Prep Capsules: Four games moved up to Wednesday with bad weather looming
Sep. 28—Edisto (4-2) at Barnwell (6-0)
Last time they played
Barnwell defeated Edisto 46-27 on Oct. 1, 2021.
Keys to the game
The goal is to continue to improve for unbeaten Barnwell, which is ranked third in Class AA but has also had some issues defending the pass this season. That shouldn't be an issue Wednesday against Edisto, which has run the ball on more than 80% of its offensive snaps through six games this season. However, there is still potential for the Cougars to turn a rare pass play into a big one — they're averaging nearly 20 yards per completion. Where Edisto, and everyone else, will run into problems is against the Barnwell offense. The Warhorses are averaging 390 yards of offense per game, led by a physical offensive line and 1,335-yard running back Tyler Smith, and they've shown they can answer scores quickly when needed.
Wagener-Salley (3-3, 2-0 Region 4-A) at Williston-Elko (0-5, 0-2 Region 4-A)
Last time they played
Wagener-Salley defeated Williston-Elko 52-28 on Oct. 1, 2021.
Keys to the game
There's no secret here that both of these teams are going to want to run the ball, so this game will come down to controlling the line of scrimmage and establishing the run. Wagener-Salley has done that especially well over the last three weeks, rushing for an average of 359.3 yards per game behind an experienced line and star runners Cameron Davis and Ian Stroman. Williston-Elko's defense allowed 239 rush yards last week against Ridge Spring-Monetta, and some of that was set up by RS-M having success with the pass. The Blue Devils were able to force a couple of fumbles, though, and will try to cause more problems with their aggressive style.
Blackville-Hilda (0-5, 0-2 Region 4-A) at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler (3-3, 0-2 Region 4-A)
Last time they played
Blackville-Hilda defeated Hunter-Kinard-Tyler 60-0 on Oct. 8, 2021.
Keys to the game
Blackville-Hilda is in desperate need of a turnaround — and a quick one — after last week's loss to Wagener-Salley in which the Fighting Hawks allowed 401 rushing yards in a 27-7 loss. To get into the win column, Blackville-Hilda will need to cut down on the self-inflicted wounds like penalties, turnovers and missed tackles. The Fighting Hawks are banged up, so an already-young team will be counting on its youth even more. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler has its usual complement of fast, athletic players at the skill positions and a strong-armed quarterback, and the Trojans used a trio of long passes to do their only damage of the night in a loss two weeks ago to Wagener-Salley. Blackville-Hilda will have to avoid giving up too many of those big gainers.
Ridge Spring-Monetta (1-4, 1-0 Region 4-A) at Denmark-Olar (3-1, 1-0 Region 4-A)
Last time they played
Ridge Spring-Monetta defeated Denmark-Olar 62-58 on Sept. 17, 2021.
Keys to the game
Ridge Spring-Monetta will have to find ways to slow down Denmark-Olar's explosive playmakers, ones they remember well from last year's 62-58 shootout. This year's RS-M team doesn't much resemble that one, and the Trojans have faced an uphill battle due to injuries. Still, they came into this short week with a lot of enthusiasm after last week's win over Williston-Elko. The Trojans found more success in the passing game, which in turn opened things up for the run game, and the defense pitched a shutout. There will still mistakes, and Denmark-Olar will try to exploit those should they happen again. The Trojans will have to make things happen on the line of scrimmage against a Vikings team that's shown improvement up front.
