Northwestern tops N. Augusta in unbeatens battle

The battle between two unbeaten 4A teams turned out to be a second-half blowout for the visiting Northwestern (Rock Hill) Trojans.

After leading the North Augusta Yellow Jackets 14-7 at halftime, the Trojans opened up the scoring to win 42-14 to stay unbeaten. MaxPreps National Player of the Year candidate Justin Worley threw for 424 yards and four scores on 39 of 50 passing.

"We knew we missed some opportunities in the first half," the quarterback told the Rock Hill Herald. "We had receivers open all night, and we knew that if we could come out and score on the opening drive, it would help us down the road."

"The second half was a total team effort," Northwestern coach Jimmy Wallace told the newspaper. "It was a great effort on offense and a great effort on defense in a tough environment."

Here are some more tidbits concerning South Carolina football:

2. Conway is still playing without starting quarterback Mykal Moody, who was injured in the first week of action.
Moody, a sophomore, started last season and was expected to lead the Tigers this season, but he suffered a severely sprained ankle that required two temporary screws to help speed up the recovery process.

"The status is the same with Mykal," coach Chuck Jordan told the Myrtle Beach Sun News this week. "Basically, it's one of those things I don't know if we'll get him back or not. I don't know if the orthopedic [doctor] can tell you that right now. I'm preparing as if you gotta drive on. That's what you got to do. I hope he'll be available before the season's out."

3. For some teams, having opponents average 14 points would be nice. At Hemingway, though, that’s all opponents have scored all year. The 14 points by opponents is easily the lowest number in the state, no matter the classification. The Tigers gave up a season-high eight points last week and have posted four shutouts in six wins. One more shutout and they match the number they had last season.

4. Since there was a mention of the top defense in the state, how about the best offense?

Another 1A team gets that honor as Williston-Elko has scored 354 points (50.6 points per game) and that’s after being shut out in its opener. The Blue Devils are the only team in the state to have surpassed 300 points and they’ve scored more than 48 points in each game except for their opening week loss. It really shouldn't be a surprise that the Blue Devils have posted such a gaudy number, since the defending 1A Division II state champs averaged 49.8 points per game last season.

5. Flora (Columbia) is two wins away from tying a school record for consecutive wins to start a season. In 1968, the Falcons rattled off eight straight victories. This season, they are 6-0 and one of five 3A teams without a loss. To tie the record, though, the Falcons will have to topple region foes Airport (4-2) and Midland Valley (3-3) in the next two weeks.

STARS FROM LAST WEEK
Woodland (Dorchester) quarterback Robert Smith's absence from the field during the second half didn't hurt his numbers. He totaled 297 offensive yards in the 56-6 win over North Charleston. He threw for 183 yards on 12 of 20 passing with five touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score ... The Wren (Piedmont) connection of quarterback Austin McCaskill and wide receiver Elliott Caldwell was big in a 35-20 win over Westside on Friday. McCaskill threw for 383 yards, 134 of which were from Caldwell's catches and the two hooked up for four touchdowns ... Laurens tailback Tez Harris ran for 112 yards in the opening quarter of a 42-21 win over Riverside. He finished with 190 yards on 21 carries with one score.

RECRUITING NEWS
According to PalmettoSports.com, Lamar linebacker BJ Goodson has committed to Clemson, choosing the Tigers over Coastal Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU. Through six games he has 91 tackles and five sacks, according to the report.

ON DECK THIS WEEK
Clover (6-0) at Gaffney (4-2): What a way to start Region III-4A play, with two of the conference’s top programs matching up. Clover has rattled off six straight wins to start the season and has split the last two games with Gaffney. The Indians have played well at home, losing a tight game with Dorman and beating Byrnes and Greenville. A week off to plan for Clover’s wing-T offense will certainly help the Indians.

North Augusta (5-1) at Lexington (4-2): Lexington snapped a two-game losing skid last week and looks to win a region championship for the first time since 2003. North Augusta, and Orangeburg-Wilkinson in three weeks, look to be the biggest hurdles in that quest. The Yellow Jackets will have to rebound from the loss to Northwestern.

Mullins (5-1) at Dillon (6-0): A generation of Mullins players have no idea what it’s like to beat Dillon. The last Mullins win against Dillon was in 1971, as the Wildcats have won 14 straight and 20 of the 24 meetings (two were ties). Dillon hasn't slowed down after two straight state championship seasons, as the Wildcats haven’t surrendered more than seven points in a game and average more than 37 points a game.

Jason Gilmer is an award-winning writer who has covered football in South Carolina for more than a decade. He does a statewide high school football blog on GoUpstate.com. You can reach him at palmettofootballtalkblog@gmail.com.