BHP hosted Greenwood sandwiched between two bye weeks. And in the first matchup of all time, BHP made a statement that was heard loud and clear.
Both teams came out slow, BHP off a bye and Greenwood missing a couple players. Both teams started the game going 3-and-out both with negative total yardage after their first drive. But BHP would strike first. On their second drive. Rylan Crooks would connect with Amire Rosemond for a 51-yard touchdown to put BHP up 7-0 midway through the 1st quarter.
Like seemingly every week now, the defense picks up exactly where they left off the week before. Greenwood’s first half drives went like this: punt, punt, turnover on downs, TD, punt, end of half. The lone TD came on a 10 play 61 yard drive that ended with an 11 yard pass for the Eagles.
As phenomenal as the defensive played in the first half, the offense matched. After the first drive, BHP would score three consecutive drives. All three either scored on or set up by an explosive 20+ yard pass.
But the real turning point in the game was Greenwood’s last drive of the first half. The Eagles marched 62 yards in 10 plays to get down to BHP’s 8 yard line. With 14 seconds left in the 1st half, BHP pressured the Greenwood QB forcing him to scramble. They would tackle him for a 4 yard game, and before the next play could be ran, the halftime horn sounded. BHP held and kept the lead to 21-7 going into halftime.
Coming out of halftime, both defenses ran the show. The second half drive summary was a Big 10 fan’s dream. Both teams accounted for 7 punts, 1 turnover, 1 turnover on downs, and 1 safety. In the second half both teams combined for 78 total yards. And yes, BHP’s defense forced a safety, so for the 3rd straight game the defense has put points on the board. Unheard of.
I am not putting the expectation on this team, but the more I see this team, the more it reminds me of the ‘04 team. Enough on offense, with playmakers making plays when needed, and a defense that needs less and less of a cushion each week. Just sayin’
BHP got the first win between these two teams, and the first can never be taken away. But in the grand scheme of the season, that was just a win towards a record, not toward a championship. Closing out non-region play has shown this team many things. I believe it probably even surprised some people. But all it did was get you to this point. Where games count towards a championship, and that goal is still firmly centered in focus for this squad.
Week 6 Preview
This week brings the longest rival BHP has, the Palmetto Mustangs. Separated by 13 short miles and 60 years of bad blood. BHP has played Palmetto every season except the covid shorten 2021. In that time BHP has dominated their little brother from over the bridge to a tone of 54-7 all time. To say beating Palmetto is an expectation is an understatement. BHP has lost to the Mustangs only once in the millennium. There are hundreds of these stats, but like every football game, it’s not played in record books or spreadsheets. They are played on the field, and this one is played at home for the Bears where they have played great recently.
However, unlike recent matchups, these two teams enter with the same number of wins. BHP 3-2 on the season, the Mustangs 3-4. Palmetto opened the season with back to back losses to Pendleton 21-11, and Crescent 37-20. They turned it around with a 22-19 win over Wade Hampton, loss to Pickens 45-42 and back to back wins over Easley (49-27) and Carolina Academy (45-7). Last week they opened region play with a 41-3 loss to Emerald.
As the scores show, this is not the same old Palmetto team. Their offense has taken a step, especially since the 3rd week. And the 42 points and just a 3 point loss to undefeated Pickens is one of the most impressive losses in the upstate.
Palmetto will look to focus on a balance attack but with bell cows in each phase. It starts with sophomore running back Malachi Drummond. He leads the team in all rushing categories. Through the first 6 games (Emerald game not recorded) he has 728 yards on 101 rushes for a 7.2 yard average adding 9 rushing TDs.
Drummond forces defenses to commit to the run, and QB Bryson Afflin and his top two receivers Logan Newsome and Gage Roberts take advantage. Afflin has thrown for 981 yards and 7 TDs through the first 6 games. Newsome and Roberts account for 818 yards and 6 of those TDs. This offense gets the ball in these playmakers’ hands and they make the most of their touches.
Defensively the Mustangs look to play an even front, in mostly a 4-2-5 formation. This allows them to have 4 down linemen to slow runs, and flexibility with the drop backers to bring pressure or add to the coverage zones. The down linemen seem to be undersized, which can cause issues. Undersized linemen are usually faster and play with great leverage. BHP will have to use their offensive size to move the defensive line, and not allow them to dive into gaps mudding running lanes.
Along with the individual players, this team embodies their coach’s personality. Coach Ryan Norton, a former SC High School offensive lineman of the year and Clemson University lineman, his teams show that tough mean lineman mentality no matter the position.
No matter what each side has coming into the game, it comes down to the standard BHP has set against Palmetto. 29-1 in the last 30 matchups. I am not exaggerating and this is not hyperbole, but most of the players on both of these teams have never seen a BHP loss to Palmetto. And Friday, the standard stays the same.
Previous Matchup: 2025 Round 1 Game Stats
Score: BHP 56 -- Palmetto 7
2023 Upper State Championship BHP Stats:
Team Rushing: 26 rushes for 208 yards and 3 TDs
Team Passing: 13/15/1 for 206 yards and 5 TDs
Team Total: 41 plays for 414 yards and 8 TDs
Rushing Leader: MJ Earle - 7 rushes for 107 yards and 2 TDs
Passing Leader: Noah Thomas - 9/11/1 for 134 yards and 4 TDs
Receiving Leader: Tajeh Watson-Martin - 4 receptions for 82 yards and 1 TD
Defensive Leader: Jakyri Anderson - 5 total tackles, 2 solo, 3 QB hurries, and 1 TFL
Palmetto Team Yardage:
Team Rushing: 30 rushes for 100 yards and 1 TD
Team Passing: 5/15/3 for 36 yards
Team Total: 45 plays for 136 yards and 1 TD
Rushing Leader: Kaleb Ricketts - 19 rushes for 58 yards and 1 TD
Passing Leader: Kaleb Ricketts - 5/14/3 for 36 yards
Receiving Leaders: Logan Newsom - 3 receptions for 24 yards
Quick Stats
- BHP leads the completed series 54-7, an 88.5% winning percentage.
- BHP has won 18 straight meetings over Palmetto, the longest winning streak by either side in series history.
- During that current 18-game streak, BHP has outscored Palmetto 817-237 — an average score of roughly 45.4-13.2.
- Palmetto’s longest winning streak is only three games, from 1969-1971.
- Every Palmetto win in series history has been by 7 points or fewer.
- BHP, meanwhile, has beaten Palmetto by 22 or more points 26 times.
- Palmetto has never scored 30 points against BHP.
- BHP has shut out Palmetto 13 times.
- BHP rushed for at least 200 yards in 11 of the last 13 meetings.
- In the last nine games against Palmetto, BHP recorded 42 tackles for loss.
- BHP is 41-3 all-time in games where the Bears score on defense, winning 93.2% of the time.
- BHP has scored on defense in three consecutive games only three times since 2014: 2015, 2024, and 2026.
- Ty Dubose’s start ranks among the most disruptive five-game stretches since 2018. Through five games he has 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 4 hurries, an interception and a fumble recovery (13 disruptive stats). Only surpassed by Will Blackston 2019, and Jakyri Anderson 2025, both with 15 total disruptive stats totals.
Wrap Up
BHP is coming off an open week and opening region play. All this against the opponent BHP has faced more than any other. But familiarity alone is not the definition of this matchup. It is Dominance, from BHP to little brother Palmetto. And once again this week we get to see that play out, and this one is a start to another championship.
Prediction: BHP 35 - Palmetto 7
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