Full Court Press

After 10 weeks on the regular-season freeway, both Battery Creek and Beaufort high schools have come to the proverbial fork in the road.

For the Dolphins, the hope is to stay in the left lane for tonight's Class 3-A playoff opener at Lake City, zooming ahead from the gust generated by last week's 48-point, season-saving victory against Lake Marion.
As for the Eagles, they've got on their blinker. No way do they want to stay in the same lane that produced their worst defeat in six years -- a 33-3 loss to Summerville in last week's unofficial Region 8-AAAA title game.

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:

The rosters for this year's Shrine Bowl game were released Thursday and it comes as no surprise that Beaufort High's Justin Parker, considered by many to be the state's top linebacker prospect, was among the fortunate 88 players selected.

But Parker got another bit of good news on Thursday morning when Eagles coach Mark Clifford told him that he had also been selected to the 2010 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. This celebrated all-star game pitting 88 of the nation's top high school seniors in a East-versus-West format will take place on January 2 at Coastal Carolina University.

Just hours after playing for the Region 8-AAAA title at Summerville on Friday, Beaufort High star linebacker Justin Parker will hop on a plane bound for the University of Colorado to take his first official college visit this weekend.

Parker, who had contacted the Buffaloes last week about an official visit, told me that he finalized the trip on Tuesday. During his day-and-a-half stay, Parker will experience Colorado's homecoming festivities, as the Buffaloes take on Big 12 rival Missouri.

Plain and simple, it's do or die time for Battery Creek and Beaufort High.

For the Dolphins, the playoffs essentially start Friday, as a loss to Hilton Head High will eliminate their postseason chances -- barring some bizarre turn of events elsewhere in the unpredictable Region 8-AAA.
The Eagles face less of a challenge when they travel to a 2-6 Colleton County team, but a slip-up against a opponent who's shown itself competitive would jeopardize Beaufort's shot at the Region 8-AAAA title next week against Summerville.

So let's things break these matchups down.....

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

This Friday begins what should be a revealing, and perhaps captivating, stretch run to the season for Battery Creek and Beaufort high schools. Region titles will be decided, playoff hopes could be dashed and postseason durability will become evident -- all in the span of five weeks. In short, we'll see which teams have the juice.
Here's the rundown:

Friday: NORTH CHARLESTON AT BATTERY CREEK -- We'll get to the details of this one in a bit.

Well, I missed Thursday night's episode of "Flash Forward" because I was out covering the impressive comeback by Beaufort High's girls tennis team against Summerville, so we'll stay in the present for this week's notebook.

Besides, it's probably better that way.
One team (Beaufort High) is riding a wave of solid play in its first five games, but what the future holds for this young group is anybody's guess. Meanwhile, another team (Battery Creek) is more than thankful to wipe its hands of the past -- a past that yielded a 1-4 record -- and begin its second season on Friday night.

Just three days ago, Blake Gruel was laying in a hospital bed, slurping down popsicles while recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid.
Now, the 18-year-old is back at USC-Sumter and one week away from returning to the baseball field for the Red Ants, according to a text message he sent me on Monday evening.

Gruel's quick recovery is just another testament to the upbeat and determined spirit he conveyed when the news first broke of his diagnosis with thyroid cancer just a few weeks after enrolling at USC-Sumter.

Last night, my wife and I stumbled upon the new ABC show "Flash Forward," a drama based on the entire world blacking out before getting a glimpse of his or her future for 137 seconds. Needless to say, this sends people into a frenzy, as they try to embrace their pleasant future or steer clear of pending doom.

It takes a lot to draw me into today's breed of prime-time TV shows, but I'm already a fan of this one.