Gaffney to rejoin Region II-4A, Blacksburg to Skyline 2A

Reunited, and it feels so good.

Separated for the past several years due to realignment by the S.C. High School League (SCHSL), Region II-4A may again become whole next season, welcoming back the likes of Gaffney and Spartanburg.

SCHSL officials released the proposal on Monday. Schools wishing to appeal the decision must do so in writing by Aug. 12, to which the league's executive committee will convene Sept. 21 to make its final decision.

After competing in the region for a number of years, the Indians were moved to Region III-4A in 2008, joining a contingent consisting primarily of York County schools including Clover, Rock Hill and Northwestern. The Vikings joined the region following the 2010 realignment process.

Perennial rivals Byrnes and Dorman will join Gaffney and Spartanburg in the region, in addition to Boiling Springs, Mauldin, Riverside, and Class 4A newcomer Wade Hampton of Greenville. According to head coach Dan Jones, the conference could possibly be the state's toughest by far.

"Personally, I think it is the best," he said. "How many regions have the past two state champions, both of whom have played each other in Columbia the past two years in the same conference? Add us and Spartanburg into the mix, and that makes for a lot of history and intrigue. I assure you that it can't get any better than that."

Though separated for the past four years, Gaffney has kept many of its former Region II-4A foes on its schedule, keeping old flames ablaze.

"Of course, Boiling Springs, Dorman and Byrnes are old rivalries; with the possibility of joining them once again I know the kids are excited and I most definitely am excited. It's just the way things are supposed to be," Jones said.

Blacksburg is also on the move, jumping from its familiar digs in Class A to that in Skyline (Region I) 2A, joining Carolina, Chesnee, Crescent, Landrum, Liberty, Pendleton and Powdersville.

As part of the SCHSL's new realignment plan in which classifications consist of 52 schools instead of the typical 48, the Wildcats —the largest school in Class A according to the league's 135-day numbers—become one of the smaller programs in Class 2A. The football program will be part of the classification's lower tier for its football playoffs, which beginning this season is open to all.

Class AAAA-Big 16 outlook

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Dorman's Raymond Smith hopes to again lead the Cavaliers to the promised land in 2011. However, getting past rival Byrnes could be quite the task in Class AAAA's Big 16 ranks, which could be as hotly contested as it has been in recent years.

Arguably, no other title is more coveted in South Carolina high school athletics than the Big 16 football championship.
Three out of the past four years, however, the hardware has found a home in Duncan on the Byrnes High School campus, including last season when the Rebels disposed of cross-county rival Dorman 34-14 in the state championship game. It was the program’s 10th state title overall.
Last season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Byrnes, replacing several Division I talents such as South Carolina star running back Marcus Lattimore and Rutgers signal caller Chas Dodd. At least through the end of the regular season another championship seemed in doubt, head coach Chris Miller’s squad losing three games -- the most it had lost since 2007-- equaling its total from the preceding two seasons.
Keyed by the hard running of Shakeem Wharton and a steady defense which gathered itself at the right time, Byrnes easily defeated Mauldin before impressive wins at Dutch Fork and against Lexington en route to the final.
Wanting to gain a measure of revenge from its loss to Dorman in the 2009 final, the Rebels jumped quickly on their rivals and seized control of the game and the crown, winning 34-14.
Byrnes is again in a familiar role to begin the 2011 season, favored to repeat as Class AAAA Big 16 champion. Returning the likes of Wharton, speedy wide receiver Akia Booker and many pieces of a quick, disciplined defense including “Doc“ Dillard and Jamal Johnson, one should expect the squad to make another deep run in the playoffs.
Inexperience at quarterback could derail such aspirations however, the high octane offense of the Rebels expected to start sophomore signal caller Shuler Bentley. Byrnes last great quarterback, Dodd, first led the squad as a sophomore, part of a unit which won two state titles.
Bentley, his half brother, could become the next to be fitted for a ring.
Among those at the head of the line hoping to dethrone Byrnes again is Dorman, returning running back Raymond Smith, who rushed for 2,000+ yards last season, in addition to Patrick DeStefano, the state’s top offensive lineman. One has to wonder whether the squad can overcome the amount of talent it lost last year, including Clemson signee wide receiver Charone Peake.
Gaffney is also expected to make a run this year at adding to its state record total of 16 championships. Though losing veteran signal caller DeEdward Burris, a talented core returns, including highly sought after wideout Quinshad Davis. The Indians are expected to be as stout as they have been in several years on defense, keyed in the middle by linebacker Savon Dukes.
Dutch Fork, which lost to the Rebels 31-14 last November in the Class AAAA Big 16 quarterfinals, should make strides in head coach Tom Knotts’ second season on the job. The Region IV-AAAA champions return quite a talent at running back in Brandon Quattlebaum, who rushed for more than 1,400 yards last season, and is expected to shoulder the load again in 2011 for the Silver Foxes.
No one needs to be introduced to Lexington’s Shaq Roland. However, the X-Factor in the Wildcats’ potential to make a run at a state title lies with Kevin Miller, whose tough running was instrumental in the squad to the Region V-AAAA title last season.
Lexington made its deepest run in the state playoffs in 2010 since Demetrius Summers roamed the gridiron at the school, and is looking to take that final step this year.
Don't be surprised if Summerville rebounds and contends for a title this season following a disappointing 2010 according to its lofty standards.

FAVORITE: Byrnes
CONTENDERS: Dorman, Gaffney, Dutch Fork, Lexington, Summerville
LOOK OUT FOR: Spartanburg - The Vikings come into 2011 with its most talented squad in years, particularly at the quarterback position. Look for the squad to make quite a bit of noise in Region III-AAAA this season.

A Week 13 whip around the Palmetto State

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Rushing for more than 200 yards in his team's Class AAAA Division I second round match-up with Fort Dorchester, junior running back Raymond Smith was a big reason Dorman's offense was able to kick things into high gear last Friday night.

It’s all depends on who you ask.
According to Gaffney fans, it was bad officiating and missed opportunities. In the eyes of those backing Irmo, it was the product of a good defensive effort.
No matter the combination of those ingredients, the Yellow Jackets were happy it fell in their favor, escaping W.C. Hawkins Stadium Friday night with a 12-7 victory.
Irmo’s Kevin Baxter returned an interception in the end zone off of Indians’quarterback DeEdward Burris 70 yards the first play of the fourth quarter, setting up the game’s deciding score, a 2-yard run by Dawan Scott.
The Yellow Jacket running back would wind up with 167 yards and two touchdowns on the night. With the win, his team advances to the Class AAAA Division I semifinals against defending state champion Dorman.
“Our kids made plays when they had to,” said Irmo head coach Bob Hanna to The State (S.C.). “We gave up some yards, but when it came time to play, we found a way to get it done.”
The Indians seemingly moved the ball at will against their Midlands contemporaries, spending much of the night inside Yellow Jackets territory. However, with the exception of a DeEdward Burris connection with wide receiver Quinshad Davis in the first quarter, that is where Gaffney drives would die, the result of mental errors in the form of three turnovers, several penalties and a number of dropped passes.
“When you come on somebody else’s home field and they are 10-2, you have to play better than them. We just didn’t make the big plays when we needed them,” said Gaffney head coach Dan Jones.
“We made some mistakes, dropped some passes, made some bad decisions. We just didn’t execute,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dorman put on arguably its most impressive performance of the season, disposing of Fort Dorchester 49-28. Raymond Smith ran for 241 yards and three touchdowns, including a 94-yard romp in the game’s final stanza.
Not to be outdone, Clemson commitment Charone Peake also had a big night, hit pay dirt three times in the contest, twice on throws from Cavaliers quarterback Nelson Hughes and another by way of a punt return.

A Sleeping Giant Awakens
Class AAAA powerhouse Byrnes may be down a bit this year … but they are definitely not out.
Junior running back Shakeem Wharton was quite the dual threat for the Rebels, racking up 170 total yards and three touchdowns in the team’s 31-14 Class AAAA Division I playoff win at Dutch Fork.
The performance was quite the statement for Byrnes, perceived as a bit vulnerable after a squad laden with stars was decimated by graduation. Yet it stands 48 minutes from another appearance in the state title game.
In the Lowcountry however, a thorough beating was being given to one of the state’s most recognizable figures in high school football. Summerville’s John McKissick, the nation’s all-time leader in coaching wins at the high school level, could only describe it as the worst beating any team has given his Green Wave on the field named after him.
Lexington delivered a whipping Summerville fans are sure to remember for some time, dismantling the traditional power from the Lowcountry 45-14.
Wildcats’ running back K.J. Miller toted the pigskin 31 times for 230 yards and three touchdowns, while his teammates on defense held Summerville star to a total of 152 yards and a meaningless touchdown late in a contest seemingly never in doubt.
In the “Lower 32” tournament better known to most as Class AAAA Division II, things went as expected with each of the top four seeds advanced, setting up a (4) Northwestern - (1) Goose Creek and (3) North Augusta- (2) Greenwood state semifinal round.
North Augusta was the only one of the four to struggle on the night, erasing an early deficit and surviving a late flurry from T.L. Hanna , 28-21.

"Thriller"
When they say enjoy every moment, do so; you never know when it will be taken from you.
Belton-Honea Path could not have believed the end was near after pulling ahead 28-27 with 1:18 left to go against Fairfield Central, thinking it had delivered the final salvo in the wild Class AAA Upper State semifinal contest.
The Griffins had other ideas, turning out the lights on the Bears and their undefeated 2010 campaign with a 35-28 heart-stopping win in the state’s upcountry.
Shaquille Young hauled in a pass from Fairfield Central quarterback Danny Miller with 25 seconds left to snare victory from defeat. The miraculous 34-yard grab, caught between two Belton-Honea Path defenders and also tipped twice, earned the Griffins a rematch with region rival South Pointe in the Upper State title game, the Stallions humbling Greenville 50-7.
South Pointe dealt Fairfield Central its lone defeat in 2010, winning 17-7 in Winnsboro last month.
Lower State juggernaut Myrtle Beach put an end to Berkeley’s playoff winning streak, taking care of the Stags 42-28. Seahawks quarterback Everett Golson passed for 381 yards and four touchdowns in the game, eliminating Berkeley, last year’s winners of the Class AAAA-Division II crown.
Myrtle Beach wants a Class AAA crown of its own, however, and will earn at least the right to do so with a win in the Lower State title game Friday against Bluffton, a 40-35 winner at Hartsville.

Thrice as Nice
Things seem to come in threes.
For Strom Thurmond and Timberland, the third time did not wind up being the charm, both falling to familiar opponents for the third consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Central (Pageland) and Dillon remained on a collision course to meet in the Class AA title game, the Eagles advancing past Strom Thurmond 35-30; while the Wildcats moved on with an impressive 31-14 win over previously undefeated Timberland.
Dillon again advances to the Lower State title game where it will host Manning, a 30-20 winner over region rival Lake City.
The Monarchs again did a good job in limiting Panthers’ star running back Shon Carson, who though gaining 137 yards and scored the 100th touchdown of his prep football career, Manning won the rushing battle as it was able to churn out 205 yards of its own on the ground -- 120 of which were contributed by Marcos Pearson -- wearing out an active Lake City defense.
Central faces a familiar foe for a second straight week, this time in the form of Woodruff, which earned a hard fought 37-30 victory over Columbia.
In Class A on the other hand, Scott’s Branch and Williston-Elko again earned the right to meet each other with a state title hanging in the balance.
Christ Church gave the Blue Devils all they could handle in the Class A Division I Upper State final, drawing to within six points after being down three touchdowns early on in the contest. However, Williston-Elko’s wishbone attack chewed valuable clock time and the Cavaliers’ final heave fell into the arms of an opposing defender, giving W-E the 27-21 win.
Scott’s Branch fell behind early, but it was only a minor setback between it and the program’s third consecutive date with the Blue Devils, defeating Hardeeville 36-20.
Might as well call it a grudge match, the teams splitting the last two Class A Division II championship games. The game is Friday at 3 p.m. at Benedict University Stadium in Columbia.
In Class A Division I play, a Randon Sandifer 22-yard field goal as time expired gave Bamberg-Ehrhardt a Lower State title, defeating Hemingway 17-14. It will face Abbeville for a championship Friday at noon in Columbia, the Panthers getting past Lamar 20-12 in a highly contested Upper State final.

Palmetto State Roundup
Class AAAA Division 2 Second Round
Goose Creek 49, Easley 0
Greenwood 35, South Florence 7
North Augusta 28, T.L. Hanna 21
Northwestern 49, Ashley Ridge 35

Class AAAA Division 1
Second Round
Irmo 12, Gaffney 7
James F. Byrnes 31, Dutch Fork 14
Lexington 35, Summerville 14
Dorman 49, Fort Dorchester 28

Upper State Class AAA
Third Round
Fairfield Central 35, Belton-Honea Path 28
South Pointe 50, Greenville 7

Lower State Class AAA
Third Round
Bluffton 40, Hartsville 35
Myrtle Beach 42, Berkeley 28

Upper State Class AA
Third Round
Central 35, Strom Thurmond 30
Woodruff 37, Columbia 30

Lower State Class AA
Third Round
Dillon 31, Timberland 14
Manning 30, Lake City 20
Upper State Class A Division I Semifinal
Abbeville 20, Lamar 12

Lower State Class A Division I
Semifinal
Bamberg-Ehrhardt 17, Hemingway 14

Upper State Class A Division II
Semifinal
Williston-Elko 27, Christ Church Episcopal 21

Lower State Class A Division II
Semifinal
Scott's Branch 36, Hardeeville 20

S.C. Prep Football Week 10 — It's the week we've all waited for

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Byrnes' show a sign of unity prior to a game earlier this season. The Rebels will travel to Roebuck Friday night to face rival Dorman.

Trick or treat.
Undoubtedly, schedule makers in South Carolina knew what they were doing this year, arranging a slew of games sure to bring some clarity to the upcoming state playoffs.
Around the Palmetto State, programs in classes A-3A are preparing for week 10 - for many, one which will decide whether they proceed on or go home.
Preparing for the season, a quick look at the 2010 football schedule revealed the weekend just before Halloween would be a special one, revealing which teams are contenders or pretenders on the state -- and for all intents and purposes, national -- scene.
Here’s a look at what week 10 has in store:

Byrnes (7-2) at Dorman (9-0): The Cavaliers have not lost since Byrnes defeated them in the rivals’ regular season match-up in Duncan last year. Dorman likes to refer back to the last time the two met, however, a 28-17 win for the Class 4A state championship last December.
While not overly impressive, the Cavaliers have got the job done, coming into the rivalry game with an unblemished record. Analysts believed going into the year that head coach Dave Gutshall would utilize his passing game more in 2010, yet it has been his team’s running game leading the way, just as it did during Dorman’s title run last year.
Byrnes has found things a bit tougher than in previous seasons when winning seemed automatic for the team. It has also relied more on the running game this season, the Rebels personnel dictating more of a balanced offense under quarterback Zack Blair than the one under the direction of departed signal caller Chas Dodd.
In the end, Dorman is just a step ahead of Byrnes, the Cavaliers’ unsung defense bringing home the team’s third win in five games against the hated Rebels. PREDICTION: Dorman 24, Byrnes 16

Gaffney (7-2) at Northwestern (9-0): This time last year the Trojans walked into The Reservation in Gaffney as an underdog -- yet left with a 23-20 victory and the Region III-4A crown. Roles have reversed this year as the teams meet at Rock Hill’s District 3 Stadium, Northwestern branded as one of the nation’s elite teams, ranked No. 11 in the latest RivalsHigh 100 list of the country’s top high school teams nationally.
Meanwhile, the Indians follow not far behind, eagerly waiting for its chance to atone for last season’s loss on senior night.
The question for Gaffney is whether it can not only keep up with the Trojans, but also whether it can keep from turning the ball over in a big game. In contests earlier this season against nationally ranked Dorman and Greenwood, turnovers were the difference for the Indians, losing the games by a total deficit of 12 points.
Even if Gaffney does not turn the ball over, it’s hard to imagine anyone stopping Northwestern’s Justin Worley and the rest of the “Air Raid” offense, which has torched opponents all season. One team has held the Trojans under 35 points this season … that number should remain intact after Friday night. PREDICTION: Northwestern 38, Gaffney 28

Batesburg-Leesville (7-2) at Strom Thurmond (7-2): A conference title is at stake as these Region III-2A foes match-up on the gridiron. The Panthers roll into the game riding a seven game winning streak, aided by the return of quarterback K.J. Johnson three weeks into the season. However, it is the B-L defense which has led the way, using its strong defensive line and pressure packages to force opposing offenses into mistakes.
It will take a workmanlike effort to claim the conference championship against Strom Thurmond, which is averaging 30 points per game in addition to a stout defense of its own.
The Rebels have won five of the last six games in this series, and this year should be no different. PREDICTION: Strom Thurmond 31, Batesburg-Leesville 20

Predictions for other big contests around the Palmetto State:
Camden 21, Marlboro County 18
Beaufort 24, Summerville 17
Lexington 45, Orangeburg-Wilkinson 41
Irmo 35, Blythewood 17
Christ Church 37, Landrum 21

Week 4- Several players put up HUGE numbers

Photo by Scott Powell/ The Gaffney Ledger

Blacksburg's Chase Hames followed up a 364 yard effort with another performance Wildcats fans will not soon forget.

Week 4 was one for the books as several players around the Palmetto State put up big numbers. Here are just a few of whom stuffed the stat sheet on the gridiron:

Chase Hames, Blacksburg: If the run is working, there’s no need to change what you’re doing.
Blacksburg coach Mickey Moss definitely has done that the past two weeks, his gameplan solely built on the strong running of Hames, who rushed for 437 yards and five touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 41-27 victory over Liberty. He also was the recipient of a touchdown pass.
It was the senior running back’s second consecutive standout performance, running for 364 yards and seven touchdowns the previous week.

Dawan Scott, Irmo: Few schools in South Carolina lean on the run like the Yellow Jackets, and this year is no different.
The latest running back to prosper in head coach Bob Hanna’s system is Dawan Scott, now 20 yards from the 1,000 yard mark following a 295 yard performance in Irmo’s 45-28 victory over Lexington.
Scott scored on runs of 70, 67 and 26 yards in the win, the Yellow Jackets’ 11th straight win the “Battle of the Dam.”

DeEdward Burris, Gaffney: Has Gaffney lost a bit of its swagger?
Burris did his best to silence pundits, going 24 for 37 for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the Indians’ 26-16 win over hated Byrnes. The senior also added 65 yards and a score on the ground in the win, Gaffney first over the Rebels since 2006.

Dayton Ayers, Chapman: The Panthers did not have enough to keep up with Woodruff last Friday, but it wasn’t because of Ayers, who caught seven passes for 224 yards and touchdowns passes of 61 and 59 yards in his team‘s 64-40 loss.

Nick Rodgers, Dorman: Defense led the Cavaliers all the way to a state crown last year. Rodgers’ head coach undoubtedly was proud of his effort vs. T.L. Hanna last Friday, racking up 16 tackles, including one for a loss in Dorman’s 31-14 win.

Randon Sandifer, Bamberg-Ehrhardt: Sandifer needed each of his 387 passing yards and three touchdowns last Friday, which proved to be just enough for the Red Raiders to pull out a 35-33 win over Ridgeland.

Justin Worley, Northwestern: Worley continues to put up big numbers in the Trojans’ “Air Raid” offense, going 29-of-39 for 365 yards in their 36-24 win over Blythewood. The Tennessee commit connected with six different receivers and threw for five touchdowns in the contest.

Byrnes-Gaffney: Two of S.C.'s top programs enter annual rivalry game with something to prove

Photo by Larry B. Littlejohn/ The Gaffney Ledger

A Gaffney defender attempts to run down Byrnes quarterback Willy Korn (right) during the first of two contests between the rival programs in 2006. The Indians won both games en route to claiming a second consecutive state title. However, Byrnes has dominated the rivalry and ran roughshod over state competition since, winning the Class 4A crown in two of the past three years.

If there is one thing for sure, kids in the Upstate know how to play some football.
Particularly in South Carolina’s top classification, Class 4A, in which the likes of Byrnes, Dorman, Gaffney, Greenwood, and Rock Hill each won multiple championships last decade.
In fact, only two teams from outside the region left Columbia or Clemson with a hold of the state’s top prize in that time, Marlboro County in 2001 and Berkeley last season.
No two schools achieved more success during the first decade of the new century like Byrnes and Gaffney, the Upstate rivals combining for nine state titles -- sharing Class 4A supremacy twice during the span.
In 2006, the South Carolina High School League amended new rules changing the former playoff format allowing the state’s largest 16 schools -- the “Big 16” -- into the postseason, regardless of record. The revision finally allowed the schools the opportunity to settle their debate as to who was best on the field with everything on the line.
Gaffney prevailed in both meetings that season, the first in front of a national television audience and the second in the state quarterfinals, ending the Rebels pursuit of setting a new state record with its fifth consecutive championship.
The Indians would earn their 16th state crown, it in itself a S.C. record. However, since trouncing Irmo at Columbia's Williams-Brice Stadium in Dec. 2006, Gaffney has not defeated its rivals from Lyman.
Nor have too many other schools around the Palmetto State in the three years since, as the likes of Marcus Lattimore and Chas Dodd helped Byrnes run roughshod through competition en route to a 42-3 record and two state titles. Meanwhile, the Indians have gone 28-13 over that stretch, making no appearances in the Class 4A championship game and losing three straight games to the Rebels, including a 60-7 spanking last season at Nixon Field.
Without a doubt, Gaffney fans are hungry to end the streak. Already having lost two games this season, albeit to two of the state’s traditional powers Dorman and Greenwood, the Indians can ill afford another defeat.
Byrnes also has a blemish to its record, a 14-0 loss to nationally ranked Hoover (Ala.). Since then, it seems the Rebels have regained some of the swagger which they earned in winning six championships last decade, claiming a last second victory over Class 3A power Myrtle Beach and drubbing Forestview (N.C.) 52-6.
The game will mark the second time Byrnes has traveled to “The New Reservation,” the Indians on-campus facility which replaced venerable W.K. Brumbach Stadium in 2008. Gaffney hopes to call up some of the spirits which enabled it to down the Rebels’ in their final two appearances at “The Old Reservation,” the contest sure to provide a good litmus test as to how things will go in South Carolina’s top classification this season.
They’ll have a chance to decide all of that and more at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Top performances around South Carolina - Week 3

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Dorman's Raymond Smith put the Cavaliers on his back in their 35-28 victory over Greenwood.

Chase Hames, Blacksburg: The Wildcats’ senior rusher ran wild against Latta, accounting for 364 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in his team’s 64-36 victory. He also threw a touchdown pass to his younger brother, Nick.
Raymond Smith, Dorman: After a fumble in the first half, the Cavalier ball carrier racked up 139 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown in his team’s 35-28 victory over Greenwood. He also had four receptions for 42 yards and another score on the night.
De’Angelo Henderson, Summerville: Henderson rushed for 286 yards on 35 attempts Friday night, reaching the end zone five times in the Green Wave’s 64-57 triple overtime loss at Goose Creek. It was his third consecutive game putting up big numbers, accumulating 289 all-purpose yards (160 rushing and 118 receiving) in a 17-14 win over Berkeley and 259 rushing yards and five scores in a 50-26 win over Conway.
Shaq Roland, Lexington: Roland accounted for seven touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 56-28 win over Spring Valley. The Vikings had no answer for him on the night –by ground or air – racking up a total of 301 yards in those departments. He also threw a touchdown pass, ran for a 2-point conversion and passed for a 2-point conversion.
Quinn Backus, Greenwood: The Eagles’ linebacker intercepted two passes in his team’s 35-28 loss at Dorman, returning both thefts for scores (84 and 11 yards).