Storylines for Week 10 in the Palmetto State — Trick or Treat weekend

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Northwestern players celebrate after a touchdown during a game against rival South Pointe earlier this season. The Trojans face quite the test Friday night as they host region foe Gaffney.

Class 4A
WEEK 10 STORYLINES:
— Is Byrnes still the beast of the Upstate?— Of course, Dorman will have a say in that, the winner of Friday's contest earning a 3-2 edge in the Spartanburg County rivals' last five meetings. This is the first match-up between the two since the Cavaliers dethroned the hated Rebels 28-17 last December in the state title game.
Byrnes has been a bit down this year and though Dorman is respected nationally needs a dominant showing in front of a national audience to prove analysts right for their lofty rating.
— Which defense will blink first — Gaffney or Northwestern?— Two of the state's most prolific offenses, this game is sure to be fun. Last year, the Trojans were able to leave The Reservation with a 23-20 victory and a region title to boot.
Fast forward a year later and the stakes are relatively the same, except for the venue — this year's contest taking place at Rock Hill's District Three Stadium.
—Clash of the Lowcountry Titans: Summerville at Beaufort—This region of the state has seemingly been dominated by the Green Wave for ages, and not to anyone's surprise the team has dominated headlines near in the Palmetto State's Lowcountry again this year. However, Beaufort has the opportunity to seize some of those lines with a win at home Friday night over Summerville, which hopes to add a healthy DeAngelo Henderson to its running game this week following a knee injury.

Class 3A
REGION CHAMPIONS: Belton-Honea Path (I-3A), Greenville (II-3A), Union County (III-3A), South Pointe (IV-3A), Hartsville (VI-3A), Myrtle Beach (VIII-3A)
WEEK 10 STORYLINES:
—Will anyone claim Region V-3A?— It will likely take a tiebreaker to decide the champion of this conference, as A.C. Flora, Airport and Midland Valley have shared losses amongst themselves while dominating the region's bottom feeders. Each team should be favored in its week 10 contest, hosting the likes of Dreher, Brookland-Cayce and Lower Richland.
—Can Berkeley win a region title in its first year in Class 3A?— The transition to Class 3A will be complete with a win vs. Cane Bay Friday night for the Stags, which have overcome its share of highs and lows in 2010. Last week, Berkeley survived against Bluffton to give itself the inside track to the Region VII-3A title.
A loss by the Stags opens the door back up for the Bobcats, who are hoping the state's tiebreaker rule comes back in its favor.
— How will Region III-3A shake out?— Other than Union County which has assured itself of a conference title, the last three spots in Region III-3A have yet to be determined. It seemed following a win over defending champion Clinton that Greer was poised to assume the conference's second position, but a shocking loss to Blue Ridge put it in a position where it must win at Chapin or possibly wind up at home for the postseason.
The Red Devils have the inside track to the playoffs, however, simply needing to defeat Chapman (2-7) to punch their ticket.

Class 2A
REGION CHAMPIONS: Woodruff (II-2A), Silver Bluff (V-2A), Timberland (VII-2A), Dillon (VIII-2A)
WEEK 10 STORYLINES:
—Can Palmetto flex its muscle in the Upstate by claiming the Region I-2A title?— No doubt, the Mustangs have at points this season seemed to be living a charmed life, escaping tough contests against the likes of Carolina and Chesnee, each time by five points. However, region for Pendleton has ruled the series of late, winning each of the teams' last five meetings, including a 30-23 win in 2008.
A victory by the Bulldogs creates a logjam atop Region I-2A, prompting league tiebreaker rules to come into effect should Chesnee handle business at Carolina.
— Will Batesburg-Lessville ride an eight game winning streak into the playoffs?— There is no doubt the Panthers will make yet another trip to the postseason, assuring itself no worse than a second place finish in Region III-2A. But B-L is a program defined by conference and state titles, so clearly the goal is to defeat Strom Thurmond on Friday night.
The Rebels have more at stake, however, as a loss could sink them to third place in conference play, likely putting the team on the road throughout the Class 2A playoffs.
—Woodland, Hanahan to meet with Region VI-2A on the line—Few teams have been able to shut down the Wolverines' attack, which has averaged 44 points a game while completely shutting down opposing offenses to the tune of 9 points per contest. Defeating such a dominant squad is the task of Hanahan's Charlie Patterson, whose team has played well aside from losses to Cane Bay and Berkeley.

Class A
REGION CHAMPIONS: Abbeville (I-A), Williston-Elko (IV-A), Bamberg-Ehrhardt (V-A)
WEEK 10 STORYLINES:
— Can Christ Church lock down one of the Upstate's top seeds?— The Cavaliers have been mighty dominant this year, scoring no less than 35 points in a game this season. Up next for them is region foe Landrum and the two squads' seemingly perennial conference title game.
Taking on the Cardinals following a tough, hard fought win over Blacksburg may be good for Christ Church, which needs all the home dates it can in order to assure itself of a long trip through the Class A playoffs — particularly with the titans of the classification fighting amongst themselves for supremacy in the Lower State.
— Will Chesterfield earn itself a region title? —Following a midseason that saw the Rams lose three consecutive games, the possibility of having a chance to win another conference crown seemed like it was not in reach. However, riding the wings of a four game winning streak, Chesterfield is on the brink of another region championship.
McBee is no slouch though, and should make things a bit tough for the Rams among Chesterfield County rivals.
— Is Hemingway really that good?— In my opinion, yes they are. Disposing of region rival Johnsonville and only allowing teams a total of 34 points this season, it should come as little surprise if the Tigers shut out a good Lake View squad.
As a matter of fact, I'd be more surprised if the Gators found a way to score.