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West Columbia (SC) Week one of the 2022 football season is in the books (almost, save a few games postponed to tomorrow) and here is my instant analysis of what tonight’s action demonstrated.
5A
The obvious, Dutch Fork is the cream of the crop in this class in the Midlands but this year, the gap is closed a little. They look the most beatable I’ve seen them in
years. Defensively, they are strong and that is what won the game for them at Hough. They have to get better on offense with some kind of vertical game.
Spring Valley has some quarterback woes and they need to solve that before they hit region play. That said, right now, they look like they could be the best in that region based on the way Rock HIll caved to Northwestern. They are strong in the ground game and the defense is better than I thought they would be. If they can solve the QB issue, they can be good. 200 yards of offense will not win against good football teams.
Chapin played tough this week against Irmo but honestly was unimpressive on offense. Defensivley they did some good things but I don’t think they were really tested. I like the tenacity of their defensive front and linebackers. Offensively, they don’t have a single dynamic athlete. Their sophomore quarterback played well for a first varsity outing but he’s got to get some help surrounding him.
Lexington is exactly who I thought they would be. The potential to be explosive on offense but also the potential to beat themselves with silly mistakes. Their quarterback play is not as strong as I’d expected it to open with but it is early. Their ground game is solid. They have some very dependable wide outs. Defensively, they have the potential to be very good by mid-season if they can cut out mistakes. You can’t play a team with an athlete like West Florence has at Quarterback and be out of position. Giving up 80 yards on a designed QB run play isn’t acceptable. Without mistakes, they would put this thing away by 10 to 14 points instead of losing by 3.
River Bluff looked strong at quarterback and the ground game, as I expected. Defensively, they played well but I’m keeping it all in perspective, having seen Lugoff-Elgin. I like what they did and believe they have a chance to challenge for the 2nd spot in their region and finish no lower than third in region if they continue to build on this performance.
White Knoll got by an OW team that is young and looking for an identity. I’m not certain this team has found their groove yet and I think they are going to struggle in region play. They have good coaching and they have some athletes but they are not firing on all cylindars. Hard to get a read on them after seeing them just once in preseason and this game against OW.
4A
Airport struggled tonight, losing a key player to injury. This team is improved from a year ago but they are in a tough region and they needs some of their younger players to mature quickly or they are going to be looking at a 1 or 2 win Region record.
AC Flora is the best in this class in the Midlands. I’m not certain that they aren’t right there with Dutch Fork overall in the region. They are strong at every phase and every position and they have depth. If they have a weakness, it hasn’t been exposed. Their strength is their offensive line and their ground game.
Irmo has some work to do. I’m concerned that they could not show a vertical game tonight. I like their quarterback and think he can be a difference maker for them. I was impressed with their running back – that kid runs the ball hard. Defensivley they weren’t tested and it’s a good thing. There were times they moved sidelines to sidelines very well and other times they did nothing on the defensive front.
Richland Northeast is improved. We already knew that. But they needed a last second field goal to beat a team who is not the best they will see. I like their passing game and quarterback. Defensively, they’ve got to play in position or they will lose to a more dynamic team.
Ridge View played well against Blythewood but they did not play to their potential. This team is loaded at the offensive skills positions and with their quarterback should be putting up gawdy numbers through the air. They will get better and when they do reach their peak, look out.
Lugoff-Elgin has a lot of work to do. They simply aren’t very good on offense and that puts a lot of pressure on their defense, which is young. This is going to be a long season for the Demons.
Westwood will struggle on offense this season. Defensively, they played well against Spring Valley but the Vikings are having their on problems on offense. Westwood will battle LE for the bottom spots in this region, along with RNE.
3A
Camden is the cream of the crop; they made beating a very good Myrtle Beach team look easy. I admit I was wrong; I have told some people how bad Camden looked in some scrmmages I saw but this team that played tonight looked like they were ready for another run in lower state.
Brookland-Cayce is going to struggle thorugh this non-confernce games. They have a problem and that is they are one dimensional on offense. I know they have a good quaterback but they don’t have a single player who can stretch the field and go up and get the ball. If they are oging to win this year, they will have to do it running the football and I’m not sure they can do that without some semblance of a passing game.
Crestwood did not come out of the gates as I expected. They have a quarterback that can lead them and supporting cast but they misfired tonight and allowed a team that they should have beaten by two scores to stay close and win with a field goal.
Gilbert is probably the 2nd best Midlands team in 3A and not sure they aren’t the 1st. They did not play so I will reserve analysis until next week.
Swansea played strong against Airport but they should with 13 starters back on this team. I like their young quarterback and I like how physical they play on defense. This is a team tht could finish as high as third in the region.
Dreher got a win tonight but they are a very young football team and can ill afford to make mistakes when they get into region play. I think they will live by their ground game and defense and as the season grows long, they will mature and get better.
Orangeburg Wilkinson has all of the pieces, they are just young. I look for this team to be tough to play by the time region play starts. They have some dangerous skills players.
Lower Richland will either succeed or fail based on their quarterback play. They have the potential to be dangerous but if their QB play doesn’t get better, they will have a long season. They will play their game tomorrow.
2A
Fairfield Central exploded tonight behind the play of a freshman QB who threw for
272 yds and 5 TDs. They have had some very good players the past few seasons but they have lacked that dymamic athlete that can make explosive plays and now they have it. This team is going to be dangerous.
Gray Collegiate did not play tonight so I will resever analysis for after their game with Oceanside. On paper, they are going to be very good. But we don’t play games on paper.
Keenan, Eau Claire and Columbia are all in the same boat. They all have players that should make them imrpoved this year but Columbia showed no offense tonight and Keenan lost to a very young Dreher team who is not very good right now. Eau Claire will play HKT tomorrow.
1A
CA Johnson has some good players and their defense is going to be strong. I’ve already said I think they have a linebacker that may be one of the top two or three LBs in the Midlands and their schedule is favorable for them to win 8 or 9 games.
