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The Saluda Tigers continue to roll through their schedulel and have found the answer to their ground game with Brayden Williams, who’s rushed for 284 yards and 4 touchdowns. QB Jonah McCary has 473 yards of total offense with 8 touchdowns. This week, they take on a 2-0 Emerald team that should be a good match up for them, though the Tigers may be a little better defensively.
Pelion is 3-0 and has gotten stellar play so far from quarterback Luke New. The defense played well enough to hold off Eau Claire this past week but this week’s challenge is a lot bigger with Gilbert. I believe being an non-region match up the goal this week would be to stay healthy and try to keep the ball away from Gilbert’s offense. The Indians’ offense is a three headed monster and there won’t be any “keying” on one player.
Gray Collegiate continues to struggle on the defensive side of the football, giving up 233 points so far this season. Their offense is scoring and moving the football but could sue their defense for non-support. This week, they take on a Camden team that will be just as strong on offense as they’ve seen and a lot better on defense than they’ve yet seen.
Batesburg-Leesville got in the win column this past week over Ridge Spring-Monetta and got their ground game going after making a change on the offensive front. The Panthers are off this week and will face Newberry next week.
Newberry lost to Clinton this past week and appear to have trouble against the run. They are moving the football and quarterback Bryce Satterwhite has done a good job executing the offense. This week, they will see more ground game from Chapin, who has a good running back and a quarterback that has passed for 432 yards in their three games.
Keenan got a good win this past week over Richland Northeast and they are playing well on offense but are giving up more than 20 points per game. This week, they face off with a North Central team who is 0-3 and not playing very well on either side of the football, giving up 40 points to CA Johnson this past week.
The Rebels of Mid Carolina got a win over Whitmire this past week and showed some offense for the first time this season. This week, they face a Ninety-Six team who may actually be a good match up for the Rebels. They will need some offense to win this game though.
Andrew Jackson lost a heartbreaker overtime game to Crestwood this past week. That said, I still believe this team is one of the better 2A teams in the Midlands. Their ground game is strong with junior running back Trey Thompson, who may be one of the top two or three Class of 2024 players in the Midlands. This week, they face off with a good 2-1 Lamar team that is athletic and well coached.
Columbia, Eau Clairie and North Central are all in the same boat and struggling on both sides of the football. Columbia has no offense and will face off with a 1-2 Great Falls team this week. Eau Claire came close with Pelion, but little offensive production hurts them. This week, they take on Whitmire and if they don’t win that game, they are in for a long season, as it is the most winnable game on their schedule. North Central has a lot of work to do on both sides of the football. This week, they get a Keenan team that is better than their record indicates and it will be a challenge for them defensively.
IMPACT PLAYERS
RB Breyden Williams, Saluda
QB Jonah McClary, Saluda
QB Luke New, Pelion
LB Peyton Oswald, Pelion
QB Riley Staton, Gray Collegiate
WR Savion Smith, Gray Collegiate
QB Bryce Satterwhite, Newberry
RB Trey Thompson, Andrew Jackson
LB Fuller Sims, Andrew Jackson
