I know some people don't put a lot of stock in A or AA in SC High School Football, but there is a game this week between bitter rivals and the #1(Batesburg-Leesville) and #2(Saluda) teams in AA this Friday. Both teams are undefeated and playing really well on both sides of the ball.
Batesburg-Leesville comes in with an 8-0 record with their biggest win being against Abbeville in week 2. Other than that they haven't played a very tough schedule. Their offense is lead by #22 RB Savy Wooden and #16 QB Tanner Watkins, with 2 dynamic playmakers in #1 Jamerius Clark and #2 KD Whitt on the outside at receiver. Their defense is lead by #88 DE and North/South Selection John Sawyer and #11 Linebacker Christian Burkett.
They have scored points on everyone they have played except for Lower Richland, where they only scored 1 offensive touch down in a 21-7 victory. Their defense has also played extremely well except for that week 2 game against Abbeville, where they gave up 35 in their victory. Abbeville is not the same team as normal, as their defense has given up a good many points against their tougher opponents. They gave up 28 to a very mediocre 96 squad, which was a game in the 4th quarter, before Abbeville pulled away in their 42-28 victory.
Saluda comes in with a 7-0 record with their biggest win coming last week in a 35-25 win over Strom Thurmond. Saluda has played a little tougher schedule, with wins over Chester, Southside Christian, and Strom Thurmond. Their offense is lead by a 2 headed monster at RB in Junior #0 Brayden Williams and Sophomore #23 Tristan Daniels, along with their QB #12 Drew Arant, who missed 3 games due to a shoulder injury in their week 0 game against Crescent. On the outside at receiver they have 2 dynamic playmakers in #13 Vic Gaines and #6 Jaylir Foulks. Their defense is tops in AA, only giving up more than 14 points in 1 game, which was last week against Strom Thurmond. The defense is lead by #9 DL North/South Selection JT Lott( almost unblockable), #5 LB Akim Mills and #3 CB Jah Foulks. Their entire DL is nasty as well.
Saluda is hitting their stride offensively scoring 35 against a really good ST defense last week, while the defense gave up 25, that is somewhat skewed, due to an excessive amount of penalties against Saluda's D in the first half and ST totally abandoning their normal offense, in favor of a pass happy attack, in the second half.
This may be the biggest regular season game in both schools history, being that both are undefeated and 1 and 2 in the state this late in the season, with a region title on the line. The game will be played at Bettis Herlong Stadium in Saluda.
No prediction here, what say you?
