By Thomas Grant Jr.

Blythewood and Richland Northeast will open region play with 4-0 records.

The Bengals continued their best start since 2018 with a 23-14 victory over W.J. Keenan.

Quarterback John Henry Collins threw for 176 yards and three touchdowns to wide receivers Wide receivers Carter Coleman, Kanye Reed, and Chance Johnson. For the season, Collins has thrown for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns, five each to Coleman and Benjamin Hendrix.

On defense, Chandler Boulware leads the team with 21 tackles and five sacks. Defensive end Kemuel Little is tied with Nathaniel Bonneau with 20 tackles to go with four sacks.

Blythewood travels to Westwood for its Region 5-5A opener. The Redhawks (2-2) have won two straight games and are coming off a 31-7 win over Airport.

Cam Cunningham and Angelo Rios both had touchdowns and Matt McCoy returned an interception for a score as Westwood scored 28 unanswered points.

Spring Valley (0-4) also opens Region 5-5A play looking to snap a 17-game losing streak. The Vikings scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns in the 38-14 loss to Catawba Ridge.

Over at Zemp Stadium, Richland Northeast looks to continue its best start since 2010 against Camden in the Region 3-4A opener.

North Carolina State commit quarterback Will Wilson has been a one-man offensive show for the Cavaliers. In the 58-49 win over Nation Ford, he completed 24-27 passes for 386 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

Wide receivers Blake Bettette had 10 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns and Isaiah Smalls had eight catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

Since losing to White Knoll in the season-opener, Camden (3-1) has won three straight games. It’s coming off a 43-26 win over Ridge View in which it rallied from a 26-21 halftime lead.

The Blazers trailed 14-6 in the first half when quarterback Tre Howard found Kristian Jackson for a 45-yard touchdown. With the score 14-13, running back Aiden Keefe ran the sweep, avoided getting dragged down by a Bulldog defender and stayed upright as he scampered 52 yards for the touchdown.

Camden answered with a touchdown to retake the lead at 21-20. With 18 seconds left in the first half, Jackson fielded the ball at his own 23 and found an opening for a 77-yard touchdown to give the Blazers the halftime advantage.

Ridge View (1-3) will have a bye this week.  

Cardinals back in

the winning column

Senior running back Caleb Ford surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with his third game this season with 300-plus yards.

The Gray Collegiate Academy transfer rushed for three touchdowns and 301 yards in a 28-0 victory over Ben Lippen. The win evened the Cardinals’ mark at 2-2 and snapped a 2-game losing streak.

Ford currently leads the Palmetto State with 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns.

“You have to play to your team’s strength,” Cardinal Newman coach Cory Helms said. “We have a big offensive line, a really big tight end, and a physical H-back. And we’ve got a big, physical running back, so it would be silly for me to sit in 10 personnel (no tight end) or 11 personnel (one tight end). Biggest thing is to play to your team’s strength.”

Cardinal Newman had a scare in the third quarter. Freshman offensive lineman Jeremiah McGowan was taken off the field after he went down in pain following a play.

An ambulance arrived to take McGowen off the field for medical attention. He was moving his arms and gave a thumbs up and sent out a message following the game on Twitter.

“Thanks for all of the tests and calls,” he tweeted. “I am fine (thumbs up emoji). See ya next Friday against Heathwood Hall.”

S.C. PREP FOOTBALL MEDIA POLL

Class 5A

1. Dutch Fork (18) (3-0)

2. Gaffney (1) (3-0)

3. Northwestern (4-0)

4. Summerville (3-0)

5. Irmo (4-0)

6. Sumter (4-0)

8. JL Mann (2-1)

7. Hillcrest (3-0)

9. White Knoll (2-1)

10. Boiling Springs (3-0)

Others receiving votes: TL Hanna, Spartanburg, Chapin, River Bluff, Blythewood, Greenwood

Class 4A

1. Westside (19) (3-0)

2. Daniel (2-1)

3. Camden (3-1)

4. May River (4-0)

5. South Pointe (2-2)

6. Richland Northeast (4-0)

7. Seneca (4-0)

8. Wren (3-1)

9. South Florence (2-2)

10 Gray Collegiate (1-2)

Others receiving votes: North Augusta, Hartsville, Bishop England, AC Flora, Hilton Head Island, Crestwood

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

(All Games Start at 7:30 p.m.)

Richland Northeast at Camden

Cardinal Newman at Heathwood Hall

Blythewood at Westwood

Spring Valley at Sumter

Photo courtesy of Cardinal Newman athletics