Football fans throughout the Palmetto State woke up like kids on Christmas morning today and found a big ol’ pile of presents waiting under the tree.
But we can’t open them until tonight.
Just like a kid on Dec. 25, waiting for his parents to give him the go-ahead, it’s going to be a long day as we wait for the Friday Night Lights to fire up for the first time this regular season.
Unless, of course, you’re a May River or Beaufort Academy fan. They’re in the unenviable position of waiting a whole ‘nother week to join in the fun.
For the rest of us, though, the moment has nearly arrived. Everybody’s 0-0, and if you’ve read our season previews this week, you know every area team is brimming with optimism. The start of a new season is a beautiful time.
Without further ado, let’s talk about this week’s slate of game, keeping in mind that what happens tonight could totally change our outlook going forward. The time to speculate is over. Now we settle it on the field.
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LOWCOSPORTS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
Hilton Head Christian Academy at Thomas Heyward
Every game feels big on opening night, but this one is a slam-dunk pick (pardon the cross-sport metaphor) for our first Game of the Week of the season. It has all the elements of a great clash — geographical rivalry, two strong teams with high hopes for the season, and contrasting styles that make for an interesting matchup.
The Rebels have most of their offensive line back to block for a healthy JR Patterson, which is not a fun prospect for the Eagles. But THA graduated most of its starting secondary, which is a major concern against pass-happy HHCA and its spread attack.
It’s a non-region game, so the outcome ultimately will have no bearing on either team’s state title prospects, but it will be a fun battle for area SCISA superiority, at least for the time being. Home team gets the edge in one that could go either way.
Prediction: Thomas Heyward 34, Hilton Head Christian Academy 33
Beaufort High at AC Flora
The Eagles gave head coach DeVonte Holloman his first win by beating the Falcons in last year’s season-opener, and they’ll try to do the same for first-time head coach Bryce Lybrand this year. Battery Creek alum Collin Drafts went on to lead Flora to a 9-3 campaign and a region title, and the Falcons expect to be strong again.
Beaufort’s offense should be ready to roll with James Dagin running behind a veteran offensive line and Tyler Haley in his second season running the system, but this is a tough test coming out of the gate for a defense with only three returning starters.
Prediction: AC Flora 35, Beaufort High 27
Screven County (Ga.) at Bluffton
The Bobcats finally get to play at home against the Gamecocks In what has become a fun little season-opening rivalry. Last year’s game was a wet and wild one that was interrupted by lightning and ended with the Bobcats failing on a two-point conversion attempt to win the game. The Gamecocks always feature a powerful running game, which could give Bluffton’s relatively inexperienced defensive line trouble, but the Bobcats’ offense presents matchup problems for just about anyone. This one could go down to the wire again, and the Bobcats have a senior quarterback in Lee Kirkland and a clutch kicker in Evan Hayes. Advantage Bobcats.
Prediction: Bluffton 30, Screven County 27
Savannah High at Hilton Head High
The Seahawks smashed the Bluejackets in last year’s opener, and Savannah High went winless in coach Rebel Green’s first season at the helm. Hilton Head High’s defense is loaded with talent, including Michigan State commit Cole DeMarzo and star defensive back Christian Miller, and should have no trouble shutting down the Bluejackets. The offense might not generate as many big plays as it did in last year’s matchup, but the Seahawks should be able to move the ball and put up enough points to win comfortably.
Prediction: Hilton Head High 35, Savannah High 6
Whale Branch at Battery Creek, 8 p.m.
There’s something beautiful about the bookended rivalries — the Warriors and Dolphins will open and close the regular season with a home-and-home series for the second straight year — but last year’s meetings were a bit of a bummer. Battery Creek didn’t live up to expectations, and Whale Branch’s senior-laden squad rolled to 31-9 and 23-0 wins over the Dolphins. The matchup should be far more competitive this time around. I’ll give the slight edge to the home team in a toss-up.
Prediction: Battery Creek 22, Whale Branch 21
Marlboro County at Ridgeland-Hardeeville
After two consecutive losing seasons, a rarity for the Bulldogs, Marlboro County won seven games a year ago in a return to form. The Jaguars are hopeful of making a similar jump this year after winning four games in 2018. RHHS should be much improved this season, but this is a tough matchup for opening night against a team who saw all five of its losses last season come to powerhouse programs — one against Hartsville and two each against Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach.
Prediction: Marlboro County 33, Ridgeland-Hardeeville 20
Memorial Day at Hilton Head Prep, 5 p.m.
This is a fun little border battle to kick off the season in the Sea Pines Matinee of the Week. (For any newcomers to the Lowcountry high school football scene, Hilton Head Prep does not have lights at its field, so the Dolphins play their home games in the afternoon.) The Matadors were absolutely loaded last year, sending several players to the college ranks including speedster Winston Wright (West Virginia), but they’re looking to reload under first-time head coach Antonio McKinney. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have been a team on the rise for a couple of years and feel their window to contend for a state title is open now with a number of talented skill-position players surrounding senior quarterback Stone McDonald. Should be an interesting matchup under the blazing sun, which is usually an advantage for the home team.
Prediction: Hilton Head Prep 31, Memorial Day 27
John Paul II at Cardinal Newman
The Golden Warriors narrowly missed upsetting visiting Cardinal Newman in last year’s season-opener, but it’s going to be a tougher matchup for JPII this time around. JPII lost a ton of key players to graduation and transfer and is bound to undergo some early-season growing pains. The Cardinals also have to re-tool on offense after quarterback AJ DePalma graduated, but they have their top two rushers back in Jalen Montgomery and Shanye Monsanto and should be a couple steps ahead of JPII at this point.
Prediction: Cardinal Newman 28, John Paul II 14