Week 1 Preview Capsules: Spartanburg Area

5A No. 1 Dutch Fork (0-0) at 5A No. 10 Spartanburg (1-0)

Series record: Dutch Fork leads the all-time series 4-1

Last year: Spartanburg beat South Pointe 26-25; Dutch Fork was idle

Radio/TV/Internet: Fox Sports Spartanburg 1400 AM/98.3 FM 

Location: Doc Davis Field at Viking Stadium, 2250 E Main St., Spartanburg

Who to watch for Spartanburg: LB Cam’Rich Smith, WR Justin Rice, OL John Hammond

Who to watch for Dutch Fork: DL Josh Smith, QB Ethan Offing

What to know: Spartanburg leaned heavily on kicker Will Love last week, and he came through in a big way, booting two school-record field goals as well as calmly knocking in the game-winner. The two-time defending 5A champion Silver Foxes will be looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Vikings. Offing should be back at 100 percent to lead the offense, and Smith and the defense are an incredibly stingy unit.

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5A No. 2 Gaffney (0-0) at 5A No. 6 J.L. Mann (1-0)

Series record: Gaffney leads 1-0 thanks to a 42-7 win in the 2022 Class 5A playoffs.

Last week: Mann won at Midland Valley 56-0; Gaffney went 9-4 last season.

Radio/TV/Internet: Gaffney – WZZQ 104.3 FM/1500 AM

Location: Slaton Field, 158 Ridge Rd, Greenville

Who to watch for Mann: RB LaDainnian Martin, DB Ramani Bruton, LB Wyatt Ward

Who to watch for Gaffney: RB Jaiden McDowell, WR Jamarcus Smith, QB Jayvon Gilmore

What to know: Gaffney was scheduled to open the season at home last Friday against Crest (N.C.), but that game was canceled. Crest chose not to make the return trip after beating the Indians at home in a 44-38 thriller to open last season.

Gaffney and Mann nearly met in the playoffs for the second consecutive season last year, but both were eliminated by Class 5A state champion Dutch Fork. The Indians lost in round three and a week later the Patriots fell in the Upper State championship. Gaffney has lost three games in Greenville County since 1976: at Wade Hampton in 2012, at Greenville in 2007 and at Carolina in 1986.

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Byrnes (0-1) at 5A No. 5 Irmo (1-0)

Series Record: Byrnes won the only previous meeting between the teams in the 2004 4A Division II championship

Last week: Byrnes lost to T.L. Hanna 19-13; Irmo beat Oceanside Collegiate 35-7

Radio/TV/Internet: The Fan Upstate 97.1/97.7 FM

Location: W.C. Hawkins Stadium, 6671 St. Andrews Rd., Columbia

Who to watch for Byrnes: RB Tre Segarra, DL Jaidyn Ferguson

Who to watch for Irmo: QB AJ Brand, RB Amire White

What to know: Byrnes weathered a game without much contribution from Segarra, who was nursing an injury, and still had a chance at the end as a pass to win it fell incomplete. This week, they’ll get one of the state’s best dual-threat QBs in Brand, who accounted for 300 yards of offense in Week Zero.

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3A No. 6 Mountain View Prep (1-0) at Southside Christian (0-1)

Series record: This is the first meeting between the schools.

Last week: MVP beat Atlantic Collegiate 69-0; Southside Christian lost to Abbeville 41-7

TV/Internet/Radio: None

Location: Southside Christian School, 2211 Woodruff Rd., Simpsonville

Who to watch for MVP: RB Jaylen McGill, WR KD Hainsworth, DL Allen Edmondson

Who to watch for SSC: DT Shy Moore, DT Jeremiah Jackson

What to know: MVP couldn’t have asked for much better of a start last week. They scored on their first-ever offensive play, had a tackle for loss on their first-ever defensive play, and thoroughly dominated Atlantic Collegiate Academy in the first-ever contest for each team. Southside Christian ran into a buzzsaw in perennial power Abbeville, now making a mark in 1A.

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3A No. 7 Woodruff (1-0) at Fountain Inn (1-0)

Series record: Woodruff has won both previous meetings between the teams.

Last week: Woodruff beat Clinton 40-36; Fountain Inn beat Liberty 42-34

Radio/TV/Internet: Woodruff Wolverine Network (meridix.com)

Location: Fountain Inn Stadium 644 Quillen Ave., Fountain Inn

Who to watch for Woodruff: QB T.J. Morris, WR Kori Moates, RB Aiden Gibson

Who to watch for Fountain Inn: QB Sam Holliday, RB Bojack Johnson, LB Xeviel Gonzalez

What to know: Both the Fury and the Wolverines got into shootouts last week, and both came out on the good end of the scoreboard. Woodruff’s huge win over rival Clinton was marked by strong play by Morris and Gibson. Fountain Inn got another good performance by Holliday, one of the best dual-threat sophomore QBs in the state.

St. Joseph’s (1-0) at 3A No. 9 Chapman (0-1)

Series record: This is the first meeting between the programs.

Last year:  Chapman lost to Daniel 41-21; St. Joseph’s beat Cardinal Newman 40-30.

Radio/TV/Internet: upstateprepcast.net

Location: Panther Stadium, 1420 Compton Bridge Rd., Inman

Who to watch for Chapman: RB/LB Chanson Mickles, DE/TE Khamari Turner

Who to watch for St. Joseph’s: K/LB/RB William Gillespie

What to know: There might not be a more ambitious pre-region schedule than Chapman’s, and the Panthers continue this week against last year’s 1A Upper State finalists in the Knights. Chanson Mickles and Khamari Turner both showed their versatility with monster games on both sides of the ball last week, but across the field is Gillespie, who gave the word a new meaning. He made and recovered an onside kick to start the second half and spark a comeback, and he ended up with 190 yards, four touchdowns, and nine tackles.

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Mauldin (0-1) at Boiling Springs (0-1)

Series record: Boiling Springs leads the series 28-17.

Last week: Boiling Springs beat Greer 43-0; Mauldin lost to Riverside 39-20

Radio/TV/Internet: upstateprepcast.net (Boiling Springs)

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

Who to watch for Boiling Springs: QB Lincoln Huskey, DL Dennis Glenn, ATH Jeremiah Favorite

Who to watch for Greer: RB Nemo Floyd, OL Trey Moon

What to know: Huskey served notice that he might be the best QB in Region II-5A with a monster game against a good Greer defense last week.

The Mavericks showed some improvement offensively, with Floyd running for two TDs.

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Dorman (1-0) at Grayson (Ga.) (1-0)

Series record: This is the first meeting between the teams.

Last season: Dorman beat Greenville 42-35; Grayson beat Thompson (AL) 15-14

Radio/TV/Internet: WQUL 101.7 FM (Dorman)

Location: 50 Hope Hollow Rd., Loganville, Ga.

Who to watch for Grayson: DE Andre Fuller, LB Tyler Atkinson

Who to watch for Dorman: LB Dru Darby, LB Kentavion Anderson, RB Nick Means

What to know: Dorman got a good win over Greenville last week, leading big early and rallying late. QBs Brice O’Neal and Makorean Anderson both played well for the Cavaliers, as the offense rolled up nearly 400 yards. Grayson won a thriller of their own, rallying to knock off Thompson. The Rams are LOADED, with a dozen college prospects leading the way.

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Broome (0-1) at Chesnee (0-1)

Series record: Broome leads the series 21-8-2

Last year: Broome lost to Belton-Honea Path 45-14; Chesnee lost to Pendleton 47-21

TV/Internet/Radio: upstateprepcast.net (Chesnee); Cox Sports Broadcasting (Broome)

Location: Eagle Stadium, 795 S. Alabama Ave., Chesnee

Who to watch for Chesnee: ATH Kjay Proctor, RB Kale Thrift

Who to watch for Broome: ATH Tre’Sean Suber, RB Tyqwon Booker

What to know: Both teams had their hands full with Top-10 opponents last week, as Broome ran into a buzzsaw in BHP and Chesnee couldn’t contain Pendleton’s Jace Grass-to-Abijah Webb connection. This week marks an early rivalry game in the area, and both will be looking to bounce back with a win.

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Landrum (0-1) at Berea (0-0)

Series record: Landrum leads the series 3-2.

Last week: Landrum lost to Walhalla 20-14; Berea was idle.

Radio/TV/Internet: upstateprepcast.net

Location: 201 Burdine Drive, Greenville

Who to watch for Landrum: ATH Titus Poore, QB Ty Foster

Who to watch for Walhalla: QB Amazay Robinson

What to know: The Cardinals showed a different look on offense with Foster at the controls and Poore running around making plays. They’ll benefit from having both on the field at the same time. For the Bulldogs, Robinson begins the final year of a career that started with a 500-yard game as a freshman, and has seen him become a leader for the program.