TOP 10 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES FOR WEEK 3

          Sumter – Believe it or not, folks, but we are embarking on the fourth week of the high school football season. It’s like a snowball: once it gets rolling, it rolls downhill fast.

         The games that count in deciding who is seeded where and who does and doesn’t’ make the state playoffs begin for a handful of 7-team regions in AA and Class A next week. The week after that, the 6-team regions in all five classes will join in with the 5-team regions starting up the week after that. There will be a few scattered non-region games after that, but it will mainly be games setting up five weeks of the postseason after that.

         Following are 10 of the biggest games throughout the state on Friday.

         Blackville-Hilda (3-0) at Bamberg-Ehrhardt (2-1)

         This is a matchup of Class A schools, but from different regions. Blackville-Hilda, ranked 12^th in the High School Sports Report Sweet 16 poll, is 3-0 and from Region 4. Bamberg-Ehrhardt is 2-1 and ranked fifth. The Red Raiders, who started the season ranked No. 1 before falling to Denmark-Olar, is from Region 7.

         B-H is led by Jaquel Holman, who has rushed for 396 yards and seven touchdowns on just 31 carries. Junior quarterback Samari Williams has rushed for 205 yards and four TDs on 32 carries while completing 18 of 32 passes for 255 yards and three TDs.

         Boiling Springs (2-1) at Hillcrest (3-0)

         Boiling Springs climbed into the AAAAA poll at No. 16 with an impressive 29-7 victory over AAA power Chapman last week. A win in this game over Hillcrest, ranked No. 9 in AAAAA, would likely catapult the Bulldogs up several spots.

         Boiling Springs, which is 2-1, is led by junior quarterback Lincoln Huskey. He has completed 39 of 62 passes for 653 yards and nine TDs against just two interceptions. He has thrown scoring passes to five different receivers, three of them to Kyle Patterson. He has 10 catches for 173 yards.

         The Rams are off to a 3-0 start under first-year head coach Bennett Swygert. Kaleb Sutton is the quarterback, while wide receiver Avery McFadden had three rushing touchdowns and two TD catches through the first two games.

         Brookland-Cayce (2-0) at A.C. Flora (1-1)

         Brookland-Cayce is just outside of the top 10 in AAA at No. 11 with its 3-0 start. A.C. Flora is just inside the AAAA top 10 at No. 9 and is 2-1. Both teams are coming off of bye weeks.

         The Bearcats have been dominant on both sides of the ball in their two victories, beating Harding University of Charlotte 45-6 and AAAA Airport 49-0.

         The Falcons lost to fellow AAAA Greenwood 24-23 in their opener. They rebounded with a 61-13 pounding of AAA Dreher.

         Camden (2-1) at Gray Collegiate (3-0)

         Camden, ranked seventh in AAA, will be trying to bounce back from a 55-21 thrashing handed it to it by AAAA No. 2 Hartsville last week. That will not be an easy task against 3-0 Gray Collegiate Academy, the No. 1 AA team in the state.

         The Bulldogs are led by quarterback Grayson White. He has completed 45 of 65 passes for 851 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 171 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Running back Averee Hickmon has 166 yards and a score on 30 carries, while senior wide receiver Jah Mayrant has 20 catches for 327 yards and two TDs

         Like CHS, the War Eagles can both run and throw the football. Junior running back BJ Montgomery had 474 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 45 carries. Senior wide receiver Jamarious Lockett has 14 catches for 403 yards and seven TDs.

         This will be the final game for GCA before beginning play in Region 4. However, its six region foes say they plan to forfeit the games as a protest to competitive balance. Gray head coach Adam Holmes said he has two other games scheduled at this point if it wins the region by forfeit.

         Chester (3-0) at South Pointe (2-1)

         Chester, 3-0 and ranked third in AAA, will take the short ride up Interstate 77 to Rock Hill to take on 2-1 South Pointe, No. 5 in AAAA.

         The Cyclones are led offensively by senior running back Elijah Coleman. He has three 100-yard rushing games with 437 yards and five scores on 66 carries. Quarterback Trooper Floyd has completed 30 of 49 passes for 389 yards and five TDs. Senior linebacker Antonio Hopkins leads the defense with 28 tackles, six tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

         Stallion senior quarterback Malachi Marshall has completed 41 of 71 passes for 474 yards and four TDs. CJ Dixon leads the defense with 10 tackles for loss to go with four sacks. Aakil Brown has five sacks and SPHS has seven INTs.

         Crestwood (2-1) at Sumter (3-0)

         The offenses for both of these teams have been prolific through their first three games.  Crestwood, 2-1 and ranked 12^th in AAA, is averaging over 52 points a game. Sumter, 3-0 and No. 3 in AAAAA, is “only” averaging 48 points a game.

         Senior Javion Martin, a 4-year starter at QB for CHS, has hit on 40 65 passes for 810 yards and seven TDs. Senior running back Azarian Yates has rushed for 272 yards and eight TDs, while junior WR Jeremie Richardson has 13 catches for 379 yards and four TDs.

         Junior John Peeples has rushed for 266 yards and 10 TDs on 42 carries to lead the Gamecocks. Fellow junior Kam Fortune has 216 yards and two TDs on 30 carries. Quarterback Pate Merchant has completed 31 of 45 passes for 522 yards and five TDs.

         Hannah-Pamplico (2-1) at Andrews (2-1)

         Hannah-Pamplico is ranked 13^th in Class A after falling to AA Cheraw 41-14 last week. It will try to get back on the winning track against 2-1 Andrews, ranked No. 12 in AA.

         Hartsville (3-0) at Dillon (2-0)

         If Hartsville, which is ranked second in AAAA, has been anything in its first three games is consistent on offense. The Red Foxes have scored 55 points in their three wins over Conway, Darlington and Camden.

         The Red Foxes have another big game this week in AAA No. 1 Dillon. The Wildcats beat Class A Lamar 38-6 and AAAA Wilson 31-13.

         Hartsville is led by running back Carmello McDaniel with 535 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 46. Quarterback McKendrie Douglas is coming off a 100-yard rushing game against Camden in which he also completed 8 of 9 passes for 122 yards.

         Dillon is led by 6-foot-7-inch, 290-pound Josiah Thompson, considered by many to be the top offensive tackle in the country. He is committed to the University of South Carolina.

         Lexington (3-0) at Blythewood (2-1)

         Lexington is ranked fourth in AAAAA and is 3-0 barely. The Wildcats rallied to beat Stratford 25-24 last week. Blythewood is 2-1 and ranked 11^th in AAAA, having won its last two games after falling to Ridge View in its season opener.

         Westside (1-1) at Abbeville (3-0)

         This is one of those fun crossover games that pops up before region play. Westside is 1-1 and ranked 12^th in AAAA. Abbeville is the defending AA state champion and ranked second, and has no qualms about who it plays.

         The Rams opened the season with a 43-28 loss to AAA No.6 Belton-Honea Path but followed it up with a 42-30 triumph over AAAAA No. 9 T.L. Hanna.

         Abbeville is 3-0. After hammering McCormick 65-12 to start the season, the Panthers followed with a pair of 1-point victories. They defeated defending AAA state runner-up Powdersville 35-34 and Class A No.8 Southside Christian 22-21.