With another high school football season having been rudely interrupted by a close encounter with a hurricane, some of us aren’t quite in midseason form yet, so this is a day later than usual.
Unlike *this guy* who has had a tough time getting into a rhythm, though, several local teams were clicking on all cylinders Friday night. May River and Thomas Heyward continued their dominant starts to the season, Whale Branch remained undefeated, and Bluffton and Hilton Head Christian Academy had their offenses in high gear in impressive wins.
Here are Five Things I Think I Know after Week 3:
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1. Bluffton is back to doing what it does best. The Bobcats came into the season with a determination to commit to establishing the run. It didn’t work. Kudos to coach John Houpt for recognizing his team’s strengths and weaknesses and shifting on the fly — pun intended — back to a pass-first attack. The result was the most balanced offensive performance of the season for the Bobcats, as Lee Kirkland passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and Kylan Simmons rushed for 106 yards and three scores. Bluffton’s offense will be put to the test the next three weeks with tough matchups at Hartsville, against Sumter, and at Richmond Hill leading into region play.
2. We’re blessed to watch some talented quarterbacks every Friday night. It’s way too early to start thinking about the 2019 All-Lowco Football Team, but it’s becoming clear that the quarterback position is loaded with talent — and that’s with one of the best sidelined with Hilton Head Prep’s Stone McDonald yet to see action this season. From reigning All-Lowco Offensive Player of the Year Ahmad Green at May River to prolific passers Lee Kirkland at Bluffton, Hayden Shinn at Hilton Head Christian Academy, and Gaston Moore at Hilton Head High, and from speedy Jaylen Reeves at Whale Branch to up-and-comers like Tyler Haley at Beaufort High and Peyton Bennett at Thomas Heyward, local QBs are going to put up big numbers this season, and it’s going to be fun to watch.
3. Please let Whale Branch stay healthy. The Warriors play in a brutal region and don’t have much depth, so they can’t afford any key injuries, but the first string in Seabrook can play with anyone this season. The offensive line is especially thin, but if the big boys stay healthy, quarterback Jaylen Reeves and two-way standout De’Arius Hazel will keep putting up big numbers, and the defense looks like it’s the real deal. Losing the May River game to Hurricane Dorian could end up being a major blessing, too. In years past, the Warriors have gotten so banged up playing the bigger schools in the area during their non-region schedule that they’ve been short-handed when region play rolled around. It would be fun to see what Jerry Hatcher’s team could do in October and November at full strength.
4. Progress isn’t always measured in wins and losses. This space typically is devoted to the teams who found the “W” column the previous Friday, but the things that happen in the L’s are often more important in the big picture. John Paul II and Beaufort High are still looking for their first wins, but the Golden Warriors and Eagles have made big strides against brutal early-season schedules. Ridgeland-Hardeeville came up short Friday against Whale Branch, but the Jaguars are inching closer to turning the corner every game. The final score didn’t show it, but Battery Creek played a really good half of football at Woodland (it just didn’t play a second one). One of the hardest jobs for a coach is trying to focus on those slivers of positive and keep their teams moving forward when the losses start to mount.
5. May River is leaning into the whole “Evil Empire” thing. The Sharks are good. They know they’re good. And they want you to know they know it. Much like the Nebraska “Sea of Red” of old, or “The Herd” of North Dakota State fans who will famously buy you a Coke or a beer and talk your ear off before their team knocks you into next week, the May River Machine is unapologetic about its success, like it or not. Nobody likes you when you’re on top, and the Sharks seem to recognize that and embrace it.