Welcome to Week 4 of the high school football season.
After last week’s Labor Day weekend hiatus for many teams, all but five of our local football squads will be in action this Friday. That means we’ve got a lot of football to cover, a lot of action to chronicle and a lot of scores to report.
Of course we’re going to watch for it all. But, as we do every week, we’re going to give you the top five games we’re watching for, along with our predictions.
Who: Lakeside (2-0) at Evans (2-0)
When: Friday, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: This is the game of the week in our 33-team coverage area, hands down. Two Columbia County schools trying to push their programs to places they’ve rarely been. Two rabid fan bases that love to see their programs win. Two rivals that love to compete against each other. And a region opener pitting two squads that will play each other as undefeated teams (through a minimum of two games played) for the first time in their 34 meetings. It should be an evenly matched, well-played ballgame because, well, it almost always is. It should be a packed stadium at Evans High School on a beautiful, not-too-hot-not-too-cold night of football with just a slight chance of rain. These two teams have both the talent at skill positions and the heft in the trenches to give just about any team they face fits. But this game is not just about local bragging rights. It’s about early-season momentum toward a deep playoff run. Can Lakeside find a way to penetrate that mammoth Evans offensive line and disrupt quarterback EJ Hogan from being a playmaker? Can Evans bottle up Lakeside’s punishing ground game and make Ty Jones beat the Knights with his arm?
The Prediction: This game could be seen as a toss up for so many reasons. Ultimately, we’ll say Evans gets it done in the trenches and makes just a few more plays offensively to outlast their rival. It may even come down to the leg of Knights kicker Tyler Wallace. Evans 31, Lakeside 28.
MORE EVANS-LAKESIDE COVERAGE: Which of these Columbia County rivals has the edge?
Who: Hephzibah (1-1) at Aquinas (1-1)
When: Friday, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: Aquinas hasn’t been a Class AAA school since back in 1957 when the school began. The Fightin’ Irish spent their first 13 seasons in what was then considered the GHSA’s largest class. But, save for a six-season stint in the 1980s in Class AA, most local football fans know Aquinas to be a solid Class A program. Not this year. The Irish made the jump to Class AAA and will open Region 4-AAA play at home against Hephzibah. This could be an early-barometer type game for both teams. Sort of a test to see exactly where each squad stands. Aquinas lost its opener to a solid Athens Academy squad. Hephzibah split its first two games, winning against Washington-Wilkes (1-2) and losing to a young, but upstart Laney (2-1) squad. It’ll be a tale of two styles. The Rebels with their big offensive line will want to get behind the pads and run the ball with quarterback JJ Gant and sophomore tailback Reante Byrd. Hephzibah is averaging 330 rushing yards per game so far and 7.5 yards per carry. Meanwhile, quarterback Jim Franklin will lead a more balanced attack for Aquinas, and the Irish’s defense, led by sophomore sensation Jaden Wuerth, among others, will be tested.
The Prediction: We think Aquinas may have a bit of an edge of defense, though both teams have had their moments, good and not-so-good, during the young season. Aquinas 31, Hephzibah 21.
Who: South Aiken (1-1) at North Augusta (1-1)
When: Friday, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: Two of the top running backs in the CSRA will be on display in this one, with 3-star prospect Jevon Edwards at South Aiken squaring off against North Augusta junior Michael Doe. They’re different kind of runners, but effective in their own way. North Augusta’s opened its season with a hard-fought win at Thomson — one of the toughest places in the CSRA to play — and a heartbreaking 1-point loss last week to Lexington. South Aiken will look for a bit more offensive diversity in this game as it tries to bounce back from a loss at Lakeside last Friday. The clock should move pretty briskly in this one, as both of these teams love to run it. North Augusta’s got one of the better defenses in the area and an assortment of talent from o-line to skill positions on either side of the ball.
The Prediction: It should be a good game and a solid test for each team’s ability to stop the run. Ultimately, North Augusta seems to be the more balanced squad. North Augusta 35, South Aiken 17.
Who: Warren County (2-1) at Burke County (2-1)
When: Friday, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m.
The Matchup: This is an intriguing game for a pair of teams with decent starts and still in the process of solidifying their identities. This feels like one of those games where, though not a region contest, both teams will come away learning a lot more about who they can be throughout the duration of the season. Don’t read too much into the Bears’ 43-14 loss at Benedictine last week. There aren’t many teams in Georgia, regardless of classification, that could’ve gone to Savannah and faired any better. But Burke County’s two wins against Richmond Academy and Cross Creek aren’t the most telling either. Warren County will provide a stiff challenge after showing some moxie in
