Power Scores Analysis – Week 8

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep RedZone Power Rankings are based on a formula that takes into account win percentage, point differential, strength of schedule and the strength of each team's classification.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Does the algorithm have quirks? You bet. Even numerically, the sheer amount of data being pumped into the system won't be a perfect representation of talent, nor is a pure prediction conduit for what can happen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every week, we see games affected by missing players, weather, travel schedules, and on and on and on. Still, we love most of what the algorithm provides.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A much clearer picture of the state's football scene as a whole.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From top to bottom, the PRZ Power Scores illuminate everything that has happened to this point in a numerical value that opens the lens even wider than simply regions or even classes. Let's break down the Power Scores and some of the most noticeable story lines as we run head first into Week 8.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Our Top 5</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Irmo - 7-0, 96.54&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. Indian Land - 7-0, 94.59</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3. Northwestern - 7-1, 94.44</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4. Loris - 7-0, 93.82</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5. James Island - 6-1, 92.84</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Programs Significantly Better Than Their Number</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ridge View</strong> - 5-2, 90.02 (No. 24) - The Blazers took two early lumps to Northwestern (currently No. 3 in our Power Score) and Dutch Fork (No. 14). And the fact that those two losses came by seven points each while Ridge View was acclimating to injures from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='840548' first='Tre' last='Howard']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1172363' first='Khristian' last='Jackson']</strong> can't be oversold. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1350429' first='Ashton' last='Chapman']</strong> has played well in place of Howard at quarterback and has already thrown for just shy of 800 yards, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1149057' first='Spencer' last='Bobian']</strong> is fast-approaching 1,000 yards on the ground and the defense led by <strong>Markeith Thomas</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1537475' first='D'Juan' last='Franklin']</strong> has been downright dominant the last month.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Oceanside Collegiate Academy</strong> - 6-2, 89.63 (No. 28) - Some of the anti-charter sentiment hasn't exactly help Oceanside when it comes to scheduling, but the brutal non-region slate the Landsharks were faced with has also done to make sure the squad it ready for the playoffs. Nothing we've seen from the likes of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1094944' first='Aiden' last='Manavian']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592182' first='Terence' last='Johnson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823853' first='Anthony' last='Williams']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821532' first='Zakhi' last='Muncey']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1824759' first='Rhys' last='Meredith']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1824235' first='Michael' last='Strickler']</strong> makes us believe Oceanside isn't one of the top two or three teams in the Class 3A Lower State.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hampton County</strong> - 5-3, 83.39 (No. 80) - The Hurricanes' three losses weren't exactly to slouches. Bluffton, Hilton Head and Christ Church (the last of which edged out Hampton County in a close game) are all in bigger classes, and each of them are all but assured of finishing the regular season with a winning record, which won't hurt the Hurricanes' strength of schedule metric. What we've also seen is a heavy dose of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165165' first='Jaylen' last='Singletary']</strong> running wild on nearly every similarly sized opponent. If he and his co-horts can win their final two games, also don't discount the idle on Week 10. The Hurricanes should hit the Class 2A playoffs balancing rest and momentum.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Teams With Real Chance to Climb&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marlboro County</strong> 6-1, 88.48 (No. 37) - The Bulldogs are one of those teams who could absolutely skyrocket up the charts over the next three weeks, as they prepare to play Dillon, Loris and Waccamaw (in that order). Each of those three are positioned inside the top 20 of the Class 3A charts and the top 90 overall. If sophomore dual-threat quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='776240' first='Tre' last='Blakeney']</strong> and Darlington transfer tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592270' first='Troy' last='Hailey']</strong> can keep the sticks moving against those three, it could apply the right type of pressure on the opposing offenses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ware Shoals</strong> 7-0, 89.99/<strong>Dixie</strong> 6-1, 86.75/<strong>Abbeville</strong> 5-2, 84.05 — The three Region I-A teams are all nestled inside the top 10 in the classification, and now the real fun begins. Ware Shoals will play host to Dixie this week, Dixie heads to Abbeville on October 24 and then Abbeville is off to Ware Shoals on Halloween. History tells us the Panthers are the front runner until they aren't, and we're not even sure the regular season will settle much of anything prior to the playoffs. But whomever comes out of the next three weeks on top is going to see their Power Score improve dramatically prior to the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->