Top-Ten matchups, community rivalries highlight Week Two

Rivalry games, a great cross-class matchup, and much more highlight the schedule in the Spartanburg area in Week Two.

3A No. 5 Chapman (2-0) at Boiling Springs (1-1)

Series Record: Boiling Springs leads the series 24-10-1.

Last Meeting: The Bulldogs won 28-27 last season.

Last Week: Chapman beat Byrnes 17-14; Boiling Springs beat Mauldin 55-0.

Radio/TV/Internet: upstateprepcast.net will feature streams for both schools.

Location: Bulldog Stadium, 2251 Old Furnace Rd., Boiling Springs

Who to watch for Chapman: Receiver Shawn Cunningham is a weapon for the Panthers. Chapman gets Cunningham the ball in a variety of ways, and he’s outstanding in space.

Who to watch for Boiling Springs: Lincoln Huskey played QB last season for the Bulldogs, but if you’re looking for the night he broke out as a top-tier QB, look no further than last week: he threw for 333 yards and 5 TDs in a 55-0 win over Mauldin.

About the Panthers: Chapman is coming off what might be the biggest regular season win in school history. The defense led the way against Byrnes, the offense did enough to get the win, and the Panthers made an impact around the state.

About the Bulldogs: Boiling Springs served notice that these aren’t the same ol’ Bulldogs. On the road, amidst the distractions of a first game under a new coach, Boiling Springs could have underperformed. Instead, they left no doubt, and the win over Mauldin was over quickly.

4A No. 5 Greenville (1-1) at 5A No. 9 Byrnes (1-1)

Series Record: Byrnes won the first meeting between the programs 56-28 last year.

Last Week: Greenville lost to T.L. Hanna 28-17; Byrnes lost to Chapman 17-14.

Radio/TV/Internet: The Fan Upstate 97.1/97.7 FM (Byrnes)

Location: Nixon Field, 150 E. Main St., Duncan

Who to watch for Greenville: DBs Christian Henderson and Ramani Bruton could have a huge impact in this game. Henderson was hurt against the Rebels a year ago, and when he was lost for the season, that meant Bruton had to step up – which he did, to the tune of six interceptions.

Who to watch for Byrnes: DL Chris Foster will be crucial for the Rebels. Byrnes needs Greenville to be one-dimensional, and Foster can play a huge part in helping take the Raiders’ running game away.

About the Red Raiders: Greenville comes in with a ton of talent at a bunch of places, and nowhere is it more noticeable than up front on both sides of the ball. All five OL are returning starters, with two having D1 offers already. Defensively, Jayden Wilson-Abrams, Bruce Knauber, and Jamarion Jeffries are as good a DL as you’ll find.

About the Rebels: Byrnes has had a pair of surprises at the RB position this season, and the success of both will have a lot to do with the Rebels’ fortunes. First, freshman Tre Segarra has been an eye-opener, capable of tough runs between the tackles as well as showcasing speed. That has allowed RJ Livingston to shift from primary RB duties to the other side of the ball at linebacker, where he’s had a great start.

4A No. 2 South Pointe (2-0) at 5A No. 2 Gaffney (1-1)

Series Record: South Pointe won the only previous meeting 47-26 last year.

Last week: South Pointe beat Rock Hill 35-13; Gaffney beat Union County 63-7.

Radio/TV/Internet: WZZQ 104.3 FM

Location: The Reservation, 149 Twin Lake Rd., Gaffney

Who to watch for South Pointe: QB Malachi Marshall is a problem. He’s got good size, he’s athletic, and he has a big arm. He threw for more than 2,200 yards a year ago, and is leading the Stallions again this season.

Who to watch for Gaffney: Sophomore RB Jaiden McDowell is the real deal. He only carried the ball five times for the Indians in their Week One blowout – but he netted 90 yards, and three of those carries went for scores. He’s quick enough to be an every-down runner, and tough enough for the Indians’ one-back, short-yardage set.

About the Stallions: South Pointe’s win over Spartanburg now looks huge, and they backed it up with a win over Rock Hill. Chris Dixon and J’zavien Currence have led the outstanding South Pointe defense, which is allowing just 13.5 points per game.

About the Indians: Gaffney has had a bit of a weird season. After a competitive Week Zero game against Crest, the Indians didn’t get a lot of time to fix mistakes last week, as the starters rested early in a blowout. This week, they’re right back in the fire against a top-flight 4A team. Offensive balance has been the key, with McDowell and Quashon Tate rolling in the running game, while QB Riley Staton has spread the ball around to a bunch of receivers.

Dorman (1-1) at Greenwood (1-1)

Series Record: Dorman leads the all-time series 18-8.

Last Meeting: The Cavaliers won 49-14 last season.

Last Week: Dorman beat North Augusta 34-13; Greenwood lost to Sandy Creek (Ga.) 41-7.

Radio/TV/Internet: WQUL 101.7 FM

Location: J.W. Babb Stadium, 1816 Cokesbury Rd., Greenwood

Who to watch for Dorman: Last week, WR K.D. Hainsworth was inches away from a huge play on the first snap. He made a couple, too. Hainsworth caught three balls for 78 yards and a touchdown, and showed off an amazingly athletic stop-and-go after the catch on the score.

Who to watch for Greenwood: QB Triston Lewis is playing well for the Eagles. Yes, they’re primarily a running team, and that’s a little bit by design to take some pressure off of Lewis. But when it’s been time to make a throw, he’s stepped up and made plenty of good ones.

About the Cavaliers: In notching Jake Morris’ first win as a head coach last week, the Cavaliers did plenty of good things. They played within what they’re comfortable with on offense, and defensively they adjusted to an option look mid-game, largely shutting North Augusta down in the second half. More importantly, they created turnovers and seized the momentum that followed.

About the Eagles: Greenwood got a huge Week Zero win over A.C. Flora, a game they dominated for three and a half quarters before a late Falcons rally. They struggled last week against a good Sandy Creek  (Ga.) team, and will be looking to bounce back at home.

3A No. 9 Broome (2-0) at 5A No. 6 Spartanburg (1-1)

Series Record: The Vikings lead the all-time record 22-4.

Last Meeting: Spartanburg won 34-3 a year ago.

Last Week: Broome beat Chesnee 49-20; Spartanburg beat Dutch Fork 17-6.

Radio/TV/Internet: coxsportsbroadcasting.com (Broome); Fox Sports Spartanburg 1400 AM/98.3 FM (Spartanburg)

Who to watch for Broome: Sophomore RB Jaylen McGill is the real deal. He rushed for nearly 200 yards last week in a blowout win, and he’s the catalyst for the Centurions’ offense.

Who to watch for Spartanburg: Bennie Littlejohn doesn’t LOOK like the protype 5A linebacker. Not until you watch him in action anyway. Then, you notice that he’s ALWAYS around the ball, and he’s creating havoc when he gets there.

About the Centurions: Broome backed up a big Week Zero win with a blowout in a rivalry game. At 2-0 and facing a Spartanburg team that has struggled a little bit offensively (against a pair of outstanding defenses), the Centurions have a chance at a special win in this one.

About the Vikings: It’s silly to call last week’s Spartanburg win the program’s biggest. But it’s inarguably ONE of the biggest, and winning on the road at Dutch Fork is akin to slaying the giant. The Vikings haven’t shown much offensively, but their defense has proven more than capable of carrying the day.

Chesnee (1-1) at Walhalla (0-1)

Series Record: Chesnee leads the all-time series 7-2.

Last Meeting: Walhalla won 42-30 last season.

Last Week: Chesnee lost to Broome 49-20; Walhalla lost to Woodmont 48-28.

TV/Radio/Internet: upstateprepcast.net

Location: 4701 Hwy. 11, Walhalla

Who to watch for Chesnee: Noah Lawter rushed for 136 yards and two scores last week against Broome.

Who to watch for Walhalla: Junior RB Landon Robinson was a standout for the Razorbacks in last week’s game against Woodmont.

About the Eagles: Chesnee is switching from a wing-based offense to the spread, and has put up some strong offensive numbers so far. If the defense can improve as well, the Eagles could be a handful.

About the Razorbacks: Walhalla fought hard in the season opener, falling short against Woodmont. Linebacker Silas Parish was a huge bright spot for the Razorbacks, with 16 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, and two forced fumbles.

Landrum (1-0) at 1A No. 3 St. Joseph’s (2-0)

Series record: St. Joseph’s leads 5-4 after winning each of the last four meetings. The Knights won 54-13 last season.

Last week: Landrum defeated Berea 36-7; St. Joseph’s won at Blacksburg 57-7

Radio/TV/Internet: Landrum – upstateprepcast.net

Location: St. Joseph’s Catholic School, 100 St Joseph’s Dr, Greenville, SC 29607

Who to watch for Landrum: Colton Link is the Cardinals’ main threat out of the backfield, and he played well in last week’s win over Berea.

Who to watch for St. Joseph’s: RB Brayden Johnson, LB Johnny Jaraczewski, RB William Gillespie

About the Cardinals: Landrum’s first week transitioning from a run-based offense to a spread under new coach Brent Bridges was a success – and a lot of it was on the ground.  Link had more than 200 yards of total offense and scored four touchdowns, the Cardinals rushed for more than 300 as a team, and they ran away from the Bulldogs.

About the Knights: After a 102-mile road trip to Fox Creek in Week Zero and a 55-mile trek to Blacksburg last Friday, St. Joseph’s is set for its home opener. Those long trips certainly haven’t fazed the Knights as they’ve outscored the opposition 99-7 thus far. After three touchdowns in the opener, Johnson ran for three more last Friday as St. Joseph’s took a 50-0 lead into halftime. Johnson finished with 156 yards rushing, while Gillespie ran for 46 yards, a touchdown and also caught a 67-yard touchdown.

Woodruff (1-1) at JL Mann (2-0)

Series record: J.L. Mann won the first-ever meeting between the schools, 21-3, last season.

Last week: Woodruff defeated Fountain Inn 44-6; JL Mann beat Riverside 42-14

Radio/TV/Internet: Woodruff – meridix.com/channel/?liveid=woodruffathletics#/

Location: Slaton Field, 158 Ridge Rd, Greenville, SC 29607

Who to watch for Woodruff: QB TJ Morris has played well for Woodruff in the early going. WRs Kori Moates and Kory Scott both have big-play potential.

Who to watch for JL Mann: QB Ethan Anderson, WR Mikel McClellan, OLB Jacari Bennett

About the Wolverines: Woodruff has shown the ability to put up points in bunches under new coach Brett Sloan. Morris has been the catalyst, making good decisions and playing within the offense. Last week, the Wolverines’ defense improved by a huge leap over Week Zero.

About the Patriots: After losing Anderson midway through the second quarter of a 21-14 game last week, J.L. Mann was able to pull away with three touchdowns in a five-minute span of the second half. McClellan led that flurry with an incredible 18-yard touchdown off a touch pass where it looked like he’d be wrapped up for a loss. McClellan finished with 182 yards receiving, 53 rushing and two touchdowns.