Here are the teams and players who shined in Week 1 of Grand Strand high school football

STARS OF THE NIGHT

1. Kyle Watkins, SR, QB, Carolina Forest: It’s not easy to redefine the identity of a team that had a huge amount of success a season before, but Watkins did just that Friday. In his first game as starting QB, Watkins ran for three scores, leading the Panthers to a decisive victory over South Florence 40-14. His stat line, only 10 rushes for 204 yards and three TDs, with another score coming through the air.

2. Noah Jones, Sr, QB, Aynor: Taking over the QB role for the Blue Jackets this season, Jones made the gritty plays to get Aynor to 1-0 on the year. His 2-yard touchdown run with 3:01 left in the game against Lakewood gave Aynor a lead that wouldn’t be matched.

3. North Myrtle Beach defense: North Myrtle Beach exorcised a demon on Friday, beating Hartsville for the first time in school history behind a suffocating and opportunistic defense. The Chiefs forced five turnovers, returning two for touchdowns, and held Hartsville scoreless in the second half.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

Adam Randall, JR, WR, Myrtle Beach

Early in the second quarter of Myrtle Beach’s romp over Darlington, Randall caught a short pass from Ryan Burger, then showed what makes him special in the open field. The 6-foot-4 wideout weaved his way through traffic, setting up his blockers and using his own elusiveness, and a strong left hand, to find the end zone from 60 yards away. His effort set the tone for the rest of the Seahawks, who went on to score another 49 points after Randall’s spectacular catch and run.

BEST GAME

Aynor 8, Lakewood 6

For most of the contest, Aynor and Lakewood were locked in a scoreless tie. Enter Noah Jones and the Blue Jacket rushing attack, which lit up the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard dive complete with a two-point conversion to take the lead. Lakewood would score on the very next offensive play, hitting on a 56-yard pass to cut the Blue Jacket advantage to two points. An unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt would give Aynor the season-opening win in a game that featured long weather delays and went final at nearly 11 p.m.

WEEK 1 RESULTS

Friday’s games

Socastee

Sumter 24, Socastee 7 (Final)

Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach 69, Darlington 0 (Final)

Lakewood

Aynor 8, Lakewood 6 (Final)

Carolina Forest

Carolina Forest 40, South Florence 14 (Final)

Conway

Conway 21, St. James 16 (Final)

Green Sea

Lake View 0, Green Sea Floyds 0 (1st quarter, suspended)

Hartsville

North Myrtle Beach 40, Hartsville 21 (Final)

Monday’s games

Dillon vs. Loris at North Myrtle Beach High, 6:30 p.m.

Waccamaw at Georgetown, 7 p.m.

Lake View at Green Sea Floyds, 7 p.m.