Why Grand Strand high school football teams are thankful to be practicing on Thanksgiving

In high school football, having practice on Thanksgiving is a blessing in itself.

Programs practicing on the fourth Thursday in November are preparing for a playoff game that, if won, will give them the opportunity to compete for a state championship.

On the Grand Strand, three teams put football before a turkey dinner, with Myrtle Beach and Green Sea Floyds doing so for the second year in a row, and Carolina Forest joining the two area state champions from last season on the hunt for its first Class 5A crown.

“We’re preparing the best we can with the biggest difference being the holiday and not being in our normal school routine,” said Carolina Forest coach Marc Morris. “We have a good group of guys, seniors and underclassmen, who know how we like to prepare and what it takes to get ready for a game of this magnitude.”

The Panthers (12-1) travel to face the three-time defending Class 5A state champion Dutch Fork.

“They’re very well coached and they have a great quarterback (Ty Olenchuk) who really leads their offense,” Morris said. “The thing that makes them special is their defense, they give up something like 6 points per game (7.7 ppg) and play very fast. . . . Our goal will be to attack them with the run and the pass to try and get them off balance. We can’t go in there and try to do just one thing and expect to win.”

While Carolina Forest hits the road for its Class 5A Lower State championship game, Myrtle Beach will be back in the friendly confines of Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium to take on a Hartsville team that looks much different than the one the Seahawks (13-0) outraced 42-21 in region play on Oct. 5.

“Our team is feeling great, we’ve had great practices all week,” Myrtle Beach coach Mickey Wilson said. “Anytime you can get this far and to play for a Lower State championship, you’re happy to be on the field.”

Much of the speculation surrounding the Myrtle Beach team during this playoff run has been around Luke Doty’s availability each week. Doty injured his right thumb in the first playoff game and hasn’t played since.

Wilson called his Shrine Bowl quarterback a game-time decision, noting that the University of South Carolina commit got a “good report” from his doctor on Wednesday.

“We’re comfortable with Ryan Burger and the way he’s been able to run our offense,” Wilson said. “We’ve also been able to rely on our running game and players like Xayvion Knox to step up when we needed them most. Once Luke is fully healthy and has the go-ahead from the doctors, we’ll see where he’s at and go from there.”

For Green Sea Floyds, what used to be a dream has become the reality, as the Trojans are playing in a second consecutive Lower State championship game under coach Donnie Kiefer. Last season, Green Sea Floyds made its run to a state championship as a bit of an unknown program with a proven coach.

This year, the Trojans (10-1) have been among the highest rated Class A teams all season and have cruised through their first two playoff games to get to a rematch with region foe Lake View.

“It’s exciting without a doubt,” Kiefer said of practicing on Thanksgiving. “Our guys are gym rats and film rats, so they enjoy the extra time.”

Like Myrtle Beach, Green Sea Floyds is facing a region opponent in its playoff game. While the Trojans won the first contest 42-6, Kiefer’s players and staff are not looking past the opponent standing in the way of a return trip to Columbia.

“Every week and game takes on its own personality,” Kiefer said. “We aren’t the same as (when we played Lake View before) and they aren’t either. Playing a team for another time, we may have to tweak some things on offense based on how they attacked us last game or something they’ve shown on film and our defense will have to adjust to any wrinkles we see from them. It’s always a challenge.”

The Trojans have outscored their two playoff opponents 111-6 after earning a first round bye in the Class A bracket.

Friday’s Schedule

Class 5A

No. 1 Carolina Forest at No. 1 Dutch Fork 7:30 p.m.

Class 4A

No. 2 Hartsville at No. 1 Myrtle Beach 7:30 p.m.

Class A

No. 2 Lake View at No. 1 Green Sea Floyds 7:30 p.m.