High school football preview capsules for Week Two

No. 9 York (2-0) at No. 1 South Pointe (2-0)

Last week: York beat Irmo 45-24; South Pointe beat Rock Hill 33-21

Last meeting: York beat South Pointe 48-7 (2014)

Key players: YCHS - Sr. OL Caleb Clayton, Jr. DB Javione Matthews, Sr. LB Marcus Snyder, Sr. RB Brandon Garvin, Jr. ATH Wally Wilmore; SPHS - Sr. DB Chris Smith, RB Geomni Mayfield, Sr. WR Josh Wilkes, Sr. WR Quay Brown, Soph. DE Eli Adams.

Need to know: After grabbing a 7-0 lead against York last season, South Pointe surrendered 48 straight points en route to the worst loss in school history. The most impressive facet of the Cougars’ performance was limiting the Stallions to 89 passing yards, something that seems like it would be impossible to do this time around. The game-decider will be which group can impose itself most: South Pointe’s skill guys or York’s very solid offensive and defensive lines.

Chester (1-1) at Rock Hill (0-2)

Last week: Chester lost to Fairfield Central 40-7; Rock Hill lost to South Pointe 33-21

Last meeting: Rock Hill won 40-10 (2014)

Key players: CHS - Jr. DE Ethan McGriff, Jr. DL Jarez Hardin, Soph. WR John Erby; RHHS - Sr. LB Donavon Perryman, Sr. DB Dre Gilyard, Sr. RB Tim Sherer, Jr. WR Jonathan Muhammad.

Need to know: Chester’s tough non-region slate continues at District Three Stadium against a Rock Hill team still chagrined from losing to South Pointe last week. Historically this hasn’t been a good matchup for the Cyclones; they’ve beaten Rock Hill once since 1980, and don’t be surprised if they’re not on the Bearcats’ schedule post-realignment.

Greenville (0-1) at Fort Mill (2-0)

Last week: Greenville lost to Seneca 56-27; Fort Mill beat Lugoff-Elgin 35-14

Last meeting: Fort Mill won 70-34 (2014)

Key players: GHS - Sr. QB Carson Spiers, Soph. WR Ty Hellams, Sr. WR John Krall, ; FMHS - Jr. slot WR Gus Jarosz, Soph. LB Grant Stevens, Sr. QB Rogan Wells, Jr. LB/DE Noah Wetzel.

Need to know: Two senior quarterbacks know how to put points on the board, but Greenville was unable to stop Fort Mill last season and will be hard-pressed to do so again Friday. The Yellow Jackets have piled up 542 yards on the ground in the first two games of the season, and there is no reason to think that won’t continue against Greenville, which surrendered 56 points to 3A Seneca in its season opener.

Lugoff-Elgin (0-2) at Nation Ford (0-2)

Last week: Lugoff-Elgin lost to Fort Mill 35-14; Nation Ford lost to Boiling Springs 42-26

Last meeting: Nation Ford won 21-14 (2014)

Key players: LEHS - RB Rahmel Burton, WR Gunnar Catoe; NFHS - Soph. LB Vinnie Catan, Sr. WR Hank Tuipulotu, Sr. DE Charlie Newton.

Need to know: Lugoff-Elgin has won three games total since the start of the 2012 season, but the Demons played Nation Ford closely last year before falling. Nation Ford can’t play around in this one, but the Falcons should be able to get their offense on track after sputtering in the first two games. Key to that is getting Hank Tuipulotu more involved; he had nine catches for 133 yards and two scores against L-E last season.

Clover (1-1) at No. 8 Westwood (2-0)

Last week: Clover beat Forestview (N.C.) 23-20; Westwood beat Richland Northeast 30-20

Last meeting: Westwood won 17-15 (2014)

Key players: CHS - Jr. FB Tanner Tolson, Jr. DB/WB Willy Clark, Sr. QB Noah Lindsay, Jr. DT Chase Griffin, Jr. OT Jackson McDowell. WHS - Jr. RB Rudy Mitchell, Jr. QB Jalen Smith, Soph. WR Montre Miller, Sr. LB Richard Hall, Jr. LB Darieus McCaskill.

Need to know: Averaging just 1.6 yards per carry so far, Clover needs to get its run game going. But the Blue Eagles have alleviated some of the concern that followed their Week Zero struggles against Westside. Westwood’s running-focused attack presents another tough challenge to a Clover defense that impressed last week against Forestview’s Syracuse-bound running back, Moe Neal. Chris Bunting’s defense can underscore that its performance wasn’t a one-off.

No. 7 Northwestern (1-1) at Irmo (0-1)

Last week: Northwestern beat Woodside (Va.) 47-23; Irmo lost to York 45-24

Last meeting: Northwestern won 48-21 (2014)

Key players: NHS - Sr. OL Damontre Buckson, Sr. DB Miles Corpening, Sr. CB Davion Blake, Soph. WR Jordan Starkes; IHS - Sr. QB Ronnie Jamison, Jr. RB Shakeem Bradley.

Need to know: Irmo looked like a one-man show last week against York, with senior Ronnie Jamison doing it all - playing QB, running the ball and even making several catches after switching to receiver - but he had little help from his friends in a loss that wasn’t as close as the 45-24 score. If Jamison lines up at QB, he’ll be under fire from the get-go; the Northwestern defense has nine tackles-for-loss and eight sacks in the first two contests this season.

Blacksburg (2-0) at Indian Land (1-0)

Last week: Blacksburg beat Lewisville 34-18; Indian Land beat Buford 39-38

Last meeting: Blacksburg won 28-23 (2014)

Key players: BHS - Sr. DE Joe Linder, Jr. RB Isaiah Burris, Sr. QB Jordan Rodgers, DE/FB Bobby Riggs; ILHS - Sr. ATH Chris Blakeney, Sr. OL Jake Locklear, Sr. LB Trevor Martin, Jr. WR Matt Murray.

Need to know: Indian Land coaches and players felt they were jobbed by the referees in last year’s narrow loss at Blacksburg. They get a chance to avenge that defeat and start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2011 on Friday.

Chesterfield (0-1) at Lewisville (0-2)

Last week: Chesterfield lost to McBee 47-21; Lewisville lost to Blacksburg 34-18

Last meeting: Chesterfield won 39-12 (2014)

Key players: CHS - Sr. WR Makhal Gaston, Jr. LB Dustin Rayfield, Sr. LB Dre Lindsay, Sr. QB Danzel Rivers; LHS - Jr. LB Jene Thompson, Sr. ATH D.J. Robinson, Sr. WR James Peeler.

Need to know: Lewisville should be back to full strength with eight defensive starters returning from a one-game suspension. They return just in time to face a Rams team that is offensively prolific, led by senior QB Rivers.

Richland Northeast (0-1) at Lancaster (1-0)

Last week: Richland Northeast lost to Westwood 30-20; Lancaster beat Andrew Jackson 48-0

Last meeting: Lancaster won 20-6 (2014)

Key players: RNHS - Sr. LB T.J. Brunson, RB Tyquandre Davis, LB Marquavis Green; LHS - Sr. WR Taron Heath, Jr. RB Farrika Grier, LB Casey Hegler, .

Need to know: Lancaster’s punishing ground game will face a stern test in Richland Northeast’s excellent linebackers, including Brunson, a Louisville commitment and one of the state’s top senior recruits. The Cavaliers are much improved and led Westwood 14-0 at the half last week before succumbing in the second half; they struggle to move the ball through the air. If Lancaster can get in front and control the game’s tempo they should be in business.

Great Falls (0-2) at Buford (0-1)

Last week: Great Falls lost to Gray Collegiate Academy 68-0; Buford lost to Indian Land 39-38

Last meeting: Great Falls won 27-24 (2014)

Key players: GFHS - Sr. TE Raheem Bowers, Sr. OL Tyrek Hoover, Sr. WB Dee Perry; BHS - Sr. OL Brandon Carnes, Sr. RB Ladarius Parker.

Need to know: The low numbers are catching up with Great Falls this season. The Red Devils encounter a Buford team still smarting from a narrow loss to Indian Land, and freshly remembering its loss to Great Falls in 2014. Not good timing.

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 2:40 PM with the headline "High school football preview capsules for Week Two."