Non-Region Games We Can’t Wait To See: Cherokee and Spartanburg

Non-Region Games We Can&#8217;t Wait To See: Cherokee and Spartanburg

Jed Blackwell February 26, 2022 @ 07:50 AM

Realignment and the shuffling of scheduling has led to a number of huge non-region games that will produce plenty of interest in the Palmetto State. Here's a look at some early non-region contests that we're already excited to see. Greenville at Dorman Dorman’s first game since 1992 without Dave Gutshall on the sidelines will be a test. The Dustin Curtis era gets underway with a visit from a deep and talented Greenville team led by [player_tooltip player_id="163871" first="Mazeo" last="Bennett Jr"] (pictured), who turned in more than 1,000 all-purpose yards last season, and 661 receiving yards on just 25 catches. The Cavaliers have plenty to work with on the offensive side of the ball, and it all starts up front with highly-regarded [player_tooltip player_id="202774" first="DJ" last="Geth"] and [player_tooltip player_id="91355" first="Markee" last="Anderson"], two of the top offensive linemen in the 2023 class and legit Division I targets. Chapman at Byrnes This one was a lot of fun last year, with the Rebels notching a late interception and score to decide it. The player who grabbed the takeaway, [player_tooltip player_id="262613" first="Mack" last="Long"], returns after an injury and is expected to lead Byrnes. He’s already got the program’s single-game rushing record. [player_tooltip player_id="267455" first="Knai" last="Cook"] and [player_tooltip player_id="262636" first="Kyai" last="Cook"] will be crucial players for the Rebels, as will [player_tooltip player_id="204428" first="Miquel" last="Dingle"]. Chapman will have to replace a ton of talented seniors, but have a bunch of solid building blocks. One of those is DL [player_tooltip player_id="146361" first="Abraham" last="Fyffe"], who’s an absolute monster in the middle. Gaffney at South Pointe The state’s defending Class 4A and Class 5A champions will kick off the 2022 season in a gigantic matchup in Rock Hill. There’s a marquee matchup right off the bat in the game itself, as the Stallions stout defense, led by [player_tooltip player_id="91357" first="DJ" last="Barksdale II"] and [player_tooltip player_id="146375" first="Jonathan" last="Williams"], will attempt to shut down Gaffney QB [player_tooltip player_id="89340" first="Grayson" last="Loftis"], a Duke commit who threw for more than 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago. Dutch Fork at Spartanburg The Silver Foxes are trying to do something they haven’t found necessary in quite a while - bounce back from a loss. This time, though, they’ll have had an entire offseason to deal with it, and they’ll be reloaded. The Foxes will be led by RB [player_tooltip player_id="91136" first="Jarvis" last="Green"] and LB [player_tooltip player_id="262550" first="Landon" last="Danley"], and will have plenty of firepower. The Vikings will counter with West Virginia commit [player_tooltip player_id="89339" first="Raheim" last="Jeter"] and rugged RB Drek Carter. Both missed varying amounts of time last season, but still put up solid numbers and will be counted on to lead Spartanburg this season.