Week 10 Football NOteBook: Playoffs Begin Today

I know, I know, the postseason doesn't officially start until next week -- but don't tell that to Battery Creek or Beaufort High.
After all, the Dolphins and Eagles could realize (or miss) one of their biggest season goals to date Friday in a matter of 48 minutes.

Battery Creek must beat Lake Marion on the road in order to secure a Class 3-A postseason berth and, as it's been for the last six years, Beaufort must defeat Summerville in order to win its first Region 8-AAAA title since 2005.

There's not much else to really say, so let's get down to the nitty and gritty:

BEAUFORT HIGH AT SUMMERVILLE
Last year, it was this game that made all the difference.
Riding high on a 9-0 start, four first-half turnovers doomed the Eagles against a rolling Summerville offense, resulting in a 27-6 loss (their first at home in two years) and a second-place finish in the region.

Two games later, Beaufort High saw a three-game losing skid capped by a first-round playoff upset at the hands of Berkeley, leading Eagles coach Mark Clifford to remark at the time:
"I think I didn't do a very good job of bringing them back after the Summerville game. ... Going that long without a loss and with that (Summerville) game being so big, I don't think we ever really came back."

This year's meeting will be just as big and no easier for the Eagles, as they face a Green Wave offense with big-play potential and a stingy defense that handed a high-powered Berkeley team its first loss last week.

Key to deciding this game will be Beaufort High's defense. Summerville coach John McKissick admits that his team's offensive line needs to improve, making critical the penetration of the Eagle defensive line as well as linebackers Justin Parker and Brandon Frazier.
A consistent dose of pressure would help disturb Summerville's pass attack led by a young quarterback in Dalton Saunders and wideout Chris Williams. And while the Green Wave have an able rusher in De'angelo Henderson (911 yards in six games), forcing Summerville away from its balanced attack will aid Beaufort's cause.

"They're going to throw the ball because they throw the ball well," Clifford said. "They've got a pretty good running attack and (Henderson) is hard to bring down, so we're going to have to tackle well and be physical."

Clifford said his linebacker corps will be without one of its two emerging outside linebackers after JaClay Mixon suffered a concussion in practice. Kenan Jackson and Alex Simmons will split time filling in, with D'Vonte Cohen manning the other OLB spot.

Speaking of Simmons, he'll be expected to shoulder the rushing load again, as an ankle injury will likely force Josh McPherson out of his third straight game. Not that the Eagles are panicking -- Simmons is closing in on the 1,000 yard mark for the season and has totaled 318 yards and seven scores in the last two games.

The junior's physical run style will test Summerville's defense with hopes of milking the clock and avoiding another round of costly turnovers. But with the Green Wave hitting its stride during a six-game win streak, will it be enough, especially in a tough road environment?

MY PICK: SUMMERVILLE BY 2
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BATTERY CREEK AT LAKE MARION
Win and you're in. That's all Battery Creek coach Carlos Cave knows and really cares about entering tonight's contest at Lake Marion.
Sure, if they do win and Bluffton loses to Hilton Head High, they could also clinch the No. 3 seed based on the points-allowed-in-region-play tiebreaker, but Cave and the Dolphins can only control their own destiny.

"There's no dramatic change with our attitude from before," Cave said. "The guys are fighting hard and trying to do what we ask for them to do. We know what's at stake. At this stage, it's do or die."

What the Dolphins are hoping to do is drastically improve on their performance during the last three weeks, especially on the heels of a 27-0 loss to Hilton Head High.
Subpar offensive line play forced the Dolphins into three interceptions and five sacks and squandered two red-zone opportunities. Battery Creek has also struggled to establish its run game within the spread offense, as Cecil Franklin and Joshua Fields combined for just 53 yards on 17 carries.

"We didn't pass protect once we got into the red zone and that led to some breakdowns," Cave said. "Stedman can't step into his throws and make plays if he doesn't have time in the pocket, so we've got to play better up front."

Cave said the Dolphins had an extra physical practice on Monday in order to counter what he saw as "soft play" from the defense and offensive line. The second-year coach hopes this hard-hitting will help the Dolphins against athletic Lake Marion quarterback Desmond Morton, who can spread the ball around with his strong arm and solid rushing.

Battery Creek has made strides in its plagued rush defense, holding Hilton Head's Lawrence Jenkins to just 11 yards on his first eight carries and recovering one fumble. But the Dolphins have seen an individual run for more than 100 yards in each of their last three games and last week saw their secondary give up 101 passing yards in the first half.

Snapping their current three-game losing streak won't be easy in a tough road atmosphere, but with one win, the Dolphins could erase the issues of the regular season by giving themselves new life in the postseason.

MY PICK: BATTERY CREEK BY 3

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