Midlands teams to watch in the fall

Preseason Midlands Top 10 (Football)

1.    Dutch Fork (13-0, 5-0 Region 4-5A)

2.   Irmo (12-2, 4-1 Region 4-5A)

3.   River Bluff (10-3, 3-2 Region 4-5A)

4.   Ridge View (8-5, 5-1 Region 5-5A)

5.   Camden (9-4, 4-2 Region 3-4A)

6.   AC Flora (8-4, 4-2 Region 3-4A)

7.   Hammond (13-0, 7-0 SCISA Region 1-4A)

8.   Fairfield Central (12-2, 4-0 Region 3-2A)

9.   Batesburg-Leesville (12-1, 5-0 Region 2-2A)

10.  White Knoll (8-6, 1-4 Region 4-5A)

Midlands feature: Midlands teams to watch in the fall

By WORTHY EVANS

HSSR Contributing Writer

Columbia - Summer vacation draws to a close, and with it comes the opening of preseason football camps across the state. In the Midlands two schools immediately come to mind when it comes to football: 5A Division I power Dutch Fork and SCISA 4A favorite Hammond.

Between those two teams are 31 state championships—22 for the Skyhawks (16 since 2006) and 9 for Dutch Fork (all since 2013). While both Hammond and Dutch Fork have firmly established winning traditions, both schools face the challenge of replenishing rosters following the loss of many senior starters and playmakers.

Plenty of teams besides Dutch Fork and Hammond will be interesting to watch this fall.

Irmo played for the 5A Division II state championship and while it loses phenomenal quarterback A.J. Brand to graduation, the Yellow Jackets still have plenty of weapons to remain a force in Midlands football.

Two other 5A schools, River Bluff and Ridge View, look to improve on their successful 2024 efforts, as will 4A schools A.C. Flora and Gilbert. On the 2A level Fairfield Central fell two scores short of playing for the 2A state championship, and Batesburg-Leesville rediscovered its football tradition with a great regular season and a decent run in the playoffs.

For now, the greatest promise this time of year has to offer is that every team in the Midlands is 0-0, and from that point forward everything is up for grabs, and any team could well grab it, no matter what they did the year before.

Dutch Fork (13-0, 5-0 Region 4-5A)

The Silver Foxes’ 35-21 victory over Summerville in the 5A Division I state championship game was the school’s third straight state title and ninth since head coach Tom Knotts took over the team in 2010.

“The climb to the top of the mountain is much easier than staying on the top. Trust me on that,” Knotts said after the win. “We’ve got to find ways to innovate, keep them working, keep them motivated. I’ve said many times that success is a double-edged sword. It can give you a lot of confidence but it can also destroy work ethic.”

Knotts touched on a critical time in 2023, when a senior-depleted team struggled in the early season but eventually came together and defeated Region 5A rival White Knoll for the state championship.

Dutch Fork may be in a similar position this fall. The Silver Foxes lost 30 seniors and lose up to nine starters on offense and up to seven starters on defense. Quarterback Ethan Offing (2,974 passing yards, 24 TDs; 451 rushing yards, 8 TDs) returns, as does a core of experienced offensive linemen, but the Silver Foxes will have to find successors for running back Maurice Anderson (159 1,177 yards, 22 TDs; 40 catches, 521 yards, 3 TDs), three tight ends and four wide receivers, including wideout Boykin Bickley (60 catches, 1,160 yards, 9 TDs).

Linebacker Raleigh Salters (83 tackles, 15 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 INTs) returns along with defensive end Julian Walker (50 tackles, 19 TFLs, 11 sacks), but Dutch Fork will have to find new talent along the defensive line and in the secondary, which lost Elgin Sessions (43 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 INTs, 14 PBUs) but returns Mario Anderson (49 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 INT, 8 PBUs). 

Hammond (13-0, 7-0 SCISA Region 1-4A)

The Skyhawks won its eighth straight state championship, and Jon Wheeler won his fourth straight state title as a head coach. The Skyhawks, needed some serious veteran leadership in beating Porter-Gaud 28-21.

With the game tied at 21 late in the game, Porter-Gaud had the ball inside the 20-yard line, but the veteran defense pushed the Cyclones back to the Hammond 38-yard line and forced Porter-Gaud to punt.

The Skyhawks seasoned offense cranked out a clock-melting 80-yard scoring drive, capped with yet another game-winning Andrew Turner-to-Michael Tyler touchdown pass with 45-seconds left. The defense came back on the field and secured the win for Hammond.

“Just so proud of this group, their resilience, their fight,” Wheeler said after the game. “We’ve been down at halftime in three of our last four state championship games. This team is battle-tested and they rise to the occasion.”

Hammond averaged 45.1 points per game last year in extending their winning streak to 23 games dating back to Sept. 8, 2023.

The Skyhawks take the field in a few weeks as the favorite in SCISA to win it all again, but this fall they’ll be much younger—just three players, all offensive linemen, return on offense. Five players return on defense.

With an array of younger players contending for the starting positions, Hammond will certainly rely on that foundation of discipline and hard work, and with an experienced coaching staff that includes athletic director Jeff Barnes as the offensive line coach, defensive coordinator Hamp Smith, and second-year offensive coordinator and former Heathwood Hall and Porter-Gaud coach Rick Reetz, to teach the new players the finer points of starting at the varsity level.

Irmo (12-2, 4-1 Region 4-5A)

The Yellow Jackets, who went 25-3 over the past two seasons, fell to Dutch Fork in the region championship game last fall but reached the 5A Division 2 state final, their first state championship appearance since 2006. Irmo lost 34-31 in the final game as Northwestern’s Matthew Fish hit a 27-yard field goal as time expired.

Seventh-year head coach Aaron Brand returns while his son, A.J. Brand is beginning his college career at Virginia Tech. The younger Brand led the Yellow Jackets with 2,600 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, and rushed for 2,029 yards and 27 touchdowns. Replacing Brand’s production will be Irmo’s biggest challenge, but with junior running backs Amire White (118 carries, 942 yards, 7 TDs) and Maleek Miller (21 carries, 330 yards, 3 TDs), and with wide receiver Donovan Murph (96 catches, 1,328 yards, 12 TDs) all returning, the Yellow Jackets’ offense may be in good shape.

Behind Dutch Fork, Hammond and Irmo, there is no shortage of teams who could improve upon last year. Below are just a few teams who would be worth keeping an eye on.

Ridge View (8-5, 5-1 Region 5-5A). The Blazers placed second behind Sumter in the region and went deep in the 5A Division I postseason after an early exit in 2023. Fifth-year head coach Derek Howard looks to build on last year’s momentum, and he’ll have his son, quarterback Derek “Tre” Howard III in charge of it. The younger Howard passed for 2,476 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 298 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, running back Spencer Bobian (146 carries, 973 yards, 5 TDs) returns, as well as Howard’s top three receivers—Khristian Jackson (49 catches, 737 yards, 10 TDs), Darius Carter (36 catches, 549 yards, 3 TDs), and Hayden Morris (32 catches, 465 yards, 7 TDs).

White Knoll (8-6, 1-4 Region 4-5A). The Timberwolves got off to a 4-1 start last fall but the buzzsaw of region play tempered their record to 5-5. Even so, White Knoll reached the third round of the playoffs. Among other seniors, the Timberwolves lose 3-year starting quarterback Landon Sharpe (2,765 passing yards, 31 TDs; 568 rushing yards, 7 TDs).

Fairfield Central (12-2, 4-0 Region 3-2A) The Griffins reached the upper state final, falling 32-21 to eventual 2A champion Clinton. Ty’Derion Grier (2,184 rushing yards, 37 TDs) graduated along with 17 other seniors.

River Bluff (10-3, 3-2 Region 4-5A). The Gators got off to a 6-0 start and finished behind Dutch Fork and Irmo in the region. River Bluff loses quarterback Parker Murray (1,091 passing yards, 9 TDs) and 29 other seniors, but running back Hayden Myers (1,360 yards, 12 TDs) returns.

Gilbert (8-5, 5-2 Region 4-4A). The Indians got off to a 1-3 start before finishing the regular season 6-4. They reached the third round of the playoffs and fell 63-14 to eventual 4A champion North Augusta.

Batesburg-Leesville (Region 2-2A). The Panthers rebounded from a 5-6 effort in 2023 to reach the third round of the 2A playoffs, falling to eventual 2A state champion Clinton. Batesburg-Leesville loses quarterback Tanner Watkins (1,245 passing yards, 16 TDs) and top receiver Jamerius Clark (25 catches, 500 yards, 7 TDs) and 14 other seniors, but return running back Amadre Wooden (1,543 rushing yards, 19 TDs) and receiver K.D. Whitt (21 catches, 423 yards, 9 TDs), among others.

Camden (9-4, 4-2 Region 3-4A) The personnel losses after the Bulldogs’ 3A state championship run in 2023 affected them in 2024, but not by much. Camden finished the regular season 7-3 and placed second in the region behind South Pointe, then went 2-1 in the postseason. This fall the Bulldogs are without quarterback Wyatt Thompson (941 passing yards, 11 TDs; 1,032 rushing yards, 6 TDs) and 13 other seniors. Camden has another quarterback returning who played in seven games last year, junior Greyson Rimpf (853 passing yards, 6 TDs), the son of longtime head coach Brian Rimpf. Also returning is top receiver Tylin Drakeford (56 catches, 938 yards, 11 TDs).

AC Flora (8-4, 4-2 Region 3-4A). The Falcons are another team that may be poised for a fantastic 2025. After a 13-1 season in 2022 in which A.C. Flora reached the lower state final, the 2023 season (4-7) was a letdown. So in 2024, then-junior and second-year quarterback Roper Wentzky continued to throw the longball, to the tune of 2,684 yards and 28 touchdowns. Wentzky and most of the rest of the team return, as the Falcons lost just 11 seniors to graduation. This year’s A.C. Flora team, under fourth-year head coach Ken Floyd, could well be the most surprising team of the Midlands.