Friday night football preview

Carolina Forest (0-6) vs. Hartsville (4-2)
Kelleytown Stadium
7:30 p.m.

The Panthers of Carolina Forest have made the jump into Region 6 AAAA, and the move has been a tough one.
And this game looks like a lopsided match up on paper.
The Panthers are currently winless and have been outscored 285-68 through six games. They are giving up 47.5 points per game, including a 70-0 loss to Myrtle Beach in week two.
Meanwhile, Hartsville is averaging 37 points per game since naming Shawn Smith quarterback, and Jeff Calabrese’s Wing T offense is gaining around 350 yards rushing per game. The Foxes’ rushing attack is led by Dre Scott, who has come on strong of late and is averaging 7 yards per carry this season.
This is the first region game of the year for both teams, and most coaches regard region play as the “real” season. Carolina Forest is certainly hungry for a win, and a region win would be great for the team.
Hartsville, however, will also be looking to begin region play with a win. The game is also homecoming for the Foxes, so expect them to come to play. The Foxes’ defense has been stingy in recent weeks, and a week off last week should have given the team a chance to heal up and focus on some of the nuances of the new defensive scheme that players seem to be settling into each week.
Hartsville cannot afford to take this game lightly, however, as they must face West Florence, Sumter and Conway at their respective homes. So beginning region play with a win is important.

Indian Land (2-4)  vs. McBee (3-4) 
McBee High School
7:30 p.m.

The Panthers are coming off of one of the team’s best games in a while, and Indian Land is still smarting from the 53-0 schilacking they received from defending Class A state champion Chesterfield last week.
Both of these teams defeated North Central earlier in the year.
McBee still has a few injuries and a young offensive line; however, the line opened holes for the running backs quite well last week in the Panthers’ 62-16 victory over the Knights.
Indian Land lost to McBee 48-0 in their only meeting last season, but this game will depend on how well McBee protects the ball.
Expect the Panthers’ wishbone offense to continue to run roughshod over opponents, and if McBee protects the ball on special teams and continues to swarm around the ball on defense, they should pick up a win tonight.

Lakewood (2-4)  vs. Darlington (2-4)
Darlington Stadium 7:30 p.m.

Neither one of these teams want to begin region play with an 0-2 record, so this game has the potential to be hard-fought. Darlington is coming off of a good game against powerhouse Marlboro County last Friday, so they should be ready to compete. Lakewood will look to bounce back from a 42-6 loss to Wilson.
The Falcons are averaging 18 points per game and are giving up 21 points per game, so they are familiar with close battles. The Falcons have been improving steadily throughout the season, so look for them to use their running game and defense to grind it out with Lakewood and wear them down.
Darlington also has to play Camden and Wilson this season; therefore, a win in this game is important for them. These two teams should play hard in this one.

Lamar (5-1)  vs.
Scott’s Branch (4-2) Summerton 7:30 p.m.

This is probably the premier battle in Region 7 A. Lamar enters the game riding a 5-game win streak. The Silver Foxes are averaging 25 points per game this season, and the defense is giving up 19 points per game. Lamar has been in a few close contests and has pulled out victories in the fourth quarter a few times this season.
Jonathan Dargan will need to have a good game rushing for Lamar to keep Scott’s Branch’s offense off the field and eat up the clock.
Scott’s Branch is averaging 40 points per game this season behind offensive linemen who average 292 pounds and two running backs who rushed for 1,000 yards each last season.
The defensive line for Scott’s Branch is a weakness for the team, however, and the defense is giving up 33 points per game. They are coming off of a game against East Clarendon last Friday in which the two teams put 100 points on the score board.
This game will hinge on defense. Look for a high scoring contest.