The high school basketball season is in full swing and teams from around the county are working to find their footing early in the year. 

There is the potential for an exciting week of hoops action, including a few Chronicle Country matchups. Here are two boys and two girls games to keep an eye on during this week’s slate of basketball games. 

Boys games

Chapin vs. Gray Collegiate, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m.

Chapin will host Gray Collegiate on Tuesday night with both teams entering the contest 3-2 overall and averaging about 57 points per game. 

Gray is coming off a victory over North Carolina’s Covenant Day in the Battle at the Rock showcase in Rock Hill. Braylhan Thomas scored 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists, earning Player of the Game honors. 

The game against Chapin will be the first non-tournament or showcase game the team plays this season. The War Eagles will start on the road, facing a Chapin team that is riding a win streak. 

Chapin started the season 0-2 but has since gone on to win its last three games in commanding fashion. The Eagles picked up wins against South Aiken, 71-49, South Pointe, 63-55, and Newberry, 64-53. 

Both teams feature exciting guard play that will make this matchup fun to watch. 

Chapin point guard Tyson Ray put up double-digit points in all three of the team’s wins, including a 19-point performance in the win over Newberry. 

Gray Collegiate’s team features a slew of guard talent, including Thomas and point guard Tyquan Mcduffie. The War Eagles are also led by one of the state’s top prospects in forward Treyvon Maddox. 

Dutch Fork at A.C Flora, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m.

The Silver Foxes are off to a 3-2 start this season and will be put to the test when they travel for a contest against (4-1) A.C. Flora. 

Dutch Fork split its two games last week, beating Dreher 56-54 in a game that was close wire-to-wire, and then losing to Spring Valley after letting the Vikings run away in the second quarter. 

The team has seen major contributions from guard Bryson Taylor and forward Jayden Walker. 

Taylor is averaging 15 points and recorded 20 points and eight assists in a tournament game win over Chapin. His numbers are up from last season and is taking on a large offensive role.

Walker took a pair of games before breaking through as a main scoring option for the Silver Foxes. He has had double-digit scoring performances in the team’s last three contests, including 17 against Spring Valley.

A.C. Flora’s lone loss came against North Augusta, 71-, on Nov. 30. The Falcons and Silver Foxes have two common opponents and they are both of the team’s Dutch Fork saw last week.

The Falcons beat both Dreher, 60-43, and Spring Valley, 54-51. Those victories do not mean that A.C. Flora can write this matchup off as an easy win. Dutch Fork can use this game to show they can beat some of the better teams in the area. 

Girls games

Dutch Fork at A.C Flora, Dec. 5, 6:00 p.m.

While the Dutch Fork boys will be looking to upset the Falcons in their game, the girls' team will look to prove they are one of the most formidable 5A teams in the state. 

The Silver Foxes are (4-0) early in the season and have dominated most of their opponents early on. 

The team opened the season by making national headlines after a 95-0 win over Lamar. Five players reached double figures in that game and everyone who checked in scored. 

Dutch Fork followed that up with a 42-point win over Irmo and a 71-point win over Dreher. In the team’s most recent game, the Silver Foxes snagged a two-point win over Spring Valley. 

Antoinet Cheeseboro and Michaela Fairwell have jumped out to impressive starts this season, each averaging 18 points per contest. Cheeseboro came up big for the team last week scoring 21 against Dreher and 16 against Spring Valley. 

The Falcons enter the contest as a formidable test for Dutch Fork. A.C. Flora is (4-1), with its lone loss coming by a single point to North Augusta. 

Like Dutch Fork, A.C. Flora has won many games in blowout fashion. The Falcons beat Spring Valley 62-46, West Florence 63-15 and Dreher 38-9. The team also has a narrow three-point victory over Keenan from the season opener. 

Both teams were ranked in their classifications' preseason top-10 polls and coming away from this game with a win would be a good indicator they belonged.

Gilbert vs. Pelion, Dec 7, 6:15 p.m.

Gilbert will host Pelion in one of the many Chronicle Country matchups this week. 

The Indians are 3-2 entering the week and have seen inconsistent play, winning all three games by blowouts but also losing both of its games by blowouts. 

Gilbert has two big wins against Columbia and a lopsided victory over Ridge Spring-Monetta. In both of those games, the team scored at least 65 points and held its opponent to under 30. 

Against tougher competition though, Gilbert has struggled, losing its season-opener to Orangeburg Prep 64-44 and Irmo 50-28. 

Ahleira Leaphart has gotten off to a strong start, showing off her skills as a two-way player early on. She had 21 points and 5 steals in the first game against Columbia and 23 points and five steals against Ridge Spring-Monetta. She dropped 31 points in the team's most recent game against Columbia. 

In the two losses though, she has been held in check, scoring less than 10 points in both games. This game against Pelion will be just as much a proving ground for her as it is for the team.

Pelion has only played two games entering the week, picking up one win and one loss last week. The team lost its season opener by three to Blackville-Hilda but bounced back with a dominant win over Wagener-Salley 41-25. 

Both teams will have a game before facing each other. Pelion plays Horse Creek Academy on Monday, and Gilbert will see Ridge Spring-Monetta for the second time.