We are two weeks into high school football season, which means we just completed Week 1, because although counting starts at 1 in virtually every other scenario in the world, high school football season inexplicably begins at Week Zero. Just go with it. Resistance is futile.
And that means the people who have been very excited for high school football season have many hot takes. I’ll try to avoid anything that fits that description here, but I will share my observations from around the Lowco in the form of Five Things I Think I Know.
I was prepared to relaunch this column last week, but Wes Kerr took his weekly “Wes’s Wisdom” column in that direction, and it turns out he thought he knew a lot of the things I thought I knew. So maybe we were both onto something. Nonetheless, here are a few things I’ve gleaned through our first two weeks under the Friday night lights.
1. Thomas Heyward is on another level. The Rebels have run roughshod over the SCISA competition in recent years, winning three straight SCISA 1A state titles and rarely being challenged while doing so. Well, beating up on their peers must have gotten boring, because THA set out to schedule as many area public school programs as possible this season, and they found a couple of takers. It might have been a one-shot deal for the Rebels, because after they blitzed Class 3A Battery Creek 44-3 on Friday, they’re licking their chops for a shot at Class 4A Bluffton in two weeks, and if they beat the Bobcats, too, no SCHSL team will schedule them again. Kudos to Nic Shuford and his coaching staff for the aggressive scheduling, and for having their team ready to make a major statement.
2. It’s time to believe in May River’s offense. The Sharks had so much turnover on the offensive line that, combined with the graduation of star quarterback Ahmad Green, it was fair to wonder whether May River would struggle to move the ball. Nope. Garvin Douglas has been a beast under center, a steady stream of impressive running backs have taken turns tearing holes in the defense, and the inexperienced line has been excellent. They’ve done it against two solid defensive fronts, too, which is critical, because the one they’ll face when they try to knock Beaufort High off its throne in Region 7-4A is even better. The Sharks will eventually have to get more out of the passing game, but their run-first philosophy is still viable.
3. Beaufort High’s defense is dirty. We knew the Eagles’ defense would be tough, but they have been impenetrable through two games. After holding Richmond Hill to 125 total yards in their opener, the Eagles limited Effingham County to 159 yards in a 24-3 victory Friday night. It was Alvin Wilson who led the onslaught this time, racking up eight tackles, including three tackles for loss and two sacks. Beaufort had eight TFLs and six sacks in all, and the Eagles still haven’t surrendered an offensive touchdown this season. We’ll see if they can continue the domination against another Peach State foe when they welcome Benedictine on Friday.
4. Trevor Weldon is a weapon. Hilton Head Prep’s senior kicker is 5-for-6 on field goals through two games, which in itself is fairly impressive for a high school kicker, particularly at a SCISA 2A program. Now consider four of his five attempts have been from 45 yards or farther. Weldon has connected from 45, 47, and 50 — the latter a school record — and narrowly missed from 49. He’s also an outstanding punter who pinned Colleton Prep inside the 10 in the final minutes Friday to preserve a 6-0 win in which he provided all the scoring, giving the Dolphins their first 2-0 start since 2011.
5. It’s heartbreaking what has happened at Ridgeland-Hardeeville. Two years ago, the future looked bright for the Jaguars, or as bright as it had appeared in quite some time. The Jags were competitive in 2019, and they had a sophomore class folks in Jasper County had been excited about for a long time. With guys like Brandon Howard, James Townsend, Jordan Mikell, and Joseph Robinson gaining valuable varsity experience as freshmen and sophomores, Ridgeland-Hardeeville was poised for this to be The Year. Now all four of those guys, and several others, are playing elsewhere, and the Jaguars haven’t played a game since the finale of their sophomore seasons. Jasper County has been hit especially hard by COVID-19, and the virus is again ravaging the community, sending schools into virtual mode through Sept. 10. Here’s to hoping new coach Rodney Barr gets a chance to begin rebuilding the foundation soon.
‘Til Friday,
JJ
