken up.

Woods passed for more than 400 yards, and Bomar had four touchdown catches.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

CLASS 2A: Clinton 35, Barnwell 6 — The Red Devils made their first visit to the state finals since 2009 successful, scoring a lopsided victory over the Warhorses.

Clinton (11-2) won its ninth state championship behind the play of quarterback Tushawan Richardson, who threw two touchdown passes, and Rhett Gilliam, who ran for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

The Red Devils scored just 35 seconds into the game, on Richardson’s 78-yard touchdown run. Gilliam’s conversion made it 8-0. Barnwell (13-2) answered when Jaquan Peeples returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.

But D.J. Clark ran 27 yards for a Clinton score just two minutes later, and Gilliam scored on a 4-yard run in the second quarter for a 21-6 halftime lead.

Barnwell drove to the Clinton 30 early in the third quarter, thanks to a long pass from Cameron Austin to William Robinson, but the Clinton defense held.

The Red Devils then added scores on a Richardson-to-Devin Swindler pass and a Gilliam run.

CLASS 1A: Abbeville 58, Cross 20 — Abbeville won its 14th state championship, and its seventh since 2015, behind the running, passing and defense of South Carolina commit Demarcus Leach.

Cross (11-3) led briefly, scoring on Karmello Jones’ 25-yard run early in the first quarter. But Darius Riley’s 30-yard run and a conversion kick put Abbeville (13-1) ahead to stay 7-6, with five minutes left in the period.

Leach and Karson Norman scored on short runs in the second quarter, and a Leach interception set up another Abbeville touchdown midway in the period for a 30-6 lead.

Leach ran 40 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and completed a 70-yard pass for another touchdown.

Cross’ Mah’ky Green raced 50 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 5:30 AM.