Upper State vs Lower State .........

[trojangrad78]

We, the fans, just love to play the games on a "what if" basis With that said, and acknowledging the always present Upper State vs Lower State rivalry, I think the following games will give everyone a good idea of how things stack up this year.

Byrnes vs Lexington
Perennial power Byrnes against the Midlands Lexington. The Columbia area teams don't get much respect and don't seem to traditionally have many, if any, quality wins. Lexington, Spring Valley, Dutch Fork, North Augusta (pardon throwing y'all in here) all play quality football. They seem to tend to beat up on each other and don't play the "traditional" power teams from Regions 2 & 3 and the Charleston area. They always seem to be an "unknown quantity" going into the playoffs. Byrnes.....is Byrnes.

Summerville vs Boiling Springs
The team that wins, and how they win, will open up discussions on just how good are Summerville/Stratford/Beaufort/South Florence/Goose Creek and the Charleston area in general. Boiling Springs has played the Region 2 schedule and is a defense away from being a very good team. Their offense has shown they can put points on the board, except against Byrnes. The winner of this game, especially in the score is wide spread, will give a good measuring stick for us to "ponder" this coming week.

Goose Creek vs South Pointe
Smashmouth. Slobberknocker. Defense. Defense. Run. Run. Overall, Goose Creek appears to have more offensive size, strength, and talent to tip the scales their way. I think South Pointe will put up a good fight and the game will be close until late in the 3rd or early in the 4th. Then Goose Creek will get the score spread enough put up the W. The South Pointe team that got hammered by Spartanburg early in the year is not the South Pointe team that I expect to show up against Goose Creek. South Pointe comes out of Region 3, so the outcome of this game can also be used as a measuring stick for how good Goose Creek and Northwestern should stack up against each other.

It is shaping up to be another awesome Friday night of SC high school football!

[Penguin]

Each and every game from the second round on, are traditionally, great games. This is the time when quality teams from every part of the state, get to showcase their talents against other teams whom they may have not seen, nor played, for a while. While there are a couple of rematch games in DII, the fact that all teams involved have gotten to the second round indicates to me, that I should look forward to a much higher caliber of performance this time around. The winners may not change, but the game plans surely will.

The Hillcrest vs Sumter game is one that intrigues me. Hillcrest, at home, seems to be for real, and Sumter seems to have gotten it's act together after a rocky start.

The other game with a ton of unknowns, is the Beaufort at North Augusta game. Talk about two schools that play in anonymity......... geography does play a factor in that. With only one meeting in history, a 1961 Class 2A playoff game, there is not any animosity built up against each other over the years. This game will surely come down to X's and O's........schemes against schemes, and coach against coach. This game seems to be a mismatch on paper, but Beaufort may perhaps be the biggest surprise for anyone having to play them this year. Lots of changes from the same old, same old, of years past.

Hopefully everyone has a great time and gets to see a great game on Friday....win or lose, your team, or your rival.

[DeCav]

You have any thoughts on SP vs GC Penguin?

That's the game I'm gonna watch Friday. What's in store?

[GoBigGreen]

...
Summerville vs Boiling Springs
The team that wins, and how they win, will open up discussions on just how good are Summerville/Stratford/Beaufort/South Florence/Goose Creek and the Charleston area in general. Boiling Springs has played the Region 2 schedule and is a defense away from being a very good team. Their offense has shown they can put points on the board, except against Byrnes. The winner of this game, especially in the score is wide spread, will give a good measuring stick for us to "ponder" this coming week.
...

BS put 34 points on the board against Byrnes which is pretty respectable. Now granted they gave up 63 points in that game as well. Their offensive numbers overall are very impressive. Needless to say, I am concerned but also excited for Friday. Looks like there are many Intriguing games around the state this Friday.

[trojangrad78]

...
Summerville vs Boiling Springs
The team that wins, and how they win, will open up discussions on just how good are Summerville/Stratford/Beaufort/South Florence/Goose Creek and the Charleston area in general. Boiling Springs has played the Region 2 schedule and is a defense away from being a very good team. Their offense has shown they can put points on the board, except against Byrnes. The winner of this game, especially in the score is wide spread, will give a good measuring stick for us to "ponder" this coming week.
...

BS put 34 points on the board against Byrnes which is pretty respectable. Now granted they gave up 63 points in that game as well. Their offensive numbers overall are very impressive. Needless to say, I am concerned but also excited for Friday. Looks like there are many Intriguing games around the state this Friday.

You, sir, are most correct on the Boiling Springs score. I looked at my notes and I must have had Spartanburg's score (3) on the brain. grrrrrrrrr I hate making careless mistakes like that!!! I am pulling for Boiling Springs, but I think Summerville will win because Boiling Springs just cannot keep their opponents out of the end zone. It certainly does not give any indication of being a 10-7 game!!!

[MeL*KiPeR]

Must be taken into account that Byrnes was well ahead in that game. Final Scores can't really be compared when blowouts are involved. Intensity level decreases naturally and not to mention the subs being made.

I believe BS scored 17 on Byrnes when the game was truly on the line.

[Penguin]

You have any thoughts on SP vs GC Penguin?

That's the game I'm gonna watch Friday. What's in store?

Well, I have gone on record picking South Pointe. I have watched the Taters play many times this year, and although their offense is as good, or better, than in the past few years, their defense is what I would call.......a mess. Any team that has the ability to throw and catch the ball will give them fits. Stratford could have, and in my view, should have, beaten the Taters in week 11. Their WRs had a terrible day receiving the ball. Drops all over the place.

Now, take a team like South Pointe, who can control the game with their offense, eating clock, and keeping the Tater offense on the sidelines, and you have the very type of team that is most likely to be successful against them. My biggest concern for the Stallions is the fact that they are playing their #2 QB. I know that he has played in quite a few games now, but he was not good enough to beat out the starter when both were healthy. As for the game itself, I look for a 31-28 sort of game. Some scoring, but not at will as the Taters have grown accustomed to.

To be honest about it, I see the Taters matching up much better against Northwestern than against South Pointe. Goose Creek is good enough to win it all, but not without some good fortune going their way. Matchups of styles are very interesting this time of the year. What works all season long may not be what you need to win a crucial game. I think that this applies well to Goose Creek this week. They will need a few wrinkles to come out on top.........and they are capable. If I was South Pointe, I would just wrap em up right, lace em' up tight, and start hitting hard as soon as you get off the bus. Goose Creek does not like to play against physical teams. They like to be the bullies.

Yes, definitely an interesting game for you to see. I'll send you a PM with my number so that we can exchange scores. I am going to go to the Beaufort/NA game.

[abdullahthebutcher]

South Pointe will definitely be physical. Zeek and destroy is healthy and looking like the player who had 60 tackles in the backfield last year. Burris has established himself at QB, and the O is as good as it's been all year.

[wave 80]

Must be taken into account that Byrnes was well ahead in that game. Final Scores can't really be compared when blowouts are involved. Intensity level decreases naturally and not to mention the subs being made.

I believe BS scored 17 on Byrnes when the game was truly on the line.

When you look at the highlights on Boiling Springs they returned a kick off for a score in the Byrnes game also.

Also on offense they look a lot like Wando. They use a lot of 4 or 5 wides with a 6-6 receiver and a couple of back's with good speed when they get in the open. A good size O-line and the QB likes to throw on the run.
Defense has a couple good size linemen but they give up a lot of big plays and the secondary looks really suspect.
The Wave O-line will be the key for the Wave Along with #91 Cox on defense. If Cox plays a Stratford type game then the Wave will move on to the next round.

[OLDFART51]

Must be taken into account that Byrnes was well ahead in that game. Final Scores can't really be compared when blowouts are involved. Intensity level decreases naturally and not to mention the subs being made.

I believe BS scored 17 on Byrnes when the game was truly on the line.

First I don't know where the 17 points come from. I know the reserves for Byrnes scored the last TD on Boiling Springs reserves with less than three minutes left in the game. I know this, because Bentley didn't come out of the game, until 3:02 left in the game.