Region play kicks into high gear with big games in all 5 classifications

       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 14^th 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 11^th and May River 14^th.

                       In AAA, there are four games involving ranked teams. Region 2 will have 10^th-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 13^th, 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 12^th-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 14^th. 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 14^th while the Stallions are 15^th.

           There is a top 10 matchup in Region 6 between No. 3 Carvers Bay and 10^th-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