Saturday Morning QB | Two-game week catches up to area teams

Georgetown, Loris, Waccamaw, Carvers Bay, Green Sea Floyds.

They all lost on Friday night.

But the five area teams also have something else in common. In addition to playing highly meaningful region games on Friday, they played highly meaningful games on Tuesday.

Due to delays by the recent flooding and the aftermath – which included loss of life and an unknown monetary devastation around the state – the teams entered the week knowing that at some point they’d have to squeeze two games into one very short span. So along with North Myrtle Beach, Georgetown’s opponent on Tuesday, the six squads set Tuesday game times and tried to get ahead of the curve.

The controversy continued to flare that afternoon, when the South Carolina High School League pushed back the start of the playoffs across the board. Everyone would have an additional week to make up games. The problem, though, as we often see with competitive sports, is that everyone was ready to go. The teams went ahead with their Tuesday games as scheduled, in some cases, contests that were set about 36 hours ahead of time. Oddly enough, two of the three Georgetown teams that had one day to practice and prepare both mentally and physically found a way to win.

On Friday, though, they all lost. So, too, did two of the three Horry County teams that played against them on Tuesday. There will be questions, surely, as there always are.

Why did the teams not back off on Tuesday? Why, even with things like homecomings and senior nights and the like, not reschedule Friday’s game when able? (Loris and Waccamaw were in a bit of a different situation because they were two games behind.)

Some folks will want to point fingers. The region directors and presidents of the four and soon-to-be-five classes and the SCHSL Executive Committee will all have to wonder if they made the right call by not acting sooner. None of this matters when compared to families losing homes or the deaths the state witnessed as a direct results of the storms.

If nothing else, a few football games may get the right people talking so a method to avoid the confusion, controversy and general lack of communication in advance of a repeat of anything close to what we’ve witnessed in the last few weeks.

AROUND THE AREA

▪ Conway made quick work of a depleted Socastee team for the second time this season, beating the Braves 45-6 behind another huge effort from quarterback Peyton Derrick and tailback Jah’Maine Martin.

▪ Carolina Forest fell short on the road at South Florence, losing 35-28 to the Bruins. The Panthers fell off the lead (currently held by Conway and Sumter) by one game, but maybe more importantly has an inability to grab any momentum. Marc Morris’ team has alternated wins and losses all season.

▪ The Myrtle Beach defense forced five turnovers, and offensive standouts Drayton Arnold, Brandon Sinclair and Elijah Rice all had big nights as the Seahawks grabbed control of Region VII-AAA with a 48-17 win over St. James at home.

▪ After a highly emotional victory over North Myrtle Beach on Tuesday, Georgetown couldn’t keep it rolling on Friday. The Bulldogs dropped the contest 34-33 to a Lake City team that fell by double digits to North Myrtle Beach in the region opener.

▪ Meanwhile, the Chiefs were able to make the most of their next game back. North Myrtle Beach quieted Wilson with a 30-17 victory that moved the Chiefs to 2-1 in Region VII-AAA.

▪ A year after getting thumped by Waccamaw, Aynor kept its playoff hopes alive with a 22-20 overtime victory over the Warriors at home. Caleb Jenerette’s two-point conversion in the extra period was the difference for the Blue Jackets.

▪ Loris’ loss at Mullins may turn out to be one of the bigger head scratchers of the week as the Lions lost 20-14. It essentially opens up a Region VIII-AA in which Jamie Snider’s team has essentially owned the No. 2 spot (behind three-time state champion Dillon) for the last three years.

▪ Carvers Bay gave state-ranked Lake View more than it bargained for, but the Bears fell short in a 20-16 loss on the road. It was Carvers Bay’s first Region VIII-A loss after winning each of the first two.

▪ Green Sea Floyds’ losing streak reached six games after yet another underwhelming performance, this time a 40-12 loss at home against Hemingway. The Trojans’ playoff hopes are dimming, and one more loss would all but guarantee the team finishing the season after its Week 10 game.

Number of the week

Quote of the week

POWER RANKINGS (all classes)

1. Conway

2. Myrtle Beach

3. Georgetown

4. Carolina Forest

5. North Myrtle Beach

WEEK 8 GAME BALLS

Brandon Sinclair, RB, Myrtle Beach: The senior tailback went for 219 yards and three touchdowns in the win over St. James, adding a pair of receptions for another 21 yards.

Dequan Montgomery, RB, North Myrtle Beach: Just four days after falling to Georgetown, Montgomery boosted the Chiefs to a win over Wilson with three touchdown runs, including two in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Elijah Rice, WR, Myrtle Beach: The 10 receptions for 143 yards and three touchdowns were pretty solid. He tacked on an interception just for good measure.

This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 3:05 AM with the headline "Saturday Morning QB | Two-game week catches up to area teams."