As we agonize about what is to come while Hurricane Dorian slow-rolls toward our coast, let’s take a quick mental and emotional break and talk a little high school football, shall we?
Week 2 is in the books, and that means we know a little bit more than we did a week ago, but let’s be real — that’s still not all that much. And let’s face it, we probably won’t know more this time next week, either, because it seems quite unlikely there will be any football played in the Lowcountry this week.
Nonetheless, here are Five Things I Think I Know after Week 2.
1. May River is reloaded. I’ll admit I had some questions about the Sharks entering the season, just because the list of key players lost to graduation was substantial. But it’s clear after Friday’s 54-14 win over crosstown rival Bluffton that May River is ready to pick up where it left off. Melik Frost was a monster in his Sharks debut, Ahmad Green is still electric, and the defense was dominant. The May River Machine is up and running again.
2. Ridgeland-Hardeeville has some playmakers. Take one look at the success the Jaguars’ basketball team has had in recent years, and you’ll know the hallways at Ridgeland-Hardeeville contain plenty of dynamic athletes. That has rarely translated into success on the football field, but the Jags might be turning a corner in their second season under Will Lampkin. RHHS appears to have a legit running back in Joseph Robinson, who has picked up 245 yards and 4 TDs on the ground through two games, and the Jags have an X-factor with Ky’Juan Swinton, who already has taken two kickoffs to the house in addition to a pick-six, including one of each in Friday’s blowout win over Estill.
3. Whale Branch’s defense might be nasty. Much like May River, it was difficult to be optimistic about the Warriors this season without at least a bit of caution. They lost SO. MANY. SENIORS. But coach Jerry Hatcher has been talking for a couple years now about this senior class and its leadership, and while it might not always be pretty, this group seems to be the type that finds a way to get the job done. The Warriors have allowed only six points through two games, including a shutout of Cross on Friday, which is outstanding regardless of the competition. Whale Branch was set for a major test Friday against May River, but the likelihood of any football being played in Beaufort County this week seems slim at this point.
4. Mark Clifford has some work to do. Beaufort Academy’s SCISA 8-man title defense got off to a rocky start with Friday’s 50-22 loss to Clarendon Hall, showing the Eagles are going to have a fight on their hands to defend their crown. Clifford expected this, and it probably won’t be the last early-season reality check for the Eagles. But BA took some lumps early last season, too, and by the time the playoffs rolled around the Eagles were the superior team. Clifford is capable of getting them there again, but it’s going to be an arduous journey.
5. Safety always comes first. Postponing the Beaufort-Battery Creek game was the right call. Officials have released scant details about the threat of violence that prompted the postponement, but the details really don’t matter. If school officials and law enforcement deemed it a credible threat — and by all accounts I’ve heard, it was — postponing was the only reasonable option, especially in light of 10 students being shot at a high school football game in Alabama the same night. It’s a shame, but the safety of people in the community — especially our children — is more important than any football game.
Speaking of safety coming first, be careful out there. Keep you and yours out of harm’s way, one way or another, and let’s meet up on the other side of the storm.
Photo by Grant Laseter