Deja vu?

Orangeburg-Wilkinson middle linebacker Sterling Lucas hopes not. But, so far, this year is shaping up to be a lot like last year: O-W wins its first three games, only to end the season with four wins. This year, the first three games produced victories over Edisto, Colleton County and Battery Creek, but the last two -- 49-6 to Summerville and 28-6 to Fort Dorchester.

"The difference has been the competition," Lucas said. "We are playing better competition, and really we are right there. It's not that they beat us, it's that we beat ourselves."

O-W head coach Reggie Kennedy agrees with his star player. Looking forward to Friday's homecoming against South Florence, he knows one thing for sure.

"They are not Summerville or Fort D, I will tell you that much," Kennedy said. "(South Florence) is a scrappy bunch, and they are going to win one sooner or later ... I just hope it's not against us."

Taking the Summerville and Fort Dorchester game on the chin, Kennedy said, has made Orangeburg-Wilkinson a better team.

"I will tell you what," he said. "When you play a team like Summerville with 44 seniors coming back, and a player like AJ Green and the quarterback (Reid McCollum) they have, that front seven ... we have faced two of the best defensive and offensive fronts in 4-A football the past two weeks.

"I am real pleased with how our kids played," he continued. "(Against Fort Dorchester) we were down 7-6 at the half and 14-6 going into the fourth quarter. I saw a lot of good things Friday, a lot of potential and a lot of things we can correct."

Kennedy said the adjustments include changes in the Bruins' zone-blocking scheme and efforting to get the ball to the O-W skill players more.

"I feel like our skill guys are coming around," he said. "So, I think we can do some things to get the ball to those guys out on the edges."

Will the Bruins' slide just like last year? Kennedy doesn't think so.

"I feel like we are a little better this time this year than we were this time last year," he said. "I just feel like our guys have grown up."

One player that has emerged has been sophomore quarterback Joshua Charles. On the season, Charles is 62 of 108 passing for 723 yards and four touchdowns.

"Josh at quarterback has been one of the biggest surprises," Kennedy said. "We were more conservative on offense last week because we were concerned about him. We didn't want to pressure him too much throwing the football.

"But, he has grown up in a hurry for us too," he added. "Seeing the front seven for Summerville ... that is one of the best front sevens they have had in 25 years over there."

So, with Summerville and Fort Dorchester out the way, Kennedy and the Bruins met Monday to discuss working on the little things. It's those things that he believes will make the difference in the season.

"The biggest thing we told our guys is the past two weeks we have been hurting ourselves with has been third down conversions," he said. "We've got one more week to prepare for region play, and we want to be playing our best ball when region play comes.

"We compare our record to teams in our region, and we are right there at the top," he continued. "Goose Creek is 4-1 and Berkeley and us are 3-2. We would love to be undefeated. That would have been bea.jpgul, but that can't happen now. Our number one goal is to have a winning season and get into the playoffs."

T&D Sports Editor Brian Linder can be contacted at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553. Check out his blog, Welcome to Linderland, at www.thetandd.com.

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