THURSDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Week 4 of the high school football season was slated to be “Reunion Time”.

A pair of non-region games about 7.6 miles apart were scheduled involving visiting coaches returning to their old stomping grounds.

At Leonard Price Stadium, Dreher High School head coach Treigh Sullivan was set to face alma mater Gilbert High School.

Just down the road at Panthers Stadium, Batesburg-Leesville were welcoming back a former head coach Perry Woolbright, now Lexington’s head coach.

The third-generation head football coach went 37-11 in three season with the Panthers. He led them to the 2016 Class 2A title game where they lost to longtime rival Abbeville.

This would have marked the first matchup in seven years in a series which dates back to 1950. The Wildcats lead 26-17 all-time and have won the last seven meetings.

Instead, under the directions of S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, schools in Lexington and Richland counties were among the 26 ordered closed on Tuesday.

Lexington School Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4, Lexington/Richland District 5 and Charter Institute of Erskine (which supervises Gray Collegiate) followed suit with closings. As of presstime, some schools like Gilbert have rescheduled their games for either Monday or Tuesday (see B3).

SCISA school Northside Christian Academy postponed Friday’s home game against Thomas Sumter, while W.W. King was working on a new date for road game at Laurens Academy. Check both www.schsl.org and www.scisa.org for any scheduling changes.

TMQB TEAM OF THE WEEK - White Knoll

Since losing to Brookland-Cayce in the season-opener, the Timber-wolves have run off three straight victories. The latest was a 48-38 win over Aiken.

TMQB PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Ty Olenchuk (Dutch Fork)

The Clemson University-bound two-sport athlete (he will play baseball for the Tigers) was a perfect 12-12 passing for 261 yards and 4 TDs in the 63-7 win over Boiling Springs.

WEEK 3 GRIDIRON GIANTS

Brandon Caughman (Airport) - 133 total yards, TD K’Shoun Williams (Batesburg-Leesville) - 7-10 passing, 186 total yards, 3 TDs Trey Lyles, Taison Thomas and Connor Evans (all of Chapin) - 169 combined rushing yards, 3 TDs Roger Pedroni (Chapin) - 8-13 passing, 113 yards, 2 TDs James Wells (Chapin) - 14 tackles Jacob Drag (Chapin) - 11 tackles Conner Lehmann (Chapin) - 10 tackles Gage Zirke (Dutch Fork) - 6 receptions, 173 yards, 3 TDs Ron Hoff (Dutch Fork) - 120 rushing yards, 2 TDs Jonathan Hall (Dutch Fork) - 116 rushing yards Dutch Fork defense - 54 rushing yards allowed Dutch Fork offense - 694 total yards Josh Strickland (Gilbert) - 2 passing TDs Darrius Bell (Gilbert) - 2 sacks Willie Harmon (Gilbert) - 94% grade Brice Elrod (Gilbert) - 93% grade Omarion Dolleson (Irmo) - 173 rushing yards, TD Fulton Bryant (Northside Christian) - 3 passing TDs; 2 interceptions on defense Charlie Compton (Northside Christian) - 2 TD receptions Pryce Whitten (Pelion) - 12-22 passing, 168 yards, 2 TDs Will Jeffcoact (Pelion) - 12 tackles Braden Walker (River Bluff) - 219 total yards, 3 TDs Antonio Gantt (River Bluff) - 124 rushing yards Adam Molnar (River Bluff) - 14 tackles Preston Sansone (River Bluff) - 10 tackles Donovan Johnson (White Knoll) - 115 rushing yards Jamais Holloway (White Knoll) - 102 yards, 3 TDs Aveon Smith (White Knoll) - 13-21 passing, 183 yards, 2 TDs; 81 rushing yards, 2 TDs Devin Jones (White Knoll) - 12 tackles

AND THEN, THERE WERE 3

Only Dutch Fork, River Bluff and Chapin are undefeated in Chronicle Country. All 3 also reside in Region 5-5A which, despite Lexington’s loss to South Aiken, sports a 16-2 overall mark through the first four weeks of the season.

On the flip side, Pelion, Swansea, Northside Christian and W.W. King Academy remain winless.

BY THE NUMBERS

Dutch Fork has won 15 straight games dating back to last season and has outscored its first three opponents this season 184-7. The fourth quarter touchdown scored by Boiling Springs snapped a Silver Foxes streak of 11 straight scoreless quarters...White Knoll quarterback Aveon Smith has thrown for 654 yards and 7 TDs and rushed for 479 yards and 10 TDs...Gray Collegiate quarterback Hunter Helms has thrown for 1,053 yards on 92-137 passing and 9 TDs through four games.

QUOTABLE

“We learned that we have to show up and play with our best effort each week. We can’t just show up and not play hard and expect to get a win. I think our team will respond by playing with effort we expect,” - Lexington head football coach Perry Woolbright when asked about the team responding for its first loss of the season.