Week 8 Football NOteBook: Playoff Picture Coming Together

Now that just four weeks remain in the regular season, the once-scattered pieces to the playoff puzzle are beginning to be snapped together.
Beaufort's chances as a state-title contender will become more clear after Friday's anticipated matchup with Berkeley, while Battery Creek looks to gain necessary ground in the Region 8-AAA race when it travels across the Broad River to face Bluffton.
Here's the scoop for Week 8:

BERKELEY AT BEAUFORT HIGH
Eagles coach Mark Clifford isn't one to offer excuses, but it's obvious that running back Josh McPherson's ankle injury couldn't have come at a worse time in the regular season, what with Berkeley, Summerville and Goose Creek on the horizon.
A severely sprained ankle kept Beaufort's leading rusher out of practice all week and Clifford said that if the junior does dress, his role will be very limited in Friday's contest.
As a result, the onus falls on running backs Alex Simmons, who's gained 673 yards in sharing the load with McPherson this season, and Demeo Holmes, who's emerged of late to score four times in the Eagles' last three games.

Earlier this week, Clifford alluded to having a "Plan B" in place should McPherson not be able to play -- a plan that will likely include a few more carries and throws for quarterback Beau Brown to open up the field. But whatever this alternative scheme is, it must produce a good amount of points.
Here's a Berkeley team averaging more than 40 points in its seven wins and boasting one of the state's most explosive backs in Bruce Ellington, who's rushed for 863 yards and 16 touchdowns. What's more, the Stags have offensive depth in wideout Pernell Irving and running back R.J. Robinson, who consistently gives his team good field position with an average of 67.8 yards per return (no, that's not a typo).

That's why when I asked Clifford and Eagles defensive coordinator Jerry Hatcher what they had drawn up to slow this high-powered offense of option double-wing and Wildcat formations, they kept it simple:
The defenders must be in their right place and make tackles on the first try.
"With a kid like (Ellington), you can't just be where you're supposed to be" Clifford said. "You've got to wrap him up when you can and pursue him from the right angle."

The key to stopping such an offense is winning the time-of-possession battle handily. Only the team with the ball can score, meaning Simmons and Holmes must be efficient and turnover-free on the ground.
Likewise, the defense must mirror its play during last week's win at Wando, when it allowed just six points and flew around the field for two sacks, two forced fumbles and a goal-line stand.
"It will be a good test for us to see how we stand against a quality football team," Clifford said, "but region or not, we always go out to win."

MY PICK: BERKELEY BY 3
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BATTERY CREEK AT BLUFFTON
Maybe it's just me, but it sure doesn't feel like Bluffton and Battery Creek have the same 2-5 overall and 1-1 Region 8-AAA records (Both teams have defeated Wade Hampton and Stall).
Perhaps it's because the Dolphins have let several leads slip away this season, none more heartbreaking than last week's loss to region front-runner North Charleston. A scoreless second half with just three first downs, one turnover and 57 yards turned a 20-12 halftime advantage into a 24-20 loss and missed opportunity.
Similar scenarios have played out in two of the Dolphins' three prior contests, surrendering nine- and seven-point leads in losses to Airport and Ridgeland.
"I don't know what it is," Dolphins coach Carlos Cave said. "For whatever reason, we're not making plays when we need to. So we as coaches have been stressing the importance of crunchtime and that we've got to make plays in those moments."

To help this cause, Cave has inserted speedy running back Joshua Fields into the starting lineup, hoping his knack for big plays will lead to better success. Last week, Fields gained 37 yards and scored once on just three touches.
"There will still be a good mixture of both guys," Cave said referring to Fields and usual starter Cecil Franklin. "Both do certain things well, but we want to see how Fields does starting out the gate."
Most of the Dolphins' offensive success came through the air last week, with Stedman James finding Leander Mobley for two first-half touchdowns. But this soon fizzled behind several miscommunicated routes and reads.

Still, even if the offense struggles, the Dolphins must become able to depend on its defense to hold leads.
No, this isn't the same Dolphin defense that gave up an average of 225-plus rushing yards in its first five games, but old habits surfaced last week, as bad tackling and pursuit allowed North Charleston to gain 170 yards on the ground.
Bluffton's Wing-T offense has made strides since the season's start, and Cave sees no reason why the Bobcats won't try their hand against the Dolphins' rush defense as well.
"Anybody who watches film on us knows we're susceptible to the run," Cave said. "We'll see how it pans out Friday night, but I don't see why they could do anything else."

MY PICK: BATTERY CREEK BY 4

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