Friday's Fab Five -- Games to Watch in the Palmetto State Week One

1. Fairfield Central at Blythewood -- After surviving in its season opener vs. South Florence, Blythewood takes on its nearby rivals from Winnsboro, the Griffins. Bengals running back and South Carolina commit Brandon Wilds was held to 38 yards on the ground last Friday, something Fairfield Central middle linebacker Ralph Cooper hopes continues in this meeting between ranked squads in classes 3A and 4A.
Last season’s game was decided by two points; expect more of the same in this one. -- PREDICTION: Blythewood 24, Fairfield Central 19

2. Irmo at Goose Creek -- One thing is for sure: Irmo is committed to running the football. Expect the Yellow Jackets to attempt to do in hope the move will keep its young defense off the field against an explosive Goose Creek team returning eight starters from a unit which averaged nearly 31 points per game in 2009. The Gators are also young on the defensive side of the ball, yet head coach Chuck Reedy believes the unit is “bigger, stronger, and faster -- just young.” -- PREDICTION: Goose Creek 34, Irmo 24

3. Chesterfield at Timmonsville -- The drive for a fourth consecutive Class A title for Chesterfield begins with it matching up against fellow powerhouse in the classification in the Whirlwinds. A new cast will be required to complete the task, with five offensive and four defensive starters back to defend the crown. But the Golden Rams are set at quarterback, returning quarterback Seth Truesdale to engineer the team’s spread offense. Timmonsville returns 15 starters from last season‘s 3-9 team, particularly in the defensive backfield which is led by Donald Young, who intercepted six balls in 2009. -- PREDICTION: Chesterfield 31, Timmonsville 14

4. Stratford at Berkeley -- Lowcountry rivals meet in an early season matchup as Berkeley begins its quest to winning consecutive state title in different classifications. Expect to see a heavy dose of the Stags’ running game in this affair, returning an experienced offensive line and running backs to test a veteran Stratford defense. The Knights will also attempt to utilize its ground game, running Devin Washington and Ryan Barnwell. The question: can Stratford move the ball on a strong Berkeley defense? I think not. -- PREDICTION: Berkeley 38, Straford 21

5. Aiken at Silver Bluff -- Aiken hopes to gain a measure of revenge against the rival Bulldogs Friday in one of the state’s better interclassification rivalries. Silver Bluff outlasted its rivals in five overtimes last season, propelling the team to a 9-3 finish and a playoff berth. Meanwhile, the loss sent the Hornets into a tailspin, finishing 4-8 in 2009. No doubt, this contest should be close, typical of this series in recent years. -- PREDICTION: Aiken 17, Silver Bluff 14