Two local teams will be battling for their region titles this Friday night as Dillon travels to Loris and Lake View hosts Hemingway in varsity football action.
The Wildcats and the Lions are the top two teams in the state in Class 2A, with both undefeated heading into Friday’s game. Dillon has a 12-0 record against the Lions, with eight straight wins since 2006, when both teams joined Region 8-2A. Last season, the Wildcats blanked Loris 44-0 with the Lions finishing with a 9-3 record and a 4-1 in the Region.
This season, the Lions have only allowed six points in region play, defeating marion 34-6 and shutting out Waccamaw and Mullins 13-0 and 36-0. In non-conference play, Loris has only allowed two touchdowns in five games while outscoring their opponents 152-17, including a 14-7 win over North Myrtle Beach.
The Wildcats have allowed three touchdowns in region action, defeating Aynor 43-14 and Marion 56-7 while shutting out Mullins 52-0. In non-region play, the Wildcats outscored their opponents 232-72, including a 56-16 win over North Myrtle Beach and a 36-7 win over Darlington.
The Lions will have to overcome a strong offense from the Wildcats lead by Avery McCall, who has completed 85 of 115 for over 1,596 yards and 20 touchdowns with only one interception this season. Receivers Eri’Reon Hayes and Crishon Jordan have been on target all season, with Hayes receiving over 32 times for more than 700 yards and 12 touchdowns and Jordan receiving over 12 times for more than 661 yards and five touchdowns. Johnny Allen and Jamison Chapman lead the Wildcats in rushing, with Allen rushing for 593 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and Chapman racking up 578 yards and 10 touchdowns, including four last week against Marion.
On defense, the Wildcats are lead by Jermaine McDaniel with over 50 tackles this season, and Randal Davis with five interceptions.
As a team, Loris has earned over 1,453 yards rushing so far this season on 250 carries. Quarterback TaJay Williams has completed 42 of 75 pass attempts for 637 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. Williams also has 386 yards rushing on 64 carries for five touchdowns, and Levi Moody leads the team with 513 yards on 103 carries and seven touchdowns. Stacy Dozier will also be one for the Wildcats to watch for, with 45 carries and 277 yards so far this season.
Loris receivers have earned 646 yards through the air this season with Desmond Dozier leading the team with 229 yards on 10 receptions for three touchdowns. Sigfried Long has caught 14 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns, and Marquell Bellamy has 17 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
Stacy Dozier lead the Loris defense with 56 solo tackles and 38 assists, with Jordan Hemingway recording 39 and Charoldric Williams, Sigfried Long, and Persis Owens each making over 30 tackles this season. Long has also made four quarterback sacks this season and Hemingway has two to his credit for a combined total of 33 yards lost. Desmond Dozier and Williams also have two interceptions each.
While the Wildcats and Loris remained at the top of the Class 2A polls, Timberland, Woodruff, and Fairfield Central rounded out the top five. The Wolves could be the next big threat to the Wildcats once playoffs begin, and currently hold a 9-0 record with a 3-0 record in Region 7-2A as they prepare to face Andrews this Friday. Dillon has faced Timberland in the playoffs every year since 2008, including four times for the lower state championship. Timberland last defeated the Wildcats in 2011, when they went 18-15 over Dillon before claiming the Class AA, Division 1 title with a 13-3 win over Timberland.
The other big game this Friday will be Hemingway at Lake View as the Tigers and Gators battle for the Region 8-A title. The Wild Gators could claim their first region title since 2008 with a win on Friday, while Hemingway will have to defeat Lake View and Carvers Bay to claim the title.
The Wild Gators advanced to the lower state championship last season and have a 6-2 record this season with an undefeated 3-0 in Region 8-A. Hemingway returned to Region 8 this season and is currently undefeated at 8-0.
Hemingway won two region 8-A titles in 2010 and 2011 before moving to Region 7 during realignment. The Tigers are lead by Xavier Weaver at quarterback, Clarence Jones, and Ivory Casey on defense. Weaver has completed over 40 pass attempts for over 815 yards and nine touchdowns, and is the second leading rusher behind Carlis Pressley.
Hemingway has outscored their opponents 241-64 this season and the Tigers have allowed just eight points in region play in their 32-8 win over Green Sea-Floyds. Lake View has outscored their opponents 243-102, and allowed 26 points in region play as they defeated Green Sea 36-26 and earned shut out wins over Latta and Carvers Bay. Lake View’s losses came from Dillon, 42-14, and Lamar, 28-27.
The Wild Gators are led by quarterback Weston Rogers with over 19 completed passes and 319 yards; Christian McDaniel with over 743 yards rushing and six touchdowns; and Reco Brown with over 675 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. The Gators have also seen some strong running from Duane Nichols, who scored on a 21-yard touchdown against Carvers Bay last Friday, and strong defensive performances from Datron Jones, Jeremy Moody, Adam Page, and Stone Spivey in recent games.
Hemingway was ranked third in the latest Class A statewide polls, with Christ Church and Allendale-Fairfax in first and second. Lake View was tied with Calhoun County for tenth place.
Latta will also be in action this Friday in Class A as they head to Carvers Bay to take on the Bears. Latta is 2-6 and 1-2 in the region, while Carvers Bay is 3-5 and 2-1 in the region after last week’s loss to Lake View.
In SCISA action, the Dillon Christian Warriors will host Region 1-2A champs Florence Christian on Friday. The Warriors are 7-1 on the season with a 4-1 record in Region 1-1A, while the Eagles are now 7-1 after falling to Hammond on Friday, ending a 19-game winning streak.
The Warriors are led by Jim Carr with 42 completed passes for over 730 yards and seven touchdowns; Teshaun Lane with over 1,148 yards rushing on 135 carries with 16 touchdowns; and Luke Price with over 315 yards receiving and four touchdowns. On defense, Price has 77 tackles and Thomas Evans has 75. Matthew Price has made seven quarterback sacks and Jake Boykin has made four, and Michael Minges has four interceptions to his credit.
For Florence Christian, quarterback Adam Hill has over 566 yards passing and Alex james has over 231 yards receiving, while Bryce Broach and Alex James each have over 600 yards rushing. The Eagles defense is led by Bryce Broach with over 65 tackles and Taylor Lee with more than 50. Lee also has five sacks on the season and Austin Drummond has made four interceptions.
Game times for all our local teams are set for 7:30 p.m. Make plans to support our Gators and Warriors at home, or hit the road to support the Wildcats and the Vikings.
