MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — In Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest and Socastee meet Thursday night in one of Horry County’s Week 9 region showdowns, a 7 p.m. Class 5A clash between two former Beach Region programs still fighting for playoff positioning.
The Panthers enter at 5-2 overall and 1-1 in region play after a 36-24 loss at Berkeley last Friday. Socastee sits 3-4 overall but 2-0 in the region after back-to-back one-score wins over Cane Bay and Wando. The Braves edged Wando 20-17 on Oct. 9 and beat Cane Bay 19-14 on Oct. 2, extending a three-game win streak that also includes a home win over Marion.
Socastee’s early region surge has flipped expectations for a Ben Hampton-coached club that looked destined for another long season. Carolina Forest, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back from the Berkeley setback and keep pace in a crowded 5A race.
Three Horry-vs-Horry games headline the Week 9 slate countywide, with all 10 SCHSL programs in the county scheduled to play. Only three regular-season weeks remain after this one.
Kickoff is Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. at Socastee, putting a Grand Strand region rivalry under the lights a day earlier than the usual Friday slate.
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