Week 0 Midlands Games To Watch
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The calendar still says mid-August, but the start of the high school football season has several intriguing matchups for teams across the Midlands. We will feature three top 10 showdowns, a cross the border battle that has national implications and…
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Continue ReadingThe calendar still says mid-August, but the start of the high school football season has several intriguing matchups for teams across the Midlands. We will feature three top 10 showdowns, a cross the border battle that has national implications and a backyard rivalry game that will be hotly contested.
Here are the best games to keep an eye involving Midlands teams.
Class 5A #2 Dutch Fork vs Hough at Charlotte Memorial Stadium, Thursday, 5 p.m. (Charlotte Memorial Stadium)
You can’t accuse Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts of easing into the season. The Silver Foxes open with one of the top teams in North Carolina, Hough High School.
The Silver Foxes finished runner-up last year to Gaffney, snapping their record five-year stranglehold on the state title. They lost a lot to graduation, but Knox has a habit of reloading, not rebuilding. RB Jarvis Green Jarvis Green 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC returns after accounting for over 2,100 yards of total offense and 36 touchdowns last year. Aliam Appler Aliam Appler 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC will start at QB after being a top reserve last season. The top returning receiver is Jacob Hamilton. Jacob Beasley will anchor a stellar offensive line.
Defensively, Dutch Fork will count on a DL led by AJ Johnson. The LB corps of Chandler Perry Chandler Perry 5'9" | 200 lbs | LB Dutch Fork High | 2023 State SC , Jaylen Hinton Jaylen Hinton 5'11" | 200 lbs | LB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC and John Buetow John Buetow 5'10" | 195 lbs | LB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC is one of the best in the state. Landon Danley Landon Danley 6'2" | 190 lbs | DB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC is a hard-hitting safety that is a budding star.
Hough, who finished 14-1 last season, will be led by UNC commit QB Tad Hudson Tad Hudson 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Hough | 2023 State NC . He accounted for over 2,600 yards last season. His top targets are Markell Quick and Sequan Osborne. The running game is led by Akil Williams Akil Williams 5'8" | 175 lbs | RB Hough | 2023 State NC . Defensively, the Huskies have two talented LBs in Anthony Walker and Garvey Sterling Garvey Sterling 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Hough | 2023 State NC as well as DE Branden Palmer.
Blythewood at Ridge View
To put it frankly, these two neighbors don’t like each other.
Blythewood finished with a disappointing 3-6 record last season that included a 43-7 loss to Ridge View to end the season. Harrison Collins and David Herden are vying to be the starting QB and will have receivers Josh Gary and Deon Tyler to throw too. The Bengals return 10 starters on defense with DL Jabari Collins and Jaylin Ricks leading the way.
The Blazers graduated a lot of talent to college football but does not lack for talent. The trio of Zion Agnew Zion Agnew 5'11" | 160 lbs | WR Ridge View | 2023 State SC , Adonis McDaniel Adonis McDaniel 5'10" | 165 lbs | WR Ridge View | 2023 State SC and Chris Lawson Chris Lawson 6'1" | 175 lbs | WR Ridge View | 2023 State SC is one of the best groups in the state. Donald Tomlin took all the snaps in a shortened preseason jamboree and likely will get the starting nod.
Class 2A #1 Gray Collegiate at Class 2A #3 Oceanside Collegiate
This could be a potential playoff rematch with talent on both sides of the ball.
The War Eagles are the defending Class 2A champions and despite losing a lot, have experienced pieces returning. Riley Staton Riley Staton 6'3" | 185 lbs | QB Gaffney | 2024 State SC started at QB the latter part of the season and he’s untrenched as the top guy this season. He has a strong arm and a talented receiver group led by Devin Johnson, Zai Offord Zai Offord 5'11" | 160 lbs | ATH Gray Collegiate | 2024 State SC and Savion Smith. Elijah Radden and JT Sowell JT Sowell 6'4" | 255 lbs | OL Gray Collegiate | 2024 State SC are anchors up front on both sides of the ball. Caleb Ford Caleb Ford 5'10" | 215 lbs | RB Cardinal Newman | 2025 State SC and BJ Montgomery will share ball-carrying duties. LB Jordan Robinson and DB Blake Croft will lead the defense.
Oceanside Collegiate counters with an equally impressive roster. RB Vaughn Blue Vaughn Blue 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2023 State SC rushed for nearly 1,400 yards last year. Up front, the Landsharks have one of the top prospects in the country in Monroe Freeling Monroe Freeling 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2023 State SC . Cole Strickler Cole Strickler 6'4" | 220 lbs | WR Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2023 State SC is the top returning WR. Defensively, look for DL Timmy Castain and DB Zack Hagedon to carry the load.
Class 4A # 6 Greenwood at Class 4A #4 AC Flora
This is a solid early season test for both teams. Each team will be breaking in new quarterbacks but have highly successful returning running backs. Both are strong defensively as well.
The Eagles have Ve Morton, who rushed for over 1,700 yards, returning at RB and he will also see time on defense. Kaleb Burton is expected to be the new QB and his top targets are expected to be Gaines Adams and Omari McGowan. The defense will be led by Morton and DEs Michael Holloway and Shamar Farrow.
Markel Townsend Markel Townsend 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB AC Flora | 2023 State SC is back at RB for the Falcons and is one of the top backs in the state. Carew Bates Carew Bates 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH AC Flora | 2023 State SC moves from WR to take the QB spot and he’s looked very polished in preseason. The offensive line is anchored by Ben Holmes Ben Holmes 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL AC Flora | 2023 State SC and Kendarius Kinard Kendarius Kinard 6'4" | 300 lbs | OL AC Flora | 2023 State SC . DL Braxton Burton and Andrew Thomas along with LB Mason Little will lead the defense.
Class 4A #9 Myrtle Beach at Class 3A #2 Camden
Myrtle Beach will come halfway across the state with a talented group. The Seahawks do have some injury issues and will likely turn to Wyatt Cannon at QB in the opener. His top targets will be Jake Doty Jake Doty 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Myrtle Beach | 2023 State SC , John Simmons John Simmons 6'3" | 200 lbs | WR Myrtle Beach | 2025 State SC and Kenny Brown. Defensively, LB Shammond Sutton and DB Malachi Washington Malachi Washington 6'2" | 185 lbs | DL SC lead a deep and talented group.
Camden has finished as Class 3A runner-up the last two years and returns the best DL in the state. Xzavier McLeod Xzavier McLeod 6'5" | 320 lbs | DL Camden | 2023 State SC , David Copley David Copley 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Camden | 2023 State SC and Shymeik Jones will cause a lot of team’s problems this season. Grayson White Grayson White 6'0" | 240 lbs | QB Camden | 2024 State SC is back at QB and has a talented group of skill players around him in RB Avery Hickman and WR Cortez Lane Cortez Lane 5'11" | 170 lbs | RB Cardinal Newman | 2024 State SC .