By Lonnie Turner
The Dillon Wildcats with a 35-7 come from behind win over the Timberland Wolves last week, will play for the Lower State title for the ninth consecutive year as they meet the Brookland-Cayce Bearcats in Cayce Friday evening at 7:30.
After Cheraw knocked them out of the playoffs with a 24-6 win in the third round in 2007, the Wildcats have claimed the Lower State title every year since including six State Championships, four in a row. Back to back titles in 2008 and 2009 and more recent, four straight since 2012 has the Wildcats heading hopefully for a fifth straight title, which has never been done in the state of South Carolina.
It won’t be an easy task with the Bearcats compiling an identical record as the Wildcats, 12-1, with the only defeat coming at the hands of Chapin in the fourth game of the season, 20-17. The BC defense has allowed only 190 points scored for the season while putting 466 on the scoreboard as compared to Dillon’s defensive numbers, 151, and the offense, led by Johnny Allen and the throwing arm of Brayden Hawkins have amassed 759 points. The big three for the Wildcats in points scored are Allen (7 TDs for 194 points, Jaylen Williams (16 TDs for 96 points) and KaNore McKinnon (14 TDs for 86 points).
The Bearcats have a 9 game winning streak, the school’s best ever, coming into the game with wins over Gray College Academy (West Columbia), 33-12, Pelion, 49-6, Swansea 35-12, Strom Thurmond, 28-6, Gilbert, 35-18,Edisto, 49-7, Battery Creek (Beaufort), 42-7 , Georgetown, 42-21 and finall knocking Bluffton from the ranks of the undefeated last week with a hard earned 14-7 win. After losing the opener 7-3 to Mallard Creek, NC, the closest any team has come to beating the Wildcats was Georgetown losing by 14 points at Georgetown,which was  a 42-21 loser at home to Brookland-Cayce in the second round. Leading the Wildcats at quarterback will be Brayden Hawkins, who has thrown for 1,030 yards and 26 touchdowns. His leading receiver is KaNore McKinnon, who has caught 37 passes for 893 yards and scored 14 TDs. Johnny Allen, who has been the workhorse out of the backfield rushing 176 times for 1,479 yards and 22 touchdowns.
A Wildcat win would probably set up another meeting with Newberry High School for the State Championship at Williams-Brice Stadium in two weeks, but first, the Wildcats have to get by Brookland-Cayce and Newberry has to whip Chapman.