Photo by Holden Ware / MRHS Student Photojournalist
With Halloween on Friday, we’re treated to a two-night slate in the final week of the high school football regular season, with four games on tap Thursday night and another seven coming on All Hallow’s Eve.
The highlight of part 1 is WHHI-TV’s Bluffton Bowl, which pits the Bluffton Bobcats against the rival May River Sharks with the No. 2 seed from Region 6-4A on the line, but we’ll also have Battery Creek and Cross Schools at home Thursday night, and John Paul II travels to Pinewood Prep.
We’ll post the previews for Friday’s games a little later, but here’s your ticket to get prepared for tonight’s kickoffs with part 1 of our Week 10 Pregame Primer.
THURSDAY’S GAMES
May River (7-2, 3-1) at Bluffton (7-2, 3-1)
All-Time Series: Tied 6-6
Last Meeting: May River W 46-45 OT (2024)
Streak: May River won 1
Outlook: WHHI could be saving the best for last for Thursday’s edition of the Bluffton Bowl in The Den. The rivals bring identical records into the matchup, and the winner will claim second place in Region 6-4A and a top-six seed in the Class 4A playoffs. Both squads are strong in the trenches and boast a solid front seven on defense. May River has to find a way to stop Aedan McCarthy from making big plays downfield to Carnell Warren, Amare Patterson and Roman Benjamin, as well as containing Kordell Holley out of the backfield, and the Sharks have to control the ball and the clock with their Slot-T rushing attack with Sean Mitchell at the helm. Bluffton must match the Sharks’ physicality up front and in the trenches and give McCarthy time to pick apart the defense or hurt May River with his legs on the ground offensively or punting the football. — Marcus Walsh
John Paul II (5-4, 1-1) at Pinewood Prep (6-3, 2-0)
All-Time Series: Pinewood Prep Leads 5-0
Last Meeting: Pinewood Prep W 69-21 (2024)
Streak: Pinewood Prep won 5
Outlook: It would be a great night for the Golden Warriors to pull off a monumental upset, because a JPII win would force a three-way tie for first place in SCISA Region 1-3A along with HHCA, but it’s a daunting task. Two of Pinewood Prep’s three losses came to the top two SCISA 4A teams in Hammond and Northwood Academy. Look for the trio of Alan Wolf, Jadon Inabinett, and Andrew Boyden to be the driving force for JPII to keep this game close, but the Golden Warriors’ defense will have to deal with junior quarterback Silas Brawner, who has averaged 259 passing yards per game. This Panthers team plays a lot like HHCA and leans heavy on the pass, but you can’t rule out the running game. JPII can make this a game through the first half, but it will take something special for the Golden Warriors to bring home a win. — Max Arraj
Hanahan (4-5, 1-2) at Battery Creek (2-7, 0-3)
All-Time Series: Hanahan leads 5-0
Last Meeting: Hanahan W 48-13 (2024)
Streak: Hanahan won 5
Outlook: The Hawks have dominated this region rivalry since it began in 2020, winning all five meetings by an average of 34.8 points with no matchup closer than a 31-point margin in 2022. Hanahan came close to handing Orangeburg-Wilkinson its first loss two weeks ago and beat up on North Charleston last week, so the Hawks are flying high heading into the regular-season finale and need a win to lock up the No. 3 seed from Region 6-3A. The Dolphins are still searching for a region win, and they’ll need to play their best game of the season to earn it Thursday, but they’re headed to the playoffs regardless. — Justin Jarrett
Palmetto Christian (2-7) at Cross Schools (0-9)
All-Time Series: PCA leads 1-0
Last Meeting: PCA W 56-14 (Sept. 19)
Streak: PCA won 1
Outlook: It doesn’t seem right for the Stingrays to go winless, considering the progress they’ve shown in coach Rico McCoy’s first season, but barring an upset against a Palmetto Christian team that is peaking at the right time and already smacked around the Stingrays last month, that’s where Cross could find itself. The Eagles routed the Stingrays 56-14 on Sept. 19, and they’re coming off a 44-26 win over a Cathedral Academy team that swept Cross this season, so it looks like another tough matchup for McCoy’s boys. — Justin Jarrett