Region play kicks into high gear with big games in all 5 classifications
Top game has AAAAA Division I No. 1 James Island visiting DI No. 4 Summerville
Sumter – No intriguing matchups where a smaller classification team gets a shot at one of the big boys, no non-region showdowns between teams in the same class and no games between teams from different associations.
Well, there is one this week, but you get the idea.
The South Carolina High School League football season is in the part of the schedule where each games matters: it’s region play. These are the games that determine who the few schools are that don’t make the state playoffs, who wins region titles and who is seeded where in the playoffs.
In AAAAA, Region 8 has a massive midseason showdown as James Island visits Summerville. James Island is 6-0 and ranked No. 1 in the High School Sports Report AAAAA Division I poll. The Green Wave is 5-1 and ranked fourth. Both won their region openers.
In Region 1, Greenville visits Greenwood. Both teams are 5-1, but Greenville, ranked fifth in the Division 2 poll, is 3-0 in region play. Fourth-ranked DII Greenwood is 2-1, so it needs a victory to stay in the hunt for the region title.
In Region 2, Byrnes will visit Gaffney. Both teams are 4-2 and ranked ninth, Byrnes in the DI poll and the Indians in the DII poll. However, Gaffney is 3-0 and Byrne is 2-1 in region play.
AAAAA juggernaut Dutch Fork will visit 5-1 White Knoll. The Silver Foxes, ranked second in Division 1, are 4-1. White Knoll is ranked fifth in DII. Both won their Region 4 openers.
Region 7 will have Stratford visiting Lucy Beckham. Both won their region openers. Stratford, 5-1, is ranked sixth in DI while 4-1 Lucy Beckham is the DII No. 8.
The driver’s seat will be up for grabs in Region 1-AAAA when Fountain Inn visits Wren. Both are 4-2 and won their region openers. Wren is ranked 14th in the AAAA poll. In Region 6, Bishop England will visit May River. The Battlin’ Bishops will try to stay in the hunt for the region crown after getting hammered by Hilton Head Island. Both teams are 5-1 with Bishop England ranked 11th and May River 14th.
In AAA, there are four games involving ranked teams. Region 2 will have 10th-ranked and 4-1 Christ Church visiting No. 14 Powdersville, which is 4-2. In Region 4, undefeated and No. 5 Newberry will travel to No. 12 Fox Creek. Newberry is 7-0 while the Predators are 5-1 after dropping a 21-13 decision to No. 8 Orangeburg-Wilkinson last week.
Waccamaw, 5-1 and ranked 13th, will play at 6-0 and No. 4 Loris. Both won their Region 5 openers. Defending state champion and current No. 2 Oceanside Collegiate Academy will play at 5-1 and No. 14 North Charleston. The 5-2 Landsharks and North Charleston both won their Region 6 opener.
The path to a region title in AA will really start getting laid out this weekend. Defending state champion and 12th-ranked Clinton will play at No. 6 Chesnee. Both won their Region 1 openers, the Red Devils improving to 4-3 and Chesnee to 4-2.
Pelion will visit Saluda with at least a share of first place going to the winner. Both are 4-2 with Saluda ranked ninth and Pelion 14th. The Region 3 title will basically be on the line when fifth-ranked Fairfield Central visits No. 13 Chester. Fairfield Central is 5-2 and Chester 4-3.
In Class A, defending lower state champion Cross will play host to upstart Scott’s Branch in a key Region 5 matchup. The fourth-ranked Trojans are 6-1 while No. 13 Scott’s Branch is 5-1. Lee Central visits Lewisville in a key Region 2 game. Both teams are 3-3 after winning their region openers. Lewisville is ranked 14th while the Stallions are 15th.
There is a top 10 matchup in Region 6 between No. 3 Carvers Bay and 10th-ranked Lake View. Carvers Bay is 7-0 and 2-0 while Lake View is 3-2 and 1-1.
THURSDAY
SCHSL
5A
Region 5
Westwood at Spring Valley
4A
Region 3
York at South Pointe
Region 4
Brookland-Cayce at Aiken
Region 5
South Florence at Lakewood
Wilson at Lower Richland
SCISA
11-Man
Hammond at Augusta Christian
FRIDAY
5A
Region 1
Easley at Mauldin
Greenville at Greenwood
J.L. Mann at Hillcrest
Woodmont at T.L Hanna
Region 2
Byrnes at Gaffney
Dorman at Spartanburg
Eastside at Riverside
Wade Hampton at Boiling Springs
Region 3
Fort Mill at Northwestern
Indian Land at Catawba Ridge
Rock Hill at Nation Ford
Region 4
Chapin at Lexington
Dutch Fork at White Knoll
Irmo at River Bluff
Region 5
Ridge View at Lugoff-Elgin
West Florence at Blythewood
Region 6
Myrtle Beach at Conway
North Myrtle Beach at Socastee
St. James at Carolina Forest
Region 7
Berkeley at Goose Creek
Stratford at Lucy Beckham
Wando at Cane Bay
Region 8
Ashley Ridge at Stall
Fort Dorchester at West Ashley
James Island at Summerville
4A
Region 1
Emerald at Westside
Fountain Inn at Wren
Laurens at Southside
Region 2
Daniel at Travelers Rest
Greer at Blue Ridge
Seneca at Berea
Region 3
A.C. Flora at Richland Northeast
Lancaster at Dreher
Region 4
Gray Collegiate at Airport
Gilbert at Midland Valley
Region 5
Crestwood at Hartsville
Region 6
Bishop England at May River
Colleton County at Beaufort
3A
Region 1
Crescent at West-Oak
Pendleton at Walhalla
Region 2
Carolina High at St. Joseph’s
Christ Church at Powdersville
Southside Christian at Palmetto
Region 3
Chapman at Mountain View Prep
Broome at Union County
Region 4
Keenan at Silver Bluff
Newberry at Fox Creek
Region 5
Dillon at Aynor
Georgetown at Marlboro County
Waccamaw at Loris
Region 6
Oceanside Collegiate at North Charleston
Orangeburg-Wilkinson at Hanahan
2A
Region 1
Blacksburg at Landrum
Clinton at Chesnee
Region 2
American Leadership Academy at Strom Thurmond
Batesburg-Leesville at Ninety Six
Pelion at Saluda
Region 3
Columbia at Mid-Carolina
Fairfield Central at Chester
Region 4
Chesterfield at Andrew Jackson
Region 5
Hampton County at Lake Marion
Whale Branch at Edisto
Region 6
Andrews at Woodland
Philip Simmons at Burke
Timberland at Academic Magnet
Region 7
Atlantic Collegiate Academy at Lake City
East Clarendon at Kingstree
Manning at Mullins
1A
Region 1
Calhoun Falls at Abbeville
Ware Shoals at McCormick
Whitmire at Dixie
Region 2
McBee at C.A. Johnson
Lamar at Great Falls
Lee Central at Lewisville
Region 3
Blackville-Hilda at Wagener-Salley
Calhoun County at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler
Ridge Spring-Monetta at Williston-Elko
Region 4
Allendale-Fairfax at Ridgeland
Denmark-Olar at Hardeeville
Region 5
Baptist Hill at Branchville
St. John’s at Bethune-Bowman
Scott’s Branch at Cross
Region 6
Carvers Bay at Lake View
Green Sea Floyds at Hannah-Pamplico
1A VS. INDEPENDENT
Clear Dot Charter at Academic Magnet
SCISA
11-Man
Andrew Jackson Academy at Thomas Heyward
Bethesda at Dillon Christian
Carolina Academy at Calhoun Academy
Clarendon Hall at Dorchester
First Baptist at Hilton Head Christian
Florence Christian at Camden Military
Greenwood Christian at Thomas Sumter
Heathwood Hall at Ben Lippen
John Paul II at Hilton Head Prep
Laurence Manning at Cardinal Newman
Lee Academy at Williamsburg
Northwood at Porter-Gaud
Orangeburg Prep at Northside Christian
Patrick Henry at Colleton Prep
St. John’s Christian at Pee Dee
Trinity Collegiate at Wilson Hall
SCISA VS. GEORGIA
Towns County at Spartanburg Christian
8-Man
Christian Academy at Laurens Academy
Cross Schools at Cathedral
Holly Hill at The King’s Academy
Jefferson Davis at Palmetto Christian
Newberry Academy at Wardlaw
Richard Winn at W.W. King
