The word of the day is “penultimate” — as in next-to-last — because we are getting down to the end of the high school football regular season.
The window to collect wins and climb the seeding ladder closes next week, and almost every result from here on in helps shift or solidify the bracket.
We do have three non-region games on the slate this week, but one is a clash of SCISA 1A title contenders with Dorchester Academy visiting Colleton Prep, so there’s a lot on the line in Week 9. Let’s get ready for kickoff with our Lowco Pregame Primer.
May River (6-2, 2-1) at Beaufort (3-5, 1-2)
All-Time Series: Beaufort leads 6-3
Last Meeting: May River W 56-14 (2024)
Streak: May River won 1
Outlook: The Sharks have clearly been the better team thus far, but this is a matchup that lends itself to a low-scoring game that could swing either way based on a handful of key plays. Both offenses are one-dimensional and lean heavily on the run, and both defenses are tough up front and will make the opposition fight for every yard. Beaufort’s Tylik Isom had a breakout game last week, and quarterback Braydon Moyd-Smalls continues to develop into a legitimate dual threat, but they’ll need to be at their best Friday to keep the sticks moving and keep the Sharks’ Slot-T offense led by powerful back Sean Mitchell off the field. May River lost three fumbles in the first half of last week’s loss to Hilton Head, and the Sharks could find themselves in trouble on the road if they don’t take better care of the ball Friday. The rivals had three straight meetings decided by six points or fewer before the Sharks routed the Eagles 56-14 a year ago, and this matchup feels more suited to showing last year’s blowout was an anomaly in what has been a competitive rivalry over the years.
Bishop England (6-2, 1-2) at Bluffton (6-2, 2-1)
All-Time Series: Bishop England leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Bishop England W 28-24 (2024)
Streak: Bishop England W1
Outlook: This is a big one for both sides as they try to improve their seeding for the playoffs, and it figures to be an interesting matchup. The Bishops’ offense faltered against Hilton Head and May River but found its footing in time to hold off Beaufort last week, and Bluffton’s defense will have to be disciplined and tackle well to avoid giving up big plays. The Bobcats are bound to hit some big plays of their own, though, as Aedan McCarthy has been cooking all season and feeding his stable of receivers at a steady rate. Bishop England gave up some big pass plays to Hilton Head, and Carnell Warren, Amare Patterson and Roman Benjamin are bound to wreak some havoc at home. Take the over.
Hilton Head (7-1, 3-0) at Colleton Co. (1-7, 0-3)
All-Time Series: Colleton Co. leads 7-6
Last Meeting: Hilton Head W 65-6 (2024)
Streak: Hilton Head won 1
Outlook: It’s the top of the standings against the bottom, but the soaring Seahawks won’t take their trip to Walterboro lightly, because they’ve come home empty-handed in their last two visits to Colleton County. The Cougars have been scrappy and hung in with some heavyweights in the first half, but they haven’t been able to sustain it for 48 minutes, and they’ll have a tough task in trying to turn the corner against a Hilton Head team that is developing into a real threat to the reigning Class 4A powers. The Seahawks have worn teams down in the second half, and their offensive line should be able open some holes for Thaddeus Czarnecki and Jayvin Risher as the night goes on and help Hilton Head take one more step toward its first region title since 2008.
Orangeburg-Wilkinson (8-0, 2-0) at Battery Creek (2-6, 0-2)
All-Time Series: O-W leads 3-0
Last Meeting: O-W W 46-13 (2024)
Streak: O-W won 3
Outlook: After being humbled by the No. 2 team in Class 3A last week, things don’t let up much for the Dolphins, who host the sixth-ranked and undefeated Bruins for another brutal region matchup. Sophomore quarterback Brenden Peoples (1,486 pass yards, 14 TDs, 1 INT) leads a balanced offense that has plenty of weapons, and the Bruins’ defense has not surrendered more than 14 points in any of the team’s eight games. O-W has won all three all-time meetings, but last year’s 46-13 Bruins win was the first since a home-and-home series in 2006 and 2007.
Whale Branch (3-5, 1-1) at Hampton Co. (6-3, 3-0)
All-Time Series: Hampton Co. leads 1-0 (2-0 incl. WHHS)
Last Meeting: Hampton Co. W 38-21 (2024)
Streak: Hampton Co. won 2
Outlook: It’s homecoming night in Varnville, and the Hurricanes have a head of steam as they prepare to welcome the Warriors to town. Hampton County has outscored its first three region opponents 149-0 behind the lethal running of Jaylen Singletary and a dominant defense. Whale Branch is coming off a tough 28-26 loss to Lake Marion that took some of the shine off this week’s matchup, but Jermon Bowers and the Warriors can still force a logjam atop the region standings with an upset Friday. The Warriors will have to have their best game of the season on both sides of the ball to keep pace with Hampton County, though, because the Hurricanes are just hitting their stride after a challenging stretch of the schedule that resulted in three straight losses in September.
Branchville (2-6) at Hardeeville (2-6)
All-Time Series: Hardeeville leads 3-0
Last Meeting: Hardeeville W 23-22 (2024)
Streak: Hardeeville won 3
Outlook: Efrain Tinoco’s field goal as time expired lifted the Canes to a 23-22 win at Branchville last season to spoil the Yellowjackets’ homecoming, and they’ll get a chance to return the favor Friday night in Hardeeville. Camari Brown is the player to watch all night for Hardeeville, because he always makes an impact in all phases of the game, and Kyrell Jamison has also provided some electric plays when the Canes have needed them most. Both teams are coming off big region wins, and the team that takes care of the ball and avoids penalties in key spots will have a chance to build some positive momentum heading into the postseason
HHCA (3-5, 1-1) at John Paul II (5-3, 1-0)
All-Time Series: HHCA leads 10-1
Last Meeting: HHCA W 56-22 (Sept. 12)
Streak: HHCA won 9
Outlook: It’s senior night for the Golden Warriors, and they are hoping to make some history at Richard Gray Sports Complex in Hardeeville with their first win over rival HHCA since 2017, a 26-20 triumph at home. Jadon Inabinet, Andrew Boyden and Alan Wolf will have to get a quick first step with protection from the offensive line in order to make some big plays in the ground game, and Wolf will have to get Merrick Baroni and Sean Phalen involved in the passing game to keep the Eagles honest. Kres Langhals has taken over at quarterback for HHCA and will lean on his go-to receiver Joey Houpt to help him move the chains. The Golden Warriors committed seven turnovers in a 56-22 loss at HHCA on Sept. 12, and the Eagles have turned it over 18 times in their last eight games. Expect a hard-fought matchup in the WHHI-TV Intercounty Bowl, and expect the team that comes up with the most takeaways to come away with a big win.
Orangeburg Prep (5-3) at Patrick Henry (1-7)
All-Time Series: OP leads 3-0
Last Meeting: OP won 40-28 (2024)
Streak: OP won 3
Outlook: The Patriots enjoyed a feel-good moment amidst a tough season when Mac Gohagan got back on the field and into the end zone at the end of last week’s loss to Calhoun Academy, and now they get a chance to try to carry the good vibes over to the field. It’s going to be a tall task, though, because Orangeburg Prep boasts a dangerous passing game led by quarterback Cholly Williams and receiver Tilden Riley, and PHA has had its issues stopping the air attack. The Pats have a solid ground game led by quarterback Rylin Brunson and the brotherly backfield of Luke and Kai Sobey, but they might not have enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with the Indians.
Andrew Jackson Academy (1-6, 0-2) at Beaufort Academy (5-3, 1-1)
All-Time Series: AJA leads 9-3
Last Meeting: BA W 49-0 (2024)
Streak: BA won 1
Outlook: The Eagles and Warriors developed quite a rivalry during their time in the 8-man ranks, and even met in the 2018 championship game (which BA won 42-40), but last year’s meeting was the first playing 11-man football, and it was a 49-0 rout. There’s no good reason to believe it won’t be more of the same Friday on Lady’s Island, as the Eagles look to bounce back after a tough loss at Colleton Prep and get to the business of locking down the No. 2 seed from the region. Look for BA to get its offense back on track and roll to a drama-free win that sets up a huge matchup at Thomas Heyward next week.
Dorchester Academy (7-0) at Colleton Prep (7-1)
All-Time Series: DA leads 17-16
Last Meeting: DA W 45-7 (2024)
Streak: DA won 1
Outlook: These teams met twice last season, with the War Hawks winning 38-12 in the regular season and the Raiders avenging their defeat in a big way in a 45-7 win in the first round of the playoffs, so it’s hard to say how things will shake out Friday in Walterboro. The Raiders remain undefeated and are a chore to deal with for 48 minutes thanks to strong trench play and the tough running of quarterback John Quattlebaum and bruising back John Whetsell, and a couple of teams have been able to find running room against the War Hawks. But few have been able to contain CPA quarterback Cale Owens, who has proven he can take down top contenders with his arm or his legs. The Raiders are going to try to keep it out of Owens’ hands as much as possible and control the clock, so the War Hawks need their defense to get off the field on third and fourth down and give Owens and Co. a chance to put up points. Then both teams need to start preparing for a potential rematch in the SCISA 1A playoffs.
Thomas Heyward (2-4) at Carolina Academy (3-5)
All-Time Series: THA leads 2-0
Last Meeting: THA W 51-6 (2024)
Streak: THA won 2
Outlook: The Rebels were gaining some positive momentum before being blown out by John Paul II last week in an impromptu rivalry matchup, but they played that game without star Tony O’Banner, the centerpiece of the program for the past few years. Back at full strength, THA has found something that works on offense with Josh Gibson under center and O’Banner free to roam and exploit matchups. The Rebels’ defense was gashed on the ground against JPII, but the Bobcats don’t have the same juice on offense. If Gibson and O’Banner can do their thing and make some explosive plays, THA’s defense should be able to do enough to seal a tough road win and set up a huge game against Beaufort Academy next week.
Cross Schools (0-7) at Holly Hill Academy (7-0)
All-Time Series: HHA leads 3-0
Last Meeting: HHA W 52-18 (Sept. 12)
Streak: HHA won 3
Outlook: It was the best of times it was … the period before the good times. Holly Hill is the clear-cut favorite to claim the SCISA 8-man title this season, and the Stingrays are still in the infancy of building a competitive program. The 34-point margin on Sept. 12 was the closest of three meetings over the past two seasons, and Cross will be playing for moral victories every time it faces the Raiders for the foreseeable future, but Rico McCoy’s team has shown major progress.