Round Two of the playoffs.
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 8:23 pm
AAAA Division I
#1 Ft Dorchester #8 Summerville
Well, I don't know how much work GoBigGreen does in the work week during football season, but what ever that amount usually would be, cut it by at least half this week. And I am willing to bet that most Summerville folks are in the same boat, other than the coaching staff that is... They wanted this and when the brackets were revealed it was all they could do to focus on week one. Repeat games are always difficult to predict, especially in rivalry games. Three years in a row, the State Championship game was a repeat, twice Dorman-Byrnes and once Byrnes-Gaffney and all three times the game was won by the team who lost in the regular season. Leads me to think Summerville! However, in each case, above, the re-match was at a neutral field... so now we thinking Fort Dorchester. Lot of things working here, should be a great time in Dorchester County this week.
#13 Lexington #5 Hillcrest
CAN HILLCREST GET SOME RESPECT NOW? was the title of a thread over there. The answer, not yet. Maybe even not yet after Friday night! #13 Lexington will not help Hillcrest get the respect they want, even if they beat them pretty soundly. They are the #13 seed after all, so you are supposed to beat them! I can hear it now! To be honest, I think the Rams should get some respect, but until they beat someone that most folks know, I don't think many folks will respect Hillcrest. Now if they make it to Columbia, folks will still say "they had the easy bracket", so it may take winning State.... but then, "well the teams in the other bracket beat each other up and had nothing left for the final game"! Sorry, Rams, I'm guessing you will still be asking that even if you win it all.....
#2 Dutch Fork #10 Dorman
Dutch Fork got what they wanted, a chance to play Dorman again. Most folks that know me know that I don't have a lot of love for Dorman, respect, yes, love NO! But after what I've seen, Dutch Fork might want Dorman today, but they may not be saying that Friday night. Dorman is possibly the most complete team I saw all season. Solid on all aspects of the game, special teams to offense and defense and I'll be perfectly honest, I thought they should have beaten us. Now I'm taking nothing away from Dutch Fork, but they surely didn't look unbeatable for the most part of the season and I expect this one to be close and very hard fought game.
#3 Byrnes #6 Northwestern
These two started the year together, and now, one's season will end because of the other. Northwestern did not get off to a good start Friday, but once they woke up, they lit it up! I'm guessing the Week 11 thing was just a team that had nothing to play for.... Region was all wrapped up, seeding was set, etc... so they just didn't focus on Gaffney. Some how, I don't see that being an issue this week. I think they will be focused and ready! The Rebels need to be inspired and ready to go at game time. They need to play one of the best first half's they have played all year and not start the game flat. I'll be there, as usual, ready for a great game and that is just what I expect.
AAAA Division II
#16 River Bluff #9 York
Yeah, who had this match up? NO ONE! York thought they had played their final home game, but they get one more. I'm going out on a limb here and say River Bluff may have used up all the magic last week, but as I said in another thread, that is why we let them play. As best as I can remember, they are the first #16 seed to beat the #1 seed so they are on bonus time and could be playing like a team with nothing to lose.
#4 Westwood #5 Greenwood
Maybe the best team that no one knows anything about, Westwood. 11-1 and I cannot tell you anything about them! Nada. Zip, Zilch. Greenwood started 1-4 but look at the five teams they played! Dutch Fork, Dorman, Northwestern, Spartanburg, and Hillcrest all still playing football folks!!! If your team is out, this may be a good choice for you to attend Friday night!
#2 South Florence #7 North Augusta
I'll let SF Band Dad take this one...
#3 Stratford #6 Spartanburg
Spartanburg wants respect! Here is your chance. Go down to the lower state and come back with a win and you will have earned some respect. I would expect this to be a 42-40 kind of game. Both teams have the ability to put points on the board and while Chris Miller is a defensive coach, I don't know that they can put together the kind of "D" to shut down Stratford.
All in all, we've got some good match ups, so if your team is not playing Friday, there are some good alternatives for you if you are still in the football mode!
#1 Ft Dorchester #8 Summerville
Well, I don't know how much work GoBigGreen does in the work week during football season, but what ever that amount usually would be, cut it by at least half this week. And I am willing to bet that most Summerville folks are in the same boat, other than the coaching staff that is... They wanted this and when the brackets were revealed it was all they could do to focus on week one. Repeat games are always difficult to predict, especially in rivalry games. Three years in a row, the State Championship game was a repeat, twice Dorman-Byrnes and once Byrnes-Gaffney and all three times the game was won by the team who lost in the regular season. Leads me to think Summerville! However, in each case, above, the re-match was at a neutral field... so now we thinking Fort Dorchester. Lot of things working here, should be a great time in Dorchester County this week.
#13 Lexington #5 Hillcrest
CAN HILLCREST GET SOME RESPECT NOW? was the title of a thread over there. The answer, not yet. Maybe even not yet after Friday night! #13 Lexington will not help Hillcrest get the respect they want, even if they beat them pretty soundly. They are the #13 seed after all, so you are supposed to beat them! I can hear it now! To be honest, I think the Rams should get some respect, but until they beat someone that most folks know, I don't think many folks will respect Hillcrest. Now if they make it to Columbia, folks will still say "they had the easy bracket", so it may take winning State.... but then, "well the teams in the other bracket beat each other up and had nothing left for the final game"! Sorry, Rams, I'm guessing you will still be asking that even if you win it all.....
#2 Dutch Fork #10 Dorman
Dutch Fork got what they wanted, a chance to play Dorman again. Most folks that know me know that I don't have a lot of love for Dorman, respect, yes, love NO! But after what I've seen, Dutch Fork might want Dorman today, but they may not be saying that Friday night. Dorman is possibly the most complete team I saw all season. Solid on all aspects of the game, special teams to offense and defense and I'll be perfectly honest, I thought they should have beaten us. Now I'm taking nothing away from Dutch Fork, but they surely didn't look unbeatable for the most part of the season and I expect this one to be close and very hard fought game.
#3 Byrnes #6 Northwestern
These two started the year together, and now, one's season will end because of the other. Northwestern did not get off to a good start Friday, but once they woke up, they lit it up! I'm guessing the Week 11 thing was just a team that had nothing to play for.... Region was all wrapped up, seeding was set, etc... so they just didn't focus on Gaffney. Some how, I don't see that being an issue this week. I think they will be focused and ready! The Rebels need to be inspired and ready to go at game time. They need to play one of the best first half's they have played all year and not start the game flat. I'll be there, as usual, ready for a great game and that is just what I expect.
AAAA Division II
#16 River Bluff #9 York
Yeah, who had this match up? NO ONE! York thought they had played their final home game, but they get one more. I'm going out on a limb here and say River Bluff may have used up all the magic last week, but as I said in another thread, that is why we let them play. As best as I can remember, they are the first #16 seed to beat the #1 seed so they are on bonus time and could be playing like a team with nothing to lose.
#4 Westwood #5 Greenwood
Maybe the best team that no one knows anything about, Westwood. 11-1 and I cannot tell you anything about them! Nada. Zip, Zilch. Greenwood started 1-4 but look at the five teams they played! Dutch Fork, Dorman, Northwestern, Spartanburg, and Hillcrest all still playing football folks!!! If your team is out, this may be a good choice for you to attend Friday night!
#2 South Florence #7 North Augusta
I'll let SF Band Dad take this one...
#3 Stratford #6 Spartanburg
Spartanburg wants respect! Here is your chance. Go down to the lower state and come back with a win and you will have earned some respect. I would expect this to be a 42-40 kind of game. Both teams have the ability to put points on the board and while Chris Miller is a defensive coach, I don't know that they can put together the kind of "D" to shut down Stratford.
All in all, we've got some good match ups, so if your team is not playing Friday, there are some good alternatives for you if you are still in the football mode!