Nine games, all with playoff implications of some sort. What a time to be alive.
The local high school football slate for Week 9 — the penultimate week of the regular season — is a doozy. We have geographic rivalries galore on tap, including a great historic rivalry between Beaufort High and Hilton Head High that could potentially be a de facto region championship game.
With some teams fighting for playoff spots and others clawing to hang onto region title hopes, you can be sure they’ll leave it all on the field tonight. If you’re headed out to a game tonight, be sure to keep an eye on the live scoreboard powered by Scorestream on our homepage to keep up with all the action around the area.
Here’s your Week 9 primer:
LOWCOSPORTS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
Beaufort High (2-5, 1-0) at Hilton Head High (4-3, 1-0)
Oh, how the complexion of the Region 7-4A race has changed in the past two weeks.
The Eagles were 0-5, and morale was waning. The Seahawks were a flawed team struggling to find consistency.
Now they’re squaring off for first place in the region.
That says something about the region, which is heavy on parity but light on punch, but it also says both teams appear to be peaking at the right time.
Beaufort is riding a wave of momentum after rallying past Bluffton in the second half two weeks ago and stunning previously undefeated May River last week, fueled by a rapidly improving defense and a new-look offense with backup Daniel Phares leading an option attack since Tyler Haley went down with a shoulder injury.
Hilton Head High has bounced back from a couple of ugly performances early in the season and was sharp in last week’s 28-7 win at Colleton County, and the Seahawks are healthy, which is critical with only 27 players on the varsity roster.
The Seahawks’ defense played well against the Cougars last week and is loaded with talent, but the unit’s biggest strength is in the secondary, and the Eagles aren’t throwing it much these days. Beaufort’s option attack with Phares flanked by running backs James Dagin and Amariee Morris has been tough to stop, and Hilton Head High has had difficulty stopping strong running teams.
Beaufort’s young defense also is hitting its stride and has been especially tough against the pass of late, but the Eagles will have to first show they can stop the run. Hilton Head High’s Lavarus Brown has been a handful for opposing defenses when healthy, so the Seahawks are likely to make attacking the Eagles on the ground a priority.
As is often the case in a clash of evenly matched teams, this one is likely to come down to key penalties and turnovers — the team that can avoid them will emerge as the frontrunner for the region title.
This one is a true toss-up, but the matchup seems to favor the Eagles, and Seahawks coach BJ Payne is 1-6 against Beaufort.
Prediction: Beaufort High 27, Hilton Head High 24
Colleton County (2-5, 0-1) at Bluffton (1-6, 0-1)
The records here are deceiving, because both of these teams have enough talent to upset one of the region frontrunners next week and create chaos in the region standings … but they have to win this one first.
The Bobcats have one of the area’s top passing attacks, as Lee Kirkland averages 247.6 passing yards per game with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and Rakim White is the area’s most prolific receiver with 37 catches for 800 yards and eight TDs. That should serve them well against a secondary that Hilton Head High’s Gaston Moore was able to pick apart last week.
The Cougars have a dynamic back in Trakell Murray, who has amassed nearly 1,200 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns and a dangerous receiver in Jorryn Simmons, but after a bye week, the Bobcats should have a solid gameplan in place to slow them down.
Prediction: Bluffton 27, Colleton County 20
May River (6-1, 2-0) at Battery Creek (3-3, 2-1)
It’s time to see how the Sharks respond to adversity. They haven’t played on the heels of a loss since 2017, and they’re going into a situation where a sluggish start could doom them.
Battery Creek is tough up front and has a strong running game led by Tre Booth, Jacove Anderson, and Jaeon Allen, but the Dolphins will probably have to do something through the air to beat the Sharks. May River’s defensive front is solid with defensive lineman Rod Grant and linebacker Eli Hall leading the charge.
The Dolphins’ defense, led by North-South pick Brandon Wilson and Shamarr Hamilton, has played well during a three-game winning streak, but the level of competition they’ve faced over that stretch is not on par with what they’ll see tonight.
May River has so many weapons on offense, beginning with dynamic quarterback Ahmad Green (551 rushing yards, 9 TDs; 655 passing yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs). If the Dolphins can produce a couple early stops and get a lead, they’ll have a chance for the upset, but that will be a challenge against a strong Sharks team eager for redemption after last week.
Prediction: May River 35, Battery Creek 14
Ridgeland-Hardeeville (1-6, 0-2) at Wade Hampton (7-1, 2-0)
The Jaguars wasted a great opportunity to clinch a playoff spot last week, failing to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities before giving up an 89-yard touchdown run in the final 90 seconds of a 6-0 loss to Battery Creek.
They’ll have to play much better to have any chance of pulling off the road upset against the Red Devils, though this one does meet the definition of a trap game for Wade Hampton with a showdown with May River looming next week.
The Jags have been committed to getting their passing game off the ground but have had more success on the ground. The defense played well last week but will have its hands full with a powerful ground game led by Deshareoh Williams (1,187 rushing yards, 16 TDs).
Prediction: Wade Hampton 37, Ridgeland-Hardeeville 12
Whale Branch (5-2, 1-2) at Bamberg-Ehrhardt (6-2, 1-1)
Every week is a grind in Region 5-2A, and both of these teams are mean dogs backed into a corner.
Bamberg-Ehrhardt’s loss to Woodland last week opened the door for the Warriors to claim the No. 2 seed despite opening region play with consecutive losses, and you better believe they’re eager to pounce on the opportunity.
It’s not a great matchup for the Warriors’ offense, which leans heavily on the run game led by De’Arius Hazel, Jaylen Reeves, and Jadon Grant. The Warhorses were torched through the air last week and have been pretty tough against the run.
Whale Branch’s defense is stout, though, and is coming off a dominant outing in a 24-0 win over Allendale-Fairfax, so the Warriors will hope to grind out a key victory in a defensive struggle. It won’t be easy in a tough road environment.
Prediction: Bamberg-Ehrhardt 23, Whale Branch 21
Hilton Head Christian Academy (7-1, 2-0) at John Paul II (0-7, 0-3)
This one looks like a mighty big mismatch on paper. The Golden Warriors are winless, while the Eagles have been steamrolling everyone during a seven-game winning streak.
Led by the area’s leading passer and reigning RBC Heritage Player of the Week Hayden Shinn, HHCA’s offense is putting up video game numbers through the air and has scored 37 points or more in every game since a 46-22 loss at Thomas Heyward to open the season. John Paul II will have a hard time matching up with all of HHCA’s receivers, as four different Eagles have compiled at least 300 yards receiving.
If HHCA has a weakness, it’s probably defending the run, and JPII has an outstanding running back in Reco Anderson and quarterback Jeremiah Young can hurt defenses with his legs, as well. The Golden Warriors get a boost from playing at home, but it’s not likely to be enough to overcome the difficult matchup.
Prediction: Hilton Head Christian Academy 37, John Paul II 13
Northwood Academy (3-4, 1-1) at Hilton Head Prep (3-5, 1-1)
The Dolphins no doubt are already thinking about their trip across the island next week, but if they want to have a shot at a share of the region championship they first have to take care of the Chargers.
Northwood has put up 35 points in consecutive games — wins over John Paul II and Pinewood Prep — despite an old-school rugby scrum offense that features diminutive back Tyler Gadsden (954 rushing yards, 9 TDs). The Dolphins will need their defensive front to play hard and their linebackers to tackle soundly, or Gadsden will run over them.
The Dolphins’ offense has gotten a boost from the return of quarterback Stone McDonald, who is averaging 189.5 passing yards and 79.5 rushing yards in four games since coming back from a broken nose, and Northwood’s secondary has struggled mightily against teams that can sling it.
Prediction: Hilton Head Prep 34, Northwood Academy 23
Dorchester Academy (3-4, 2-1) at Thomas Heyward (7-2, 2-1)
The Rebels have hit a bit of a rough patch, losing two of their last three and getting off to a sluggish start in the win sandwiched between, but they’re poised for a big bounce-back performance.
These teams are nearly mirror images of one another, except the image is magnified on the Rebels’ side. THA is bigger, stronger, faster, and deeper, so the Rebels should be able to line up and run it right at the Raiders.
The Rebels’ biggest issue lately has been falling behind early and having to turn to the passing game to try to close the gap. If they can establish the run and grab and early lead, they’ll be able to stick to their strengths and overpower Dorchester.
Prediction: Thomas Heyward 41, Dorchester Academy 13
Beaufort Academy (2-5, 2-3) at Palmetto Christian (5-2, 3-2)
Palmetto Christian is one of the surprise teams in the SCISA 8-man ranks this season and has an outstanding quarterback in Connor Rourk, who averages 143.4 rushing yards per game with 14 TDs along with 99.1 passing yards per game with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. If the Eagles can devise a way to slow down Rourk, though, he doesn’t have a lot of help on offense.
BA’s offense has been inconsistent as quarterback Dawson Coleman has battled a nagging ankle injury, but he is getting closer to full strength and the Eagles expect to have Jacob Union back from injury to provide a spark on both sides of the ball.
This is the time of year when BA really hit its stride during last season’s state title run, and coach Mark Clifford will have the Eagles ready to compete in a key game for their playoff hopes, but this is a tough matchup on the road.
Prediction: Palmetto Christian 33, Beaufort Academy 30
Last week: 6-2
Season: 62-12