Week 9 Power Scores Analysis

Another week of data, another week of breaking down the most interesting points of contention. 

As we approach the Week 9 games across the Palmetto State, the Prep RedZone Power Scores have given us a continued look at how our algorithm ranks all 248 varsity football teams in the SCHSL and SCISA ranks. The quirks are being ironed out over time, and the longer we go, the more true this data appears to be. 

Let's get right into some of the biggest team-based storylines.

(Editor's Note: The PRZ Power Scores are available to all, regardless of subscription status. You can explore the rankings system here.)

CURRENT TOP 10

1. Irmo - 97.08, 8-0

2. Indian Land - 95.25, 8-0

3. Northwestern - 94.92, 8-1

4. James Island - 93.74, 7-1

5. Loris - 93.65, 8-0

6. Dutch Fork - 93.65, 6-1

7. Greenwood - 93.32, 7-1

8. Carolina Forest - 93.3, 7-1

9. South Pointe - 93.16, 7-1

10. South Florence - 92.91, 7-1

Irmo (White Knoll), Indian Land (Clover) and Northwestern (Rock Hill) all bumped up after earning quality wins. Each of those three schools stayed in their same respective positions, but gained some ground in terms of their individual scores. 

James Island bumped up after beating Fort Dorchester 48-7, allowing the Trojans to leapfrog Loris. The Lions thumped Georgetown 63-12, but the victory over a winless squad actually dropped Loris by .17 points.

That, in turn, pushed Dutch Fork into a statistical tie for No. 5 overall after the Silver Foxes beat Lexington 49-0.

WORTH THE WEIGHT 

As we're seeing more and more as the season progresses, schools with stronger opponents are reaping the rewards in our Power Scores algorithm. 

In fact, of the nine currently undefeated teams, all of them reside inside the Top 40 overall of the Power Scores, regardless of class. However, only three of them are inside the Top 10 and only six of them are inside the Top 20. Class A programs Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Ware Shoals and Carvers Bay are all essentially being dinged for their competition level, if for no other reason that they're mostly playing other Class A teams in 2025.

Here's a look at the remainder of the undefeated teams and their overall standing.

No. 12 Belton-Honea Path - 92.77, 8-0

No. 15 Newberry - 91.77, 8-0

No. 20 Orangeburg-Wilkinson - 90.98, 8-0

No. 21 Bamberg-Ehrhardt - 90.53, 8-0

No. 26 Ware Shoals - 90.19, 8-0 

No. 37 Carvers Bay - 88.28, 9-0

ON DECK

Two games in particular this week are going to have major implications for the overall look of the Power Scores.

In Class 2A, Timberland (No. 59, 85.74) will travel to Philip Simmons (No. 63, 85.51). That game will give the winner front-runner status to earn the Region VI-2A crown, but will also add a significant boost for that team's Power Score as it will be considered a quality win for whomever exits the stadium on top.

Similarly, Ashley Ridge (No. 44, 87.19) can do as much damage as it did a week ago (lopsided win over Summerville) by repeating the act this weekend at No. 4 James Island. An Ashley Ridge victory all but assures the Swamp Foxes of the top seed out of the region for the playoffs, while a Trojans' victory would create a three-way tie between those two teams and Summerville that will need to be broken by 1. Point Differential or 2. The SCHSL RPI system. 

Should that RPI come into play, the order of teams in that system is the same as the one utilized by Prep RedZone (James Island, Summerville, Ashley Ridge).