Summerville (8-4) travels to the Up State Friday to take on James F. Byrnes (10-2) in the second round of the Division 1-AAAA playoffs.

Year-in and year-out both teams are competitive. Between them, they have 22 state championships.

Summerville has 12 titles, including 10 under the leadership of current coach John McKissick. Defending 1-AAAA Champion Byrnes has 10, including three under current coach Chris Miller.

“Byrnes has a tough program and always fields a good team,” McKissick said. “They have only lost twice this year and one of those came in double overtime against Myrtle Beach.”

In addition to the 28-21 loss to Myrtle Beach, the Rebels suffered a 35-13 defeat to Gaffney.

This season the Green Wave fell to Goose Creek, Ashley Ridge, Beaufort and West Ashley.

Byrnes has all-stars in all aspects of its game. Defensive lineman Rashard Dillard (6-1, 230) and running back Shakeem Wharton have been selected to represent the school in the North-South all-star game while kicker Kaleb Patterson will represent the Rebels in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas all-star game.

The Rebels have outscored opponents 555-135 this season. The team put up more than 50 points against seven different opponents and shutout three. It has held nine teams to under 14 points.

According to preps.goupstate.com, Byrnes has rushed for 1,440 yards and 19 TDs this season and passed for 3,151 yards and 43 TDs with only 7 interceptions.

The team is 49 of 50 on extra-point kicks and 8 of 9 on field goals.

The Rebel defense has made 13 interceptions and forced 19 fumbles, recovering 15 fumbles.

But Summerville is not without its own all-stars. Summerville defensive back Matt White, who has been one of the state’s leading defenders for the past three seasons, has been selected to participate in the Shrine Bowl game. Wave offensive lineman Jarrid Govia was selected for the North-South game.

Summerville’s forte this season has been defense, but it has outscored its opponents 179-131. The Wave D has two shutouts and has held seven teams to under 14 points. The team’s offense scored 34 points against Conway in week one and 28 points in both of its last two games but those games have been the exception when it comes to scoring.

Summerville has rushed for 1,826 yards and 17 TDs while passing for some 820 yards and four TDs with only five interceptions.

The Wave is 27 of 27 on extra-point kicks and 6 of 11 on field goals.

The Wave defense has 11 interceptions on the season. It has forced 15 fumbles and recovered 25.

Summerville and Byrnes last met in the 2007 state championship game. On that day, a spry young Rebel running back named Marcus Lattimore tallied some 200 yards of offense as his team earned a 48-9 victory over a Summerville squad that featured A.J. Green.

Lattimore of course now plays for the South Carolina Gamecocks while Green plays for the NFL’s Bengals.

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com