It was another strong week of football around Lexington County with a few teams flexing their muscle in blowout victories, while others squeaked out a win in a close contest. 

Three local teams are still unbeaten entering week eight. Dutch Fork, Irmo and Batesburg-Leesville are a combined 19-0 entering this week after earning dominant wins against their opponents last week. 

Dutch Fork and White Knoll met for a rematch of last season’s 5A state title game. Dutch Fork won that game after losing the region title to White Knoll earlier that season. The Silver Foxes are looking to regain the region title this season, and the victory over the Timberwolves moved the team to 2-0 against conference foes. 

The Silver Foxes beat White Knoll 38-0 for the team’s fourth shutout win this season. Dutch Fork has dominated every opponent with its closest game being a 24-7 win over Spartanburg. The team is in a prime position to reclaim the region championship, but it still has some obstacles to overcome. 

One team that could challenge Dutch Fork for the region title is cross-town rival Irmo. The Yellow Jackets joined 5A Region 4 this season and are undefeated entering week eight with wins over Lexington and River Bluff. 

Against the Gators last week, star quarterback A.J. Brand put the team on his back and took off running. He recorded three total touchdowns, all on the ground, and recorded over 300 total yards to help give River Bluff its first loss. 

Irmo has also played in its fair share of blowout wins, but the team has also played a few close contests. Reaching their full potential will be crucial for the Yellow Jackets if they want to win a highly competitive region in their first season. 

Batesburg-Leesville is the third undefeated Lexington County team after defeating Ninety Six 42-14. It was the first region game this year for the Panthers after their previously scheduled contest against Strom Thurmond was delayed because of Hurricane Helene. 

With a win this week against American Leadership, the Panthers would match the 7-0 start they had in the 2015 season. With plenty of games left to go, Batesburg-Leesville could be looking at one of its best seasons in program history. 

Lexington and Gilbert picked up wins in two closely contested matches. 

The Wildcats came back from 17-down against Chapin to improve to 1-1 in region games. The Eagles jumped out to a big lead in the second quarter, but quarterback Breenan Carter connected on a deep ball touchdown right before halftime to cut the deficit. 

Lexington outscored Chapin 20-9 in the second half to steal a win on the road. Carter connected on a 22-yard pass to Nigel Lewis with less than a minute on the clock to go ahead and seal the win. 

Gilbert also made a fourth-quarter comeback against region foe Midland Valley. The Indians trailed by a touchdown entering the final quarter. The Indians scored two touchdowns and held Midland Valley scoreless to earn the victory and improve to 2-3 this season. 

Quarterback Cooper James found Chandler Guthrie for a 30-yard pass and catch touchdown to go ahead with just over a minute left. The Indians are now 1-1 in region games after missing two contests in consecutive weeks because of Hurricane Helene. 

Gray Collegiate and Airport faced off in a region contest between two local teams. That game was all War Eagles as the team went on to win 50-0. 

Northside Chrisitan picked up its sixth win this season after beating Orangeburg Prep 23-14. The Crusaders are about to embark on its region season with three contests left on the schedule. The team’s lone loss came in its only region game played so far, a 28-9 loss against Wilson Hall.

Rounding things out, American Leadership and Pelion were on the wrong side of a shutout as both teams were dominated. The Panthers fell to Saluda 53-0 to drop to 1-6 this year and 0-2 in region. The Patriots are still winless in its inaugural varsity season and sit at 0-1 in region games. 

With the real contenders emerging in the region's standings, every game moving forward is going to mean more when it comes to playoff seeding. Hurricane delays are no longer a factor and every win can be the difference in hosting a playoff game or not. 

Big Performances

Jamerius Clark did it all for Batesburg-Leesville, catching three passes, an interception and returning a punt for a touchdown. 

A.J. Brand ran in three touchdowns to help Irmo defeat River Bluff 35-14. 

Cooper James passed for over 250 yards and three touchdowns in Gilbert’s win over Midland Valley. 

Maurice Anderson had three touchdowns and accounted for almost 150 yards in Dutch Fork’s shutout win over White Knoll.

Week 7 Area Scoreboard 

Dutch Fork: 38, White Knoll: 0

Irmo: 35, River Bluff: 14

Lexington: 33, Chapin: 32 

Gray Collegiate: 50, Airport: 0 

Gilbert: 35, Midland Valley: 28

Strom Thurmond: 53, American Leadership: 0 

Batesburg-Leesville: 42, Ninety Six: 14

Saluda: 53, Pelion: 0

Northside Christian: 23, Orangeburg Prep: 14

Week 8 Games to Watch

Gray Collegiate at South Aiken

Brookland-Cayce vs. Gilbert

White Knoll vs. Irmo

Lexington vs. Dutch Fork