n Kelly Snow

Sports Editor

Mid-Carolina High School coach Louie Alexander called his shot before the season started.

“We said from day one, that we want to win a region championship and be the one that went from worst to first,” Alexander said.

That was a pretty bold way of thinking for a team that was entering the season on a 40-game region losing streak.

But with two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Rebels are right on schedule, and will host perennial power Batesburg-Leesville Friday for the lead in Region III-2A.

Mid-Carolina (4-4 overall, 3-0 Region III-2A) not only ended that long losing drought, but smashed it. The Rebels edged Ninety Six two weeks ago and won two more nail-biters against Saluda and Emerald.

Mid-Carolina ruined homecoming for the Vikings last week by rallying from a 14-0 halftime deficit to win 28-21 in double overtime.

The Rebels can claim at least a share of the region championship with a win Friday and will win it outright with victories in their final two games.

“We control our own destiny,” Alexander said. “We're not waiting on someone to beat somebody or see how many defensive points we've given up. Our kids are pretty strong-willed, and knowing that, I expect they'll play a little harder.”

The Rebels have already clinched a playoff berth and will be able to host a game in the postseason with a win in either of the final two weeks of the regular season.

“We're playing football in October that means something,” Alexander said. “It meant something to us last year, but it really means something now. We're sitting here looking at seeding and region championships, and we're thinking, ‘we're really not that bad.' It's been a lot of fun for our coaches and players. Practices aren't so hard to come to when you love what you do, and now our kids are enjoying coming to practice.”

Batesburg-Leesville (6-2, 3-0) can clinch at least a share of the region championship and the region's No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a victory Friday.

The Panthers enter the game fresh off a 28-14 victory against reigning region and Upper State 2-A champion Newberry.

Running back Josh Harris torched the ‘Dogs for 233 yards on 24 carries, includng a 65-yard game-clinching touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter.

Harris managed just 83 yards in the region opener against Emerald and was held to 37 yards against Ninety Six before exploding against Newberry.

“You've got to be able to bring seven, eight and sometimes nine in the box to slow (Harris) down,” Alexander said. “You have to gamble some and put some pressure on them, but pressure can sometimes get you in trouble because you don't want (quarterback Jerold Jones) running around. When you pressure, you have to tackle. A missed tackle could be a 65-yard run.”

Harris isn't the only weapon the Panthers have offensively.

Jones shouldered much of the load offensively during the first two games of region play and was 5-of-12 for 165 yards and two touchdowns against Newberry. The Panthers' quarterback connected with speedy wideout Karone Coleman for a 78-yard scoring strike last week.

The Rebels' double-wing offense will be tested by a defense that is littered with big bodies on the line, including a pair of 300-pounders.

According to the High School Sports Report, Mid-Carolina is a 28-point home underdog, despite being on a three-game winning streak.

For Alexander and his Rebels, that's just fine.

“I've had some people tell me, ‘they're good, they're big'-I know,” Alexander said. “It's a big challenge, but we've got nothing to lose. When it comes down to brass tax, there are very few people that think we even have a chance-mainly our staff and our kids. We think we can go out there and do the things that we do well, which is just the opposite of what they do well; we'll find ourselves in the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game.”

The Rebels will enter Friday's showdown as a wounded team.

They will be without five players that have started at least part of the time this season, including three linebackers.

Linebackers Tate Knox (ankle), Quin Cureton (bruised kidneys) and Seth Chick (concussion) will be out Friday.

Another linebacker, Tyrone Wilson, is expected to play despite having an injured hamstring, and Malcome Jones returned from nagging injuries last week.

Knox, Cureton and Wilson have all seen time at fullback this season, and their absences leave Mid-Carolina with starter Justin Lindler as the only regular at that key position in the double-wing.

Lindler also plays defensive end.

“The big thing for us is that we've got to find a fullback that can spell Justin, especially going against a big, strong, physical team like Batesburg,” Alexander said. “There's going to be times that he has to have a break.”

The Rebels will also be without wide receiver and kick returner Justin Felix (concussion) and offensive lineman Alan Brenner (broken wrist).

Brenner, Felix and Chick will miss at least the remainder of the regular season.

The Rebels have battled injuries throughout the season, but had everybody healed up two weeks ago-not now.

“Handling adversity makes you grow personally, professionally and socially,” Alexander said. “We've had our share. We ought to be pretty good people by now.”