Shrine Bowl, Touchstone Energy Cooperative Bowls both set for Saturday
Shrine Bowl set to begin at 1 p.m. in Spartanburg, Touchstone in Myrtle Beach at noon
Sumter – The Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl will share twin billing on Saturday.
The 88th Shrine Bowl will be played at Spartanburg High School’s Viking Stadium beginning at 1 p.m., while the 78th Annual Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl will be played at Myrtle Beach High’s Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium beginning at noon.
The games are normally played on successive Saturdays in December with the Touchstone contest playing first. However, because of the extension of the season by one week by the South Carolina High School League due to the effects of Hurricane Helene the state championship games were moved to last weekend when the Touchstone game was scheduled to be played.
The Shrine Bowl gets the first pick of players to represent South Carolina against the best players from North Carolina. However, the Sandlappers will be without eight players from the original roster. Two are out with injuries while the other six opted out of the game to practice with the college football teams they signed with earlier this month.
Three of those who opted out are University of South Carolina signees quarterback Cutter Woods of Westside and wide receivers Jayden Sellers of South Florence and Malik Clark of Rock Hill. The others are South Florence defensive lineman Amare Adams, who signed with Clemson, and Richland Northeast quarterback Will Wilson and T.L. Hanna defensive back Cam Strong, both of whom signed with North Carolina State.
Signees who have grauated can practice with their respective college teams early but can’t play in a bowl game.
The two who are out with injuries are Dutch Fork linebacker Josh Smith, a USC signee, and Belton-Honea Path running back Marquise Henderson, a Clemson signee.
Additions to the Shrine Bowl roster are Hartsville inebacker Web Barnes, Manning defensive back Jeffery Ceasar, River Bluff wide receiver Stephen Collier, Ashley Ridge wide receiver Jaiden DeWeese, South Aiken running back Javon Edwards, Northwesterm quarterback Finley Polk, Irmo offensive lineman Ryan Love and Summerville defensive lineman Yasir Smith.
Polk will join Irmo quarterback AJ Brand on the sideline for South Carolina after competing against each other in the AAAAA Division II state championship game last weekend in Orangeburg. Polk completed 33 of 39 passes for 427 yards and four touchdowns in the Trojans’ 34-31 victory. Brand, who has signed with Virginia Tech, completed 12 of 17 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns while carrying the ball 21 times for 168 yards and two more scores.
