Several area high school football games moved up to Thursday (with capsules)
Due to the threat of inclement weather each of the next three days, area teams Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Aynor were moved off their scheduled Friday starts.
North Myrtle Beach's Region VII-AAA opener at home against Lake City was moved to Thursday night. The schools' junior varsity teams will play at 5:30, with the varsity game expected to start at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Additionally, Aynor's Region VIII-AA opener at Dillon was also moved to Thursday. Expected start time for that one is also 7:30 p.m.
Finally, the game between Wilson and Myrtle Beach to open up Region VII-AAA play will be played at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Additional game changes will be included as they become official.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Lake City (4-1) at North Myrtle Beach (3-2)
When | 7:30 p.m.
The game | Blair Hardin said that his offensive backfield is benefitting from better understanding of the triple option, and the proof is in the numbers. So far this year, North Myrtle Beach is rushing for 205 yards per game. That might seem low, except for the fact that the Chiefs are actually getting solid balance out of a passing game that is also averaging 124 yards through the air each time out. Hardin, though, said the focus doesn’t start with the skill guys. “We have some guys who can run,” he said. “But it really starts up front, just creating creases and seams.” This is the type of game that, on paper at least, could show how much those five up front have learned since the beginning of the season. It stands to reason that Lake City won’t have the depth of Class AAAA non-region opponents Socastee or Carolina Forest from the last two weeks, or even previous opponents Dillon and Loris earlier in the year. If the Chiefs can open a few holes, the speedy North Myrtle Beach backfield should be able to do the rest.
On the air | WRNN-FM, 99.5; nmbchiefs.com
Last year | Lake City 15, North Myrtle Beach 9
Favorite | North Myrtle Beach
PLAYER TO WATCH
Kered Class
School | North Myrtle Beach
Class | Sophomore
Position | Running back
The scoop | Class has been the most consistent of the Chiefs’ tailbacks, rushing for at least 90 yards against every team not named Dillon this year. He had a season-high 123 in the loss to Socastee two weeks ago, and he’s up to 464 yards and five touchdowns, both team highs, on the season. Maybe most impressive is that he’s averaging 7.2 yards per carry, a figure that has to exceed expectations of even the North Myrtle Beach coaching staff that was eager to move him up from the junior varsity program after last year.
Aynor (3-2) at Dillon (5-0)
When | 7:30 p.m.
The game | When the Blue Jackets head to Dillon, they’ll be facing off against at team that has won 28 straight games, 30 consecutive region games (a streak dating back to the Wildcats’ first one in 2009) and three straight state championships. So it’s understandable why Aynor coach Jody Jenerette just kind of wants to get this game over with. In two game against Jackie Hayes’ team last year - one in the regular season and another in the opening round of the playoffs - the Blue Jackets lost by an average score of 38.5-10. And while Aynor’s offensive style helped keep the first meeting closer than expected, there is zero room for error if this is even going to be respectable.
On the air | WRXZ-FM, 107.1
Last year | Dillon 36, Aynor 14
Favorite | Dillon
Wilson (3-2) at Myrtle Beach (2-3)
When | 6:30 p.m.
The game | Wilson opening up region play each year against Myrtle Beach is akin to Aynor doing so against Dillon. In short, the Tigers haven’t really been all that competitive against Mickey Wilson’s team. Since the two were paired in the same region in 2010, the Seahawks have won all five games with only one decided by less than 25 points. The last two years, Brandon Sinclair has had as much to do with that dominance as anyone. He’s rushed for 364 yards and five touchdowns against the Tigers in the last two meetings. And even though Myrtle Beach has some kinks to work out in the passing game, there’s little reason Sinclair won’t be featured again.
On the air | WYNA-FM, 104.9
Last year | Myrtle Beach
Favorite | Myrtle Beach
Georgetown (4-1) at St. James (3-2)
When | 6 p.m.
The game | The path these teams have taken in 2015 is surprisingly similar when thinking of the pieces they’ve had to replace since the last time they played. Both have had to find new weapons at running back and receiver while relying on steady quarterback and offensive line play. Now, they meet again with St. James quarterback Zach Werba and Georgetown counterpart Jarvis Brown. They are No. 5 and No. 2 in the area, respectively, in passing yards. And even though Brown has accumulated more touchdowns, Werba’s influence through ball control (he had only two interceptions through five games) is propelling the Sharks’ offense.
On the air | WGTN-AM, 1400; HTC Channel 4; HTCConnect.com
Last year | Georgetown 14, St. James 6
Favorite | Georgetown
Carvers Bay (1-4) at Creek Bridge (0-5)
When | 7:30 p.m.
The game | If Carvers Bay is looking for a way to right the ship, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. The Bears are a perfect 9-0 all-time against Warriors. On top of that, the average score in those games has been an eye-popping 42-2. Creek Bridge has been shut out in seven of the games, and it hasn’t scored a single point against Carvers Bay since 2008, five games back in the series. This season, the Warriors are struggling again. They’ve lost all five games by double digits and three of the five by at least 40 points.
Last year | Carvers Bay 41, Creek Bridge 0
Favorite | Carvers Bay
This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Several area high school football games moved up to Thursday (with capsules)."