Full Game Highlights from week 3: North Augusta shut down Grovetown; Richmond surprised Evans; and South Aiken handed Strom Thurmond its first loss

Despite heavy losses to graduation, North Augusta has started the season 3-0.

Richmond emerges as the area's surprise team

"Winning's a lot better than losing" was the perfect way for Richmond Academy's head coach Lyle Burns to react to the Augusta Chronicle's Larry Taylor's question about how pleased he is to have his Musketeers off to a 3-0 start. Richmond has lit up the scoreboard in all three of its season opening wins, averaging 40 points per contest after blitzing Evans 41-7 Friday.

The Musketeers rushed for 299 yards, compared to 50 for the Knights, who fell to 0-3 for the season. Torri Taylor, who has consistently posted big numbers dating back to last season, led the attack with 116 yards on 18 carries. But he got plenty of help from Isiah Dorsey, who rushed for 115 yards on only 8 carries, three of which ended in touchdowns. Also, a fourth Dorsey touchdown was added Isiah's twin brother Israel found the end zone for the final score of the game with a 1 yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Quarterback Mason Cobb continued his consistent play, completing 6 of 9 passes for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now that Richmond (class 4A) has proven it can put the same kind of beating on a class 6A opponent like Evans that it did on the class 2A likes of Hephzibah (45-20 in week 1) and Westside (34-0 in week 2), the Musketeers will get to prove Friday was no fluke when they visit another 6A opponent in Grovetown, which fell to 1-2 Friday after a 31-6 loss at North Augusta.

North Augusta stops Grovetown cold to improve to 3-0

On their way to a 31-6 win, the Yellow Jackets smothered Grovetown's offense Friday, holding the Warriors scoreless aside from a touchdown on a second quarter kick return. Linebackers Caree Collier and Chris Torres, as well as safety Derian Gibson, who came into the game with 83 total tackles combined through 2 games, spent much of their time in Grovetown's backfield, disrupting the offense with hard hits, forcing fumbles, and preventing the Warriors from building any rhythm. Before discussing his own play in his post game interview, quarterback Tanner White made sure to give the credit for Friday's win to his teammates on the other side of the ball.

"The defense played a heck of a game. They scored a lot of points for us. They had us in a position to score," White told AugBball's Robert Drew.

White, a senior transfer from Midland Valley who earned the starting spot for the Jackets' opener against Thomson, played more Friday than he was able to in the first two games combined. After sitting out with an injury for almost 6 quarters between halftime of game one and the final four minutes of game 2, White took advantage of his first stretch of extended playing time Friday by throwing a pair of touchdown passes, one to LaMarcus Moore and another to Zion Dobbs, and rushing for another score.

The Jackets will try to extend their winning streak next Friday on the road against Blythewood.

South Aiken reaches the win column

South Aiken grabbed its first win in three tries with a 14-0 decision over Strom Thurmond, which entered Friday on a roll with 2 wins to open the season. AugBball was there to provide this highlight reel from the game, although we regret that one of the two Thoroughbred scores was not captured on film:

Aquinas and Harlem win big

After facing each other last Friday in a game that seemed to me to have no loser, Aquinas and Harlem blew off major steam in blowout road wins at Wilkinson County, where the Irish prevailed 34-12, and Washington Wilkes, where the Bulldogs came out on top 54-25 behind eye popping rushing statistics (251 yards) by senior star AJ Brown.

Aquinas’s Kam Brinson scores here on the direct snap. The Irish have been very impressive in their 3-0 start! https://t.co/8uVUpjDjeu

— Chad Cook's AugBball (@AugBball) September 1, 2018

Finally, staying home and watching two of South Carolina's best class 2A teams on MeTV was a good option because the reports from Barnwell's 21-14 win over Silver Bluff were glowing, both before the game...

There is not a seat available here at Silver Bluff tonight. Folks are lining the fences. Great atmosphere.

— Kyle Dawson (@ItsKyleDawson) September 1, 2018

And afterwards:

Barnwell-Silver Bluff was a treat tonight. That's the kind of hard-fought football and great atmosphere that made that rivalry so great. I'm glad we have it back.

— Kyle Dawson (@ItsKyleDawson) September 1, 2018

Hopefully I'll be able to catch that replay Sunday on WJBF!