For the first time this season, we got ’em all in without trouble from Mother Nature, and what a glorious Friday night she provided for Week 1. It included nail-biters, shockers, and blowouts, with spectacular individual performances throughout. Unfortunately, it also brought a rash of injuries to key players around the Lowco.
Here’s the scoop on what went down in Week 1. It’s Lowco First Down.
Greenwood 48, Beaufort 8
Beaufort was never in this matchup of Eagles on the road, as Greenwood jumped out to a 21-0 lead after a quarter and led 41-0 at halftime. Beaufort lost several players to injury during the game, including Anthony Kahler to a broken collarbone. Backup Braydon Moyd-Smalls gave Beaufort a spark on offense in relief, rushing for 48 yards on 11 carries and hitting Qualeek Isnar for a 26-yard touchdown pass. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: Beaufort (0-2) vs. Philip Simmons
Bluffton 49, Andrew Jackson 21
Aeden McCarthy passed for 315 yards and three TDs and added a rushing touchdown as Bluffton piled up 541 total yards on offense for a convincing win in their home opener. Backup running back Aaiden Howell impressed with 116 yards and two TDs on 14 carries, and Roman Benjamin led Bluffton’s vaunted receiving corps with six catches for 103 yards and two TDs. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: Bluffton (2-0) vs. Savannah Country Day
Woodland 20, Colleton Co. 7
The Cougars’ defense showed some mettle, holding the Wolverines under 200 yards of total offense and forcing three turnovers, but they couldn’t get anything going on offense to complement the strong defensive effort. Dustin Davis gave Colleton County life with an 83-yard kickoff return touchdown, and the defense twice got the ball back with takeaways, but the Cougars couldn’t cut into the lead.
— Justin Jarrett
Next week: CCHS (0-2) vs. Lower Richland
James Island 31, Hilton Head 8
Derrick Raniszewski scored a rushing touchdown to bring the Seahawks within 17-8 at halftime, but the junior quarterback left the game and was later diagnosed with a broken nose, and Hilton Head’s offense couldn’t keep pace in the second half. Jayvin Risher had eight tackles (four for loss) and a sack on defense and added 56 yards from scrimmage on offense for the Seahawks. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: HHIHS (1-1) at Aiken
West Ashley 31, May River 30 (OT)
Erik Robertello tied it in the final seconds with a dramatic 36-yard field goal, but a missed extra point was the difference in overtime as May River dropped a heartbreaker at home. Despite a solid night for Richard Bonneville’s defense, the Sharks couldn’t contain electric Wildcat back DeAnthony Coleman, who returned a kickoff to the house and added two rushing scores, including the eventual game-winner in OT. May River battled back from a 16-7 deficit in the second half in large part due to the work of Sean Mitchell, who led the way with 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Andrew Johnson added 87 yards and a score on 17 attempts. — Wes Kerr
Next week: MRHS (1-1) at Lake City
John Paul II 19, Battery Creek 14
Jadon Inabinett rushed for 108 yards on eight carries, including a 74-yard touchdown run that proved to be the game-winner, and Andrew Boyden added 90 yards on 18 carries in a pivotal win for the Golden Warriors. After Boyden scored on a 3-yard touchdown run and Alan Wolf took in the two-point conversion, Battery Creek responded with a Michael Williams touchdown and a two-point run to briefly take the lead at 14-11, but Inabinett’s big run sealed it for JPII. Jackson Reilley booted a 44-yard field goal but left on the next offensive series with a broken collarbone.
— Ray Alonso
Next week: JPII (2-1) vs. Bethesda Academy; BCHS (0-2) vs. Keenan
Hampton Co. 57, Allendale-Fairfax 0
Jaylen Singletary scored touchdowns on three of his four rushing attempts, and Tarell Grant rushed for one score and connected with Karinton Sabb for another as the Hurricanes made quick work of the Tigers on the road. Braydon Blake returned a kickoff for a touchdown, Gavin Polite had nine tackles and scored on a fumble recovery for the second straight game, and EJ Capers got in on the action with a rushing TD for Hampton. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: Hampton Co. (2-0) vs. Silver Bluff
Whale Branch 40, Hardeeville 20
Jermon Bowers broke loose for four rushing touchdowns, and Whale Branch’s offensive and defensive fronts took over down the stretch to power the Warriors to a hard-fought win. The Hurricanes had the upper-hand early with Camari Brown finding the end zone on a fake field goal to open the scoring and hauling in a touchdown pass from Emiliano Santiago to make it 14-0. Brown added a kick return touchdown in the second quarter, but Bowers’ second touchdown run made it 20-12 at halftime and his third and fourth touchdowns in the second half put it away for the Warriors. — Marcus Walsh
Next week: Whale Branch (1-1) at Ridgeland; Hardeeville (1-1) vs. East Clarendon
East Clarendon 32, Ridgeland 0
The Jaguars’ defense again kept them in the game in the first half, and the passing game showed signs of life early, but the Wolverines’ swarming defense and ball-control offense took over after halftime. Ridgeland forced three turnovers but was hurt by three giveaways and held out of the end zone for the second straight game to start the season. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: Ridgeland (0-2) vs. Whale Branch
Bethesda Academy 53, HHCA 28
The Blazers debuted an explosive offense led by sophomore quarterback Jordan Turner and amassed 540 total yards, including 324 on the ground, to overwhelm the Eagles in a shootout in Savannah. Reid McCollum racked up 395 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception and collected 10 tackles on defense, while Joey Houpt had 11 catches for 168 yards, and Sam Strum had five grabes for 71 yards and a score. Thomas Gehm’s 76-yard kickoff return touchdown made it 34-14, but the Eagles couldn’t keep pace with Bethesda’s talented backfield. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: HHCA (1-2) is idle
Beaufort Academy 57, St. John’s Christian 20
Nych Underwood followed up his monster birthday game with 181 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 20 carries, and Nic Shuford Jr. rushed for 101 yards and a score on 10 carries and threw a TD pass to Devin Fripp to help the Eagles rout the Cavaliers in their home opener. Keeler Dineen had two interceptions, including a pick-six, for BA. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: BA (3-0) at Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry 29, Clarendon Hall 27
Rylin Brunson rushed for 128 yards and four TDs on 14 carries and picked off a pass on defense, but Alexander Buzzell’s tackle in the end zone for a safety proved to be the difference in the game, lifting the Patriots at Cone Field. Luke Sobey had a massive game to lead the defense with 15 tackles and a fumble recovery and added 57 yards from scrimmage, and Daivon Glover had a 53-yard interception return to set up the Patriots with a short field. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: PHA (1-1) vs. Beaufort Academy
Colleton Prep 30, Thomas Heyward 13
Cale Owens was 10-of-12 passing for 154 yards and a touchdown and added 71 yards on 14 carries, and Braden Hiers and Ben Cain led a strong defensive effort from the War Hawks in a convincing region win in SCISA 1A. Perry Corbett had four catches for 101 yards and a touchdown for Colleton Prep. — Justin Jarrett
Next week: CPA (2-1, 1-0) vs. Andrew Jackson Academy; THA (0-1, 0-1) vs. Orangeburg Prep