It’s Friday night, and we have another full slate of high school football games on tap around the Lowco, including a pair of Lowco-on-Lowco clashes.
We’ll round up all the scores and shoutout the stars on Lowco Pigskin Live tonight on the Lowco Media Network, but here’s what to look forward to in Week 1 of the Lowco high school football season.
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Philip Simmons (0-2) at Beaufort (0-2)
All-Time Series: Philip Simmons leads 2-1
Last Meeting: Philip Simmons W 31-20 (2024)
Streak: Philip Simmons won 2
Outlook: It’s almost incomprehensible that one of these teams will start its season 0-3, but both teams scheduled up early, so here we are. The Eagles and Iron Horses traded punches for two years as region mates and have kept the budding rivalry alive, and this one should be another great matchup. Beaufort is looking for answers on offense and might have found one in quarterback Braydon Moyd-Smalls, who led the team in rushing and threw a TD pass in relief of injured Anthony Kahler in last week’s 48-8 loss at Greenwood. The Eagles’ defense has been sound and should keep them in it at home, but it’s yet to be seen whether Beaufort’s offense has enough juice to finish the job. — Justin Jarrett
Savannah Country Day (1-2) at Bluffton (2-0)
All-Time Series: SCD leads 1-0
Last Meeting: SCD W 44-16 (2024)
Streak: SCD won 1
Outlook: The Bobcats cruised through their first two games of the year in dominant fashion, but the real challenge of their schedule starts this Friday night at home. Unlike last year, this Hornets squad has been predicated on its defense, holding a strong Porter-Gaud offense to seven points a week ago. But this Bluffton team is much more dynamic, boasting a litany of weapons out wide and in the backfield in Carnell Warren and transfer Amare Patterson. Coming off a brilliant performance against Andrew Jackson, quarterback Aeden McCarthy will have to make good reads with his arm and his legs and avoid any mental mistakes. It’s a winnable game for a Bobcat team trying to make a statement before a matchup with Hampton County next week. — Wes Kerr
Lower Richland (1-1) at Colleton Co. (0-2)
All-Time Series: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Lower Richland W 46-20 (2024)
Streak: Lower Richland won 1
Outlook: The Cougars showed some serious fight in last week’s 20-7 loss at Woodland, making major strides from an opening rout at the hands of Hampton County. The defense was especially strong Friday, but the offense continues to sputter. Colleton County’s lone score against the Wolverines came on Dustin Davis’s 83-yard kickoff return touchdown. The Diamond Hornets put up 41 points in a rout of Spring Valley last week, and their offense is fairly balanced, so the Cougars will need to turn in another strong defensive effort and find something on offense to get into the win column. — Justin Jarrett
Hilton Head (1-1) at Aiken (2-0)
All-Time Series: Tied 2-2
Last Meeting: HHIHS W 45-0 (2024)
Streak: HHIHS won 1
Outlook: The Seahawks limped home from a 31-8 loss at James Island last week without quarterback Derrick Raniszewski, who will be sidelined for a period with a broken nose, but they were in the same position a year ago and rebounded to deliver a beating to the Hornets. Jeremiah Walters is perfectly capable of running the offense in Raniszewski’s absence, which he proved last season, but he’s also the Seahawks’ top receiving threat, so it will put more of the load on running backs Thaddeus Czarnecki and Jayvin Risher. Aiken is much improved from a year ago and the lengthy road trip is a factor, but the Seahawks should have enough firepower to get back in the win column. — Justin Jarrett
May River (1-1) at Lake City (0-2)
All-Time Series: May River leads 2-0
Last Meeting: May River W 41-6 (2024)
Streak: May River won 2
Outlook: Despite a gut-wrenching loss in overtime at the hands of West Ashley for their first defeat of the season, the Sharks proved they could play toe-to-toe with a strong Class 5A opponent. They’ll face a get-right opportunity on the road against a Panthers team that has struggled to stop explosive plays, allowing 34 or more points in back to back games to start the season. Expect a heavy dose of Andrew Johnson and breakout senior running back Sean Mitchell who took over down the stretch last week. A stellar ground attack early should allow the Sharks to grab the lead quickly and pound away the rest of the clock in the second half. Add in some motivation with a homecoming for assistant coach Ashley Powell, and the Sharks will be more than hungry to get back in the win column on the road Friday. — Wes Kerr
Keenan (1-1) at Battery Creek (0-2)
All-Time Series: Keenan leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Keenan W 27-0 (2024)
Streak: Keenan won 1
Outlook:
The Raiders are a run-first team led by junior back Hunter O’Neal, who had a big opener in a win over Dreher, but they were blanked by Pendleton last week. Battery Creek did a decent job of stopping the run for most of last week’s 19-14 loss to John Paul II, but the Dolphins lost contain late and allowed a 74-yard touchdown run to Jadon Inabinett. Creek’s offense is still looking for a rhythm and lacks firepower, so a lot falls on the defense, which has shown signs of brilliance but must minimize missed assignments and missed tackles to give a sputtering offense a chance. — Justin Jarrett
Silver Bluff (1-1) at Hampton Co. (2-0)
All-Time Series: Silver Bluff leads 27-4 (Hampton Co. leads 1-0 since 2024)
Last Meeting: Hampton Co. W 14-7 (2024)
Streak: Hampton Co. won 1
Outlook: Nothing has stopped this Hampton Co. team yet. Through two games, the Hurricanes have scored 116 points while allowing only 13. Jaylen Singletary and Tarell Grant lead the offense with the help of Desmond Mathis and Karinton Sabb, and it’s all-hands-on-deck on defense. This game was close last year, but that was on the road in Aiken. This year, it is the home opener for the Hurricanes, so it is gonna be loud in Varnville. This Silver Bluff team is coming off a 50-0 loss to Strom Thurmond and looking to get back on the right track, but it’s a tough test to play in the Hurricane Shelter. Look for Hampton Co. to run the ball down Silver Bluff’s throat, with a passing play every now and then. The Hurricanes defense as always will be a problem for the opposing offense, which could be the nail in the coffin for a Bulldogs offense that has been fairly one-dimensional, allowing the Canes’ fierce front to pin back their ears and get into the backfield. — Max Arraj
Whale Branch (1-1) at Ridgeland (0-2)
All-Time Series: Whale Branch leads 5-3
Last Meeting: Whale Branch W 28-6 (2024)
Streak: Whale Branch won 5
Outlook: If you like classic football played in the trenches, this one should be a treat. Ridgeland has forced a bunch of turnovers and shown some teeth on defense in its first two games, but the Jaguars have yet to score. Whale Branch defeated Hardeeville 40-20 last week thanks to Jermon Bowers and company taking advantage of great trench play, along with a bit of improvisation. Look for Ridgeland QB Tai’shaun Smith and Whale Branch backfield mates Bowers and Jayvion Harris to find room to execute big plays. The defense that does the best job of containing the opposing quarterback will have the edge. — Marcus Walsh
East Clarendon (2-0) at Hardeeville (1-1)
All-Time Series: East Clarendon leads 1-0
Last Meeting: East Clarendon W 36-7 (2024)
Streak: East Clarendon won 1
Outlook: The Wolverines are looking for the Jasper County sweep after blanking Ridgeland 32-0 last week, but Camari Brown and the Hurricanes hope to turn things around after a fourth-quarter collapse in last week’s 40-20 loss at Whale Branch. Brown has scored seven touchdowns in Hardeeville’s first two games, but he spent much of the second half on the sideline last week due to cramping, and the Canes need him on the field as much as possible to maximize their potential on both sides of the ball. East Clarendon boasts an excellent defense that will certainly focus on limiting Brown’s touches, which could create opportunities for Kyrell Jamison and Joniathan Greene to get more involved on offense. This one should be more competitive than a year ago, but the Canes will have to play their most complete game yet to earn the win. — Justin Jarrett
Bethesda Academy (1-0) at John Paul II (2-1)
All-Time Series: Bethesda leads 5-0
Last Meeting: Bethesda W 12-3 (2024)
Streak: Bethesda won 5
Outlook: The Golden Warriors were riding high after a big opening win and then ran into a buzzsaw at Laurence Manning. They crested again Friday when Jadon Inabinett broke free for a 74-yard touchdown run to beat Battery Creek, but another buzzsaw awaits in the Blazers, who overwhelmed Hilton Head Christian Academy 53-28 a week ago to open their season. Bethesda’s Jordan Turner carved up HHCA’s secondary, and Jordan Cheever ran wild, so JPII’s defense could be in for a long night, and the Golden Warriors’ run-heavy offense powered by Andrew Boyden, Inabinett, and quarterback Alan Wolf will have a hard time keeping pace against a Blazers defense that limited HHCA to four rushing yards. — Justin Jarrett
Hilton Head Prep (0-2) at Dorchester Academy (1-0)
All-Time Series: HHP leads 8-6
Last Meeting: HHP W 31-22 (2019)
Streak: HHP won 4
Outlook: It’s September and the Hilton Head Prep Dolphins have still not finished a full game yet this year, due to weather disruptions. They’ve had two weeks to get ready to right the ship as they prepare to face a Dorchester Academy team riding high after hanging 55 points on Andrew Jackson Academy. The Dolphins will need all hands on deck defensively to slow down electric back John Whetsell, who went off for 241 yards on 19 carries last week. It will take an exceptional effort from seniors Tyler Britschge, Cole Mustard, and Paulie Smith to clog up the running lanes and generate some stops and turnovers to give Wyatt Harmer and an improving offense an opportunity to get going. — Wes Kerr
Beaufort Academy (3-0) at Patrick Henry (1-1)
All-Time Series: PHA leads 7-4
Last Meeting: BA W 25-23 (2024)
Streak: BA won 4
Outlook: Nic Shuford and the Eagles head to Estill for an early region matchup with a 3-0 record and an offense firing on all cylinders. Eagles running back Nych Underwood already has 694 yards on the ground this season on 57 carries with 10 TDs. He’s already been a game-planning nightmare for three teams this season, and that won’t change in the region opener. The Eagles can also do damage through the air with the younger Nic Shuford under center looking for receivers Jace Paulk and Devin Fripp downfield. Meanwhile, Patrick Henry is still finding its identity. Rylin Brunson scored all four Patriot touchdowns against Clarendon Hall, but he has receivers and a backfield behind him with potential. The Patriot defensive unit forced a safety and two turnovers last week, but will it be enough to stop Underwood? Expect a tough region game at Cone Field, but one that won’t be decided by a safety like last season. — Jeffrey Strickland
Orangeburg Prep (1-1) at Thomas Heyward (0-1)
All-Time Series: OP leads 22-11
Last Meeting: THA W 39-0 (2024)
Streak: THA won 2
Outlook: Thomas Heyward is coming off a tough loss to Colleton Prep to start their season. Now the Rebels face another tough opponent in Orangeburg Prep. This is a matchup of two teams that have been going at it since 1986. Orangeburg is coming into this game with a 1-1 record after an opening loss to SCISA 3A Wilson Hall and a 27-8 win last week against Andrew Jackson Academy. The Rebels’ defense will face another dual-threat quarterback in Orangeburg Prep sophomore Cholly Williams, who went 11-for-14 for 246 passing yards last week. Tony O’Banner struggled running the ball against a strong Colleton Prep defense last week, and Orangeburg is no slouch on defense. Look for Orangeburg to be balanced on offense with a quarterback who can hurt you with both his arm and his legs leading the way, much like Colleton Prep. Meanwhile, Thomas Heyward will put the ball in the hands of O’Banner with the help of senior wide receiver Joshua Gibson and hope to run the ball with efficiency. — Max Arraj
Andrew Jackson Academy (0-2, 0-0) at Colleton Prep (2-1, 1-0)
All-Time Series: CPA leads 2-1
Last Meeting: CPA W 25-8 (2024)
Streak: CPA won 2
Outlook: The War Hawks are coming off an impressive showing on the road against Thomas Heyward and looking to keep the momentum rolling in another early region matchup. After an opening loss to John Paul II, the War Hawks have been on a tear, and they look to continue that for their first home game of the year against the Andrew Jackson Academy Warriors. The Warriors are coming into this game with an 0-2 record after losses to Dorchester Academy and Orangeburg Prep, only scoring a total of 22 points through two games. Cale Owens has been amazing the last two weeks, going 10-of-15 for 223 passing yards against St. Johns Christian and 10-of-12 for 165 yards last week against the Rebels. He also has averaged just under 100 yards rushing per game this season. Owens has help from the junior wide receiver duo of Thomas Corbett and Hartman Fisk, as well as dynamic freshman Kaiden Kinard. Look for Andrew Jackson to be run-heavy on offense with senior QB Hall Sease leading the way. Meanwhile, look for Colleton Prep to run a more balanced offense, and a spirited fanbase will be loud for the home opener in Walter’s Boro. — Max Arraj
Cathedral Academy (1-1) at Cross Schools (0-2)
All-Time Series: Cathedral leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Cathedral W 52-8 (2024)
Streak: Cathedral won 2
Outlook: The Stingrays had a much-needed week off from the grind last week to get healthy and work on shoring up some deficiencies from their first two games ahead of one of their most favorable matchups of the season. It will still be an uphill climb for Cross, as the Generals won both meetings a year ago by a combined 94 points, but Cathedral did graduate a good bit of talent from last year’s eight-win team. — Justin Jarrett