I was kind of close

I try my best not to make predictions concerning games that I'm covering, partly because I know just how wishy-washy teenagers can be (i.e. my girlfriend broke up with me, my heart's not into playing football tonight).

But I just couldn't resist myself last week. For the days leading up to Newberry High's game against Chapin, I just had a feeling that junior running back Montagus Caldwell was going to have a huge game. My prediction was that he'd have at least 170 yards and a minimum of two touchdowns.

I even shared that hunch with a couple of people on the sidelines, most notably NHS girls' basketball coach Ronney Hunter and assistant boys' basketball coach Adonis Hill.

Well, Caldwell exploded for a couple of long touchdown runs early on and had 127 yards by halftime.

I was feeling pretty good about my prediction - but Caldwell managed just 10 yards on five carries in the second half.

So I was 23 yards short, but the junior still had a breakout game two weeks before opening region play.

Be ready at all time

With Chapin facing 4th-and-10 from its own 39-yard line and already trailing 28-7 late in the first half, the Eagles took a huge chance.

Chapin punter Joe Rister took the snap, took a step as if he was going to kick the ball, but instead raced down the sideline in front of the Newberry bench.

Rister picked up 12 yards on the fake, but was drilled out of bounds by Newberry defensive back Kerry Workman.

Rister flew towards several players and coaches, and knocked reserve wide receiver Brenden Roberts off his feet. After Roberts picked himself up, and endured the laughter from his teammates, he put his helmet on, snapped his chin-strap and was ready for the next hit...on the sidelines.

Field position woes

The Newberry offense didn't have to worry too much about its field position in the first half. The ‘Dogs piled up nearly 300 yards total offense in the first half, but were in a hole for practically the entire second half.

Newberry ran 18 plays on Chapin's side of the field in the first half, but only one in the second half.

That one play was a fumbled snap to start a possession after a Chapin penalty on a kickoff.

The Bulldogs' started drives inside their own 20-yard line on four of six second-half possessions.

First of four

This week's game marks the first of four times this season that Mid-Carolina will play a team that Newberry played the week before.

The Rebels will host Chapin Friday, seven days after the Bulldogs' defeated the Eagles 36-33 on the road.

Mid-Carolina will face Saluda (10/10), Gilbert (10/17) and Batesburg-Leesville (10/24) the weeks after Newberry faces them.