Playoff pairings set for all five of the SCISA football classifications

Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • November 3, 2025

AAA, AA and Class A have 8-team fields; AAAA and 8-man brackets have 6 teams

State playoff pairings for all five of the South Carolina Independent Schools Association  football classifications’


           The 8-man state playoffs bracket was released on Monday and will have six teams invovled.  The first-round games will have Wardlaw playting at Jefferson Davis Academy and Richard Winn playing at Holly Hill Academy. W.W. King and Laurens Academy will receivre byes with King playing host to the Wardlaw-JDA winner and Laurens at home against either Winn or HHA.


          TThe AAAA playoffs will also have six teams while AAA, AA and Class A will have 8-team fields.


          Top seed Northwood Academy and 8-time defending state champion and No. 2 seed Hammond  received first-round byes in the AAAA playoffs. Northwood will play host to the winner of Friday’s first-round game between Porter-Gaud and Laurence Manning Academy in a semifinal game on November 14.

 

   The Swampcats and P-G will be facing off for the second week in a row at LMA’s Billy Chitwood Field. Laurence Manning earned the opportunity to host the game with a  22-21 victory that came via a 37-yard field goal by Daniel Vargas with six seconds remaining in the game.

 

   Hammond will play host to the winner of the first-round game that has Ben Lippen School playing at Heathwood Hall.

 

   Defending AAA state champion Pinewood Prep and runner-up Wilson Hall are the top seeds. Pinewood Prep plays host to Northside Christian Academy in the first round while the Barons will be at home against First Baptist. Those two teams played last week in Charleston, Wilson Hall winning 35-14.

 

   Defending AA state champion Pee Dee Academy plays host to Orangeburg Prep in the first round as a No. 2 seed. Defending runner-up and No. 1 seed Bethesda Academy plays host to Thomas Sumter Academy. The other No. 1 seed is Calhoun Academy, which is at home against Hilton Head Prep.

 

       Defending Class A state champion Thomas Heyward Academy is a No. 2 seed and plays host to Carolina Academy. Defending runner-up Williamsburg is a No. 1 seed and is at home against Patrick Henry Academy. The other No. 1 seed is Colleton Prep Academy, which will take on Lee Academy.

 

SCISA STATE PLAYOFFS

4A

First Round

Friday

Ben Lippen at Heathwood Hall

Porter-Gaud at Laurence Manning

Semifinals

November 14

Ben Lippen or Heathwood Hall at Hammond

Porter-Gaud or Laurence Manning at Northwood

 

3A

First Round

Friday

First Baptist at Wilson Hall

Trinity Collegiate at Hilton Head Christian

Northside Christian at Pinewood Prep

John Paul  II at Florence Christian


2A

First Round

Friday

Hilton Head Prep at Calhoun Academy

Orangeburg Prep at Pee Dee

Thomas Sumter at Bethesda Academy

Dillon Christian at Greenwood Christian

 

1A

First Round

Friday

Patrick Henry at Williamsburg

Carolina Academy at Thomas Heyward

Lee Academy at Colleton Prep

Beaufort at Dorchester


8-Man

First Round

Friday

Wardlaw at Jefferson Davis

Richard Winn at Holly Hil

Semifinals

November 14

Jefferson Davis or Wardlaw at W.W. King

Holly Hill or Richard Winn at Laurens Academy

re at: https://www.thestate.com/sports/high-school/article312735896.html#storylink=cpy


By David Shelton March 16, 2026
For 2026, the Flashes baseball will certainly be a quality team that is capable of contending for a state title.
By Staff Reports March 16, 2026
Senior Aaissacc Germany scored 24 points and pulled down 17 rebounds and made seven steals as C.A. Johnson takes the Class A basketball crown.
By David Shelton March 16, 2026
James Island enters this season as the top-ranked team in AAAAA baseball.
By David Shelton March 16, 2026
The Hilton Head Prep girls soccer and baseball programs enter the 2026 campaign looking to defend the state championships won last spring.
By Roger Lee March 16, 2026
Senior Clayton Everett Jr. is the all-time leading scorer for the Ashley Ridge Boys Basketball program with nearly 1,400 career points.
By Neill Kirkpatrick March 14, 2026
The Cav’s had three players named All Region in Thomas Hester, Tradd Law, and Aiden McCoy . Hester and Law were chosen to play for the South squad in North/South All Star game.
By Billy Baker March 14, 2026
Junior guard Khw-Ny McKinnon finished the season averaging 18.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 4.6 assists per game.
By Neill Kirkpatrick March 14, 2026
The boys team finished with a sparkling 24-5 record after getting off to a slow start.
By David Shelton March 14, 2026
Pitching and catching are two critical positions in softball and Carolina Academy has two of the best players in SCISA with seniors Raeley Frye and Carlie Ann Smith.
By Billy Baker March 14, 2026
Barnwell's Coach Beasley, “I am excited about the promise of this season.”
More Posts