Football is in full force around Lexington County, and as the season progresses it is becoming more clear which teams have a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run. 

Six local teams are still undefeated after week three. Week four will be a major test as many of these teams wrap their out-of-region schedule. 

Four of the six teams all come from the same region. 5A Region 4 rivals Chapin, Dutch Fork, Irmo and River Bluff are all unbeaten and have had impressive performances this season. 

The Silver Foxes were matched against another local team last week. Gray Collegiate went into the Foxes' den and got dominated 35-0. It was Dutch Fork’s second straight shutout this season after beating Ridge View 38-0 last week. 

Dutch Fork quarterback Ethan Offing completed 16-26 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran one in and added 20 yards on the ground. Running back Maurice Anderson ran the ball 15 times and totaled 149 yards with a touchdown. 

This week, Dutch Fork hosts defending 2A champions Oceanside in their final non-region game before the postseason. 

Irmo improved to 4-0 after earning its most dominant win of the season with a 55-7 victory over Carolina Forest. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 40 points per contest and held their opponents to a single touchdown for the second time this season. 

Star quarterback A.J. Brand threw for four touchdowns and added two more on the ground to lead his team to victory. Brand had his second game with over 300 yards passing, finishing with a season-high 377 last week. 

Amire White took 10 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown. Receivers Maleek Miller and Donovan Murph each had eight catches and a touchdown. Miller went for 180 yards and Murph had 141. Joey Albritton had two receptions, which were both touchdowns. 

Irmo has one of the most dominant offenses in the state, and last week they showed its defense is capable of keeping teams off the scoreboard after allowing 27 and 34 points in its previous two contests.

Another team with an explosive offense, Chapin, remained undefeated after sneaking past Newberry 42-37. 

The Eagles have scored at least 40 points in all four of their contests this season and will look to continue that momentum. 

Quarterback Brady Albro came off the bench last week after suffering an injury in the previous game against Spring Valley. He threw for 275 yards and four touchdown passes. 

Brock Smith started the game and was efficient with his time, completing six of seven passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. 

Four different Chapin receivers caught a touchdown pass, including Khalen Bostick who had two touchdowns on six catches for 142 yards. Cooper Canady, Cole Martin and Jessup Boulware had a touchdown each. 

The Eagles face their biggest test this week with a game against undefeated Summerville. The Green Wave also possesses a high-powered offense, having scored 40-plus in their last two games. 

River Bluff is the other undefeated 5A Region 4 team after coming off a close 14-13 win over Gilbert in a game that came down to one play. 

The Gators led for most of the game but a 99-yard touchdown drive in the final few minutes put the Indians in a position to tie or take the lead with just over 30 seconds left in the game. 

Gilbert opted to go for two and the win, instead of kicking a game-tying PAT kick. Quarterback Cooper James took the snap and threw a pass to receiver Chandler Guthrie. But before the ball hit Guthrie’s hands, River Bluff linebacker Blaine Fender swatted the pass to the ground, sealing the win for his team. 

Swansea and Batesburg-Leesville are the only other undefeated teams in the county after picking up wins against Pelion and Lower Richland. It is both teams’ best start in years.

The last time Swansea started the year 4-0 was the 2012 season when the team finished 10-2. For Batesburg-Leesville 3-0 is their best start since 2015. 

Elsewhere around the county Northside Christian got back into the win column with a 22-7 win over Andrew Jackson. The Crusaders improved to 3-1 with the win and will look to continue winning this week with a game against Spartanburg Christian. 

Lexington picked up its first loss of the season, losing to Greenwood 14-0. The Wildcats were shut out at home after scoring at least 20 points in all of their previous matches. 

Four teams are still winless and will attempt to turn the tide moving forward. Pelion, Brookland-Cayce and Airport are in action this week seeking a win. The Eagles and Bearcats begin region play this week against 0-3 Aiken and 2-2 South Aiken. Pelion will travel to Mid Carolina. American Leadership, the last winless team, has a bye this week. 

Big Performances

Brady Albro threw four touchdown passes after coming off the bench in the second quarter for Chapin in their win against Newberry.

Tysean Charley scored two touchdowns for Swansea as the Tigers improved to 4-0 with a win over Pelion. 

Ethan Offing accounted for three total touchdowns in Dutch Fork’s dominant win over Gray Collegiate. 

A.J. Brand threw for four touchdowns and added two on the ground to help Irmo defeat Carolina Forest 55-7. 

Week 3 Area Scoreboard 

Chapin: 42, Newberry: 37

Dutch Fork: 35, Gray Collegiate: 0

Irmo: 55, Carolina Forest: 7

Greenwood: 14, Lexington: 0  

River Bluff: 14, Gilbert: 13

Westwood: 31, Airport: 7 

May River: 35, Brookland-Cayce: 13

Swansea: 28, Pelion: 18

Ridge Spring-Monetta: 21, American Leadership Academy: 6

Batesburg-Leesville: 21, Lower Richland: 7 

Northside Christian: 22, Andrew Jackson Academy: 7 

Week 4 Games to Watch

Airport vs. Aiken

Chapin at Summerville 

Dutch Fork vs. Oceanside Collegiate

Swansea vs. Barnwell