Weeks of waiting finally over as football returns to Friday nights

Using 140 characters to the best of their ability, the frustration of looking forward to hitting the gridiron but not being able to proved too much for a number of area high school football players.

“Can we just play ball?” said Socastee running back and linebacker Dashaun Myers, a sentiment shared by many of his peers, coaches and fans affected by Hurricane Matthew.

Certainly, the cleanup process resulting from the tropical cyclone continues. Fortunately, a sense of normalcy returns Friday night with the return of high school football to the Grand Strand.

While patiently waiting for the season to return, there are possibly a few things some of you have forgotten. Here’s a quick rundown:

Five things we know

▪  Myrtle Beach is the lone undefeated team in the area, sitting at 7-0 and 1-0 in Region VII-4A, earning a win over rival North Myrtle Beach. The Seahawks are ranked No. 2 in Class 4A.

▪  Despite losing star running back Dyverse Simmons in its third game, Carolina Forest keeps plodding right along. On the strength of a solid running game, the Panthers sit at 5-1 (1-0 in Region VI-5A) heading into its first road test in league play at West Florence.

▪  Carvers Bay has been on a roll since the start of Region VI-2A play. Winners of three straight, the Bears have outscored their opponents by a score of 104-6. A favorable schedule including three games at home bodes well for the program to earn its first region title since 2013.

▪  Since a loss early on to the aforementioned Carvers Bay squad, Georgetown has seen its fortunes reverse. Since a 41-19 loss to Conway on opening night, the Bulldogs have not yielded more than 14 points in their past five games. That streak will be put to the test Friday night, though, as perennial powerhouse Dillon makes its way to the South Strand.

▪  Marlboro County left plenty to be desired in its region opener against St. James. In its most recent contest, North Myrtle Beach believes it let one get away against Myrtle Beach. One of these teams will leave Friday night with a loss, while the winner has the inside track toward a finish among the league’s top two — a perk that guarantees a team a first round playoff date at home.

Three things we don’t know

▪  Can Conway make the playoffs?: The Tigers certainly have the personnel to do so. But a rigorous Region VI-5A slate with Carolina Forest, South Florence and Sumter on the schedule, it will certainly be a difficult task.

▪  Which will make the playoffs — Aynor, Loris or Waccamaw?: Four playoff spots are allotted to teams in Region VI-3A. Three of them are likely to be secured by Dillon, Lake City and Georgetown, leaving it up to the Aynor, Loris and Waccamaw to battle among themselves to decide which will move on.

▪  Can St. James win a game?: No team deserves to go winless. A season after reaching heights the program has never been, the 2016 football campaign has proven rather tough for head coach Robby Brown and his Sharks squad. However, coming off of its best showing of the season against a solid Marlboro County team, maybe St. James is drawing closer to a breakthrough.

Midseason honors

▪  Player of the Year: Keyonte Sessions, Myrtle Beach (Sr., ATH)

Literally doing whatever is asked of him, the Seahawks’ ironman has 15 touchdowns and is among the team leaders in tackles.

▪  Offensive Player of the Year: Ronnie Bass, North Myrtle Beach (Sr., QB)

Much like Sessions, the ‘Son of Sunshine’ does a little of everything for the Chiefs, racking up 1,185 yards of total offense and 15 touchdowns en route to leading his team to a 6-1 start.

▪  Defensive Player of the Year: Sean McGonigal, Myrtle Beach (Sr., DE)

Socastee’s Zach Shear and St. James’ Cam Williams may have more tackles, but no one can wreck an opposing team’s game plan like McGonigal. The Myrtle Beach senior defensive lineman has 32 solo tackles and 22 assists, 21 of which have been in the opposing offense’s backfield. His 12.5 sacks lead the area.

▪  Coach of the Year: Ken Cribb, Georgetown

His team riddled with injuries for much of the season, instead of making excuses Cribb demanded his team get to work. The Bulldogs have rewarded him with four straight wins going into Friday night’s game with Dillon.

▪  Game of the Year: Carolina Forest at Myrtle Beach (Sept. 16)

A game not decided till the final gun sounded, it was everything that you’d expect from a showcase game — a number of momentum-changing plays, unsung heroes and a playoff atmosphere. Myrtle Beach slipped past Carolina Forest for a 24-21 win to remain undefeated.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Weeks of waiting finally over as football returns to Friday nights."