Class AAAA Playoff Notebook

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Gaffney quarterback DeEdward Burris has proven to be quite the weapon for the Indians this season. Coach Dan Jones hopes he is again up to the task when they travel to Irmo Friday night.

Without doubt, the team left standing after the gauntlet that is the Class AAAA-Division II tournament will have earned it.
Each of the bracket’s top four seeds -- Goose Creek, Greenwood, North Augusta, Northwestern -- have at some time been ranked among the top 100 high school football teams in the nation, according to RivalsHigh.com.
Only the top ranked Gators struggled to get through the first round, getting by Conway 28-14. The other three squads would go on to cruise into the second round.
Each team will be a heavy favorite to advance to the state semifinals, setting up quite a night after Thanksgiving-- potentially (4)Northwestern at (1)Goose Creek - (3) North Augusta at (2)Greenwood in the semifinals-- tickets to Columbia will be punched.
The Class AAAA Big 16 bracket was had its share of close, heart-stopping finishes, with Lexington, Dutch Fork and Summerville earning hard-fought victories. Likely no two teams were as impressive as defending champion Dorman, which routed White Knoll 31-0; and its nearby rival Gaffney which also shut out its first round opponent Wando, 28-0.
Irmo should give the Indians a stern test Friday night, however, Dawan Scott and the Yellow Jackets running past Spartanburg, 39-26. The senior running back ran for 217 yards and four touchdowns against the Vikings defense last week.

Games to watch:
-- Gaffney at Irmo: The last time these two teams met was 2007 -- a state title tilt dominated by the Indians, 41-0. Little has changed about these squads since, Gaffney riding the coattails of an athletic, balanced offense and a strong, consistent defense; while the Yellow Jackets still like to run, and has done so with ease behind its big offensive line, weighing in at a combined average heavier than 260 pounds.
It will be interesting to see how Irmo’s defense performs against the versatility quarterback DeEdward Burris and the Gaffney offense possess on offense, something it has seen little of this season.
-- Byrnes at Dutch Fork: Fans of the Silver Foxes have been forced to wait till the game’s final seconds to finally exhale the past couple of weeks, just getting by rival Irmo and first round opponent Clover. Now Byrnes rides into town, confident following a 41-0 drubbing of Mauldin to open the postseason.
This one has all the potential to be a shootout, each offensive unit capable of putting up points at will. However, the Rebels must contain Dutch Fork quarterback Justin Suber if they have any intentions of moving on.
Suber has passed for 1,880 yards and rushed for 1,003 this season. As he goes, so do the Silver Foxes.
-- UPSET ALERT: Lexington at Summerville: Coach John McKissick and the Green Wave have to be thanking the man upstairs for star running back DeAngelo Henderson and a prolific offense, which has averaged 38 points per game this year. The problem, however, is its defense, which can be rather porous at times.
Giving up 34 points last week to a lower tier Midlands team in Blythewood did not help Summerville one bit, yet it advanced. Now it faces a talent in the form of Lexington all-purpose man Shaq Roland, who has caught 58 balls for 1,033 yards and 10 touchdowns this year.
Both defenses should be under assault in this one.