By Thomas Grant Jr.
Ridge View football (Ridge View High School)
A 6–1 finish to the regular season earned Ridge View a first-round bye in the Class 5A Division I playoffs.
On Friday, the Blazers (7–3) open postseason play at home as the third seed in the Upper State, hosting Spartanburg, which routed J.L. Mann 45–3 in the opening round.
This will be just the second meeting between the two programs. The Vikings edged Ridge View 32–29 in the second round of the 2021 Class 4A playoffs.
The Blazers enter Friday’s matchup with their third starting quarterback of the season. In seven games, he has passed for 496 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 155 yards and two scores.
Despite the turnover at quarterback, Ridge View’s receiving corps has remained steady. Seniors Carter Coleman, Jourdin Mack, and Omari Johnson, along with junior Khristian Jackson, bring both speed and reliable hands to the passing game.
In the backfield, running back Spencer Bobian leads the team with 1,174 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, while senior tailback Adam Keefe provides key blocking support.
On defense, senior linebacker D’Juan Franklin sets the tone with a team-high 67 tackles. Linebacker Jaiden Brown and defensive end Drew Madison lead the team with four sacks each, while defensive back Quency Grant has recorded four interceptions.
The winner will advance to face either Blythewood or second-seeded Dorman in the third round.
Bengals, Redhawks Advance
Both Blythewood and Westwood took very different routes to victory last Friday.
After falling behind 17–0 at Clover, Blythewood stormed back with 36 second-half points to secure a 42–23 win in the Upper State Division I playoffs.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Bengals (4–7), who will travel to Dorman on Friday.
Quarterback James Veasey led the comeback with 241 total yards and three touchdowns, rushing for 183 yards and two scores and passing for 138 yards and a touchdown to Ben Hendrix.
Michael Ford sealed the win with a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown, following Daquan Davis’ 60-yard pick-six earlier in the second half.
In Division II, Westwood opened its playoff run with a 41–14 home win over St. James.
Angelo Rios rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns, and Jovan Howard added 108 yards and a score as the Redhawks (7–4) powered their way to 339 rushing yards. Quarterback Elye Owens completed 16 of 23 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.
The victory sets up a rematch of last year’s second-round playoff game, when Berkeley blanked Westwood 36–0 at home. The winner will advance to face Myrtle Beach or West Florence in the third round.
Other Playoff Scores
- Rock Hill 47, Spring Valley 0
- Hammond School 57, Cardinal Newman 0
