Class AAAA playoff brackets released, present potential for great matchups

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Dorman's Rodney Agnew makes an acrobatic catch to score a touchdown earlier this season against Greenwood. The Cavaliers were awarded the top seed in Class AAAA Division I when the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) announced playoff pairings on Saturday.

Mathematics was not necessarily my strong point during school. So it should not come as a surprise that I am not a fan of the systems to use determine participants in the Class A and Class AAAA playoffs.
It kills me that we never get the opportunity to see what team is a head above the rest, rather than splitting a classification’s title.
However, this Class AAAA playoff run has the potential to be one of the best, with no overwhelming favorite to hoist a trophy the first weekend in December.
The closest team to playing the role, however, is Class AAAA Big 16 champion Dorman (11-0), which was awarded Division I’s top seed for this year’s playoffs. Led by Shrine Bowlers Charone Peak and Adam Humphries, the Cavaliers should not get a real scare until the semifinal round where a matchup with Irmo (9-2) or Gaffney (8-3) may await.
Defeating the rival Yellow Jackets may have earned Dutch Fork (9-2) a region title, but in the process drew it a date with Clover (9-2). As dangerous a 14-seed as there can be, the Eagles’ Wing-T offense is sure to give the Silver Foxes problems; can we say upset alert?
Regardless, most critics would bet their money on a Byrnes-Summerville semifinal in the lower bracket, both programs getting pretty favorable draws to advance through.
The Division II bracket, on the other hand, will be nothing short of a dogfight to Columbia.
Goose Creek (11-0) earned the division’s top seed, therefore receiving home field advantage through the state semifinal round. This may come in handy as Northwestern (11-0) and its “Air Raid” offense was placed on its side of the bracket, setting up a potential clash down in the Lowcountry Nov. 26 with a ticket to Williams-Brice Stadium at stake.
Seeded just behind the Gators is Greenwood, which rides into the playoffs with a 10-1 record, its only blemish a 35-28 loss at Dorman. Similar to Goose Creek on the other side of the bracket, a stiff opponent also will try to block the Eagles’ way to Columbia, this one in the form of North Augusta, which also is 10-1 on the year.

Class AAAA Division I (Big 16) matchups
Upper bracket
(16) White Knoll at (1)Dorman
(9) Fort Dorchester at (8)Stratford
(13)Spartanburg at (4)Irmo
(12)Wando at (5)Gaffney

Lower bracket
(15)Blythewood at (2)Summerville
(10)Boiling Springs at (7)Lexington
(14)Clover at (3)Dutch Fork
(11)Mauldin at (6)Byrnes

Class AAAA Division II matchups
Upper bracket
(16)Conway at (1)Goose Creek
(9)Easley at (8)Beaufort
(13)James Island at (4)Northwestern
(12)Ashley Ridge at (5)Lugoff-Elgin

Lower bracket
(15)Laurens at (2)Greenwood
(10)Wren at (7)South Florence
(14)Richland Northeast at (3)North Augusta
(11)JL Mann at (6)T.L. Hanna

Class AAA Playoff Notebook (Nov. 6)

Each of the classification’s top eight seeds held serve the first night of the postseason, with Lowcountry powerhouse Myrtle Beach looking the most impressive.
Welcoming back star quarterback Everett Golson, who was sidelined much of the season with foot and hand injuries, the senior accounted for seven touchdowns in the Seahawks’ rout of Brookland-Cayce, 70-0.
Golson went 13 for 21 for 281 yards before calling it a night at halftime.
Things this year haven’t necessarily gone the way D.W. Daniel head coach Randy Robinson and his team had hoped this season, but the coach constantly stressed to his team last week anything can happen during the postseason.
His Lions proved this to be true Friday night, ousting defending Class AAA champion Clinton in overtime 21-14. Lined up in the Wildcat formation, Daniel’s C.J. Davidson scampered into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown in the extra period's first possession.
The Red Devils were unable to answer back, thus ending their reign as state champions. Daniel will travel to the Upper State’s top ranked team, South Pointe, on Friday.
Another surprise in the Upper State bracket was Chester’s defeat of Wade Hampton (Greenville), the Cyclones coming back from double digits in the second half to advance, 33-28.
In the Lower State, Berkeley survived a slugfest at Camden, 36-28. The Stags took the lead with just over five minutes to go in the contest on a Tevin Bradshaw 3-yard run to pay dirt.
Bradshaw would add another touchdown, giving the game its final margin. He wound up with 135 yards on the night.

Other scores from the opening round of the Class AAA playoffs:
Upper State
South Pointe 49, Eastside 6
Clinton 21, Daniel 14 (OT)
Greenville 26, Fort Mill 23
Seneca 35, Chapin 14
Union County 42, Pickens 16
Fairfield Central 38, Berea 16
Belton-Honea Path 42, Greer 10
Chester 33, Wade Hampton (G) 28

Upper State quarterfinals (Nov. 12)
Daniel at South Pointe
Seneca at Greenville
Fairfield Central at Union County
Chester at Belton-Honea Path

Lower State
Hartsville 63, Hilton Head Island 9
Airport 42, Socastee 40
Bluffton 24, Lakewood 21
A.C. Flora 52, Wilson 30
Midland Valley 21, St. James 0
Berkeley 36, Camden 28
Myrtle Beach 70, Brookland-Cayce 0
Cane Bay 28, Marlboro County 27

Lower State quarterfinals (Nov. 12)
Airport at Hartsville
A.C. Flora at Bluffton
Berkeley at Midland Valley
Cane Bay at Myrtle Beach

Week 12 -- All In .. Playoffs in full swing

Class AAAA Division I (Big 16) playoffs
Upper Bracket
(16)White Knoll at (1)Dorman
(8)Fort Dorchester at (9) Stratford
(13)Spartanburg at (4)Irmo
(12) Wando at (5)Gaffney

Lower Bracket
(15)Blythewood at (2)Summerville
(10)Boiling Springs at (7)Lexington
(14)Clover at (3)Dutch Fork
(11)Mauldin at (6)Byrnes

Class AAAA Division II playoffs
Upper Bracket
(16)Conway at (1)Goose Creek
(9)Easley at (8)Beaufort
(13)James Island at (4)Northwestern
(12)Ashley Ridge at (5)Lugoff-Elgin

Lower Bracket
(15)Laurens at (2)Greenwood
(10)Wren at (7)South Florence
(14)Richland Northeast at (3)North Augusta
(11)JL Mann at (6)T.L. Hanna

Class AAA
Upper State quarterfinals
Daniel at South Pointe
Seneca at Greenville
Fairfield Central at Union County
Chester at Belton-Honea Path

Lower State quarterfinals
Airport at Hartsville
A.C. Flora at Bluffton
Berkeley at Midland Valley
Cane Bay at Myrtle Beach

Class AA
Upper State quarterfinals
Columbia at Palmetto
Cheraw at Woodruff
Mid-Carolina at Strom Thurmond
Chesnee at Central

Lower State quarterfinals
Manning at Silver Bluff
Lake City at Hanahan
Woodland at Timberland
Wade Hampton (H) at Dillon

Class A Division I playoffs
Upper State semifinals
(4)Calhoun County at (1)Abbeville
(3)Lamar at (2)Chesterfield

Lower State semifinals
(4)Ridgeland at (1)Bamberg-Ehrhardt
(3)Burke at (2)Hemingway

Class A Division I playoffs
Upper State semifinals
(4)Fox Creek at (1)Christ Church
(3)Great Falls at (2)Williston-Elko

Lower State semifinals
(4)Lake View at (1)Scott's Branch
(6)Denmark-Olar at (2)Hardeeville

How Did the ranked teams fare? ... Palmetto State roundup -- Week 11

Class AAAA
1. Dorman (11-0) - def. Woodmont, 47-0; NEXT: vs. First Round Class AAAA Div. I playoffs vs. White Knoll
2. Northwestern (11-0) - def. Rock Hill, 42-0; NEXT: First Round Class AAAA Div. II playoffs vs. James Island
3. Goose Creek (11-0) - def. Beaufort, 49-14; NEXT: First Round Class AAAA Div. II playoffs vs. Conway
4. Greenwood (10-1) - def. Laurens, 27-6; NEXT: First Round Class AAAA Div. II playoffs vs. Laurens
5. Beaufort (9-2) - lost to Goose Creek, 49-14; NEXT: First Round Class AAAA Div. II playoffs vs. Easley
6. Irmo (9-2) - lost to Dutch Fork, 38-35; NEXT: First Round Class AAAA Div. I playoffs vs. Spartanburg
7. Gaffney (8-3) - def. Spartanburg, 48-20; NEXT: First Round Class AAAA Div. I playoffs vs. Wando
8. North Augusta (10-1) - def. Orangeburg-Wilkinson, 43-30; NEXT: First Round Class AAAA Div. II playoffs vs. Richland Northeast
9. Summerville (9-2) - def. Colleton County, 49-14; NEXT: First Round Class AAAA Div. I playoffs vs. Blythewood
10. Byrnes (8-3) - def. Boiling Springs, 38-21; First Round Class AAAA Div. I playoffs vs. Mauldin

Class AAA
1. South Pointe (10-1) - def. Eastside, 49-6; NEXT: vs. Daniel
2. Myrtle Beach (10-1) - def. Brookland-Cayce, 70-0; NEXT: vs. Cane Bay
3. Belton Honea Path (11-0) - def. Greer, 42-10; NEXT: vs. Chester
4. Greenville (10-1) - def. Fort Mill, 26-23; NEXT: vs. Seneca
5. Fairfield Central (10-1)- def. Berea, 38-16; NEXT: at Union County
6. Bluffton (10-1) - def. Lakewood, 24-21; NEXT: vs. A.C. Flora
7. Camden (9-2) - lost to Berkeley, 36-28; season over
8. Wade Hampton (G) (9-1) - lost to Chester, 33-28; season over
9. Union County (8-3) - def. Pickens, 42-16; NEXT: vs. Fairfield Central
10. AC Flora (10-1) - def. Wilson, 52-30; NEXT: at Bluffton

Class AA
1. Dillon (10-0) - def. Bishop England, 31-17; NEXT: vs. Wade Hampton (H)
2. Central (10-0) - def. Gilbert, 47-0; NEXT: vs. Chesnee
3. Timberland (11-0) - def. Marion, 35-6
4. Silver Bluff (10-1) - def. Stall, 38-13; NEXT: vs. Manning
5. Lake City (9-2) - def. Loris, 28-17; NEXT: vs. at Hanahan
6. Strom Thurmond (9-2) - def. Lee Central, 55-8; NEXT: vs. Mid-Carolina
7. Indian Land (9-2) - lost to Columbia, 28-21; season over
8. Manning (8-3) - def. Mullins, 55-24; NEXT: at Silver Bluff
9. Woodruff (8-3) - def. Carolina, 44-10; NEXT: vs. Cheraw
10.Mid-Carolina (10-1) - def. Pendleton, 14-7; NEXT: at Strom Thurmond

Class A
1. Williston-Elko (10-1) - def. McCormick, 64-0; NEXT: Class A Div. II quarterfinal vs. Great Falls
2. Hemingway (11-0) - def. Allendale-Fairfax, 13-6; NEXT: Class A Div. I quarterfinal vs. Burke
3. Bamberg-Ehrhardt (11-0) - def. C.E. Murray, 38-6; NEXT: Class A Div. I quarterfinalvs. Ridgeland
4. Abbeville (10-1) - def. Blacksburg, 56-7; NEXT: Class A Div. I quarterfinal vs. Calhoun County
5. Lamar (10-1) - def. Ninety Six, 23-0; NEXT: Class A Div. I quarterfinal at Chesterfield
6. Calhoun County (9-2) - def. Landrum, 42-28; NEXT: Class A Div. I quarterfinal at Abbeville
7. Scott's Branch (9-2) - def. Bethune-Bowman, 58-8; NEXT: Class A Div. II quarterfinal vs. Lake View
8. Christ Church (11-0) - def. Ridge Spring-Monetta, 49-6; NEXT: Class A Div. II quarterfinal vs. Fox Creek
9. Johnsonville (9-2) - lost to Ridgeland, 24-15; season over
10. Chesterfield (8-3) - def. Ware Shoals, 37-9; NEXT: Class A Div. I quarterfinal vs. Lamar

Palmetto State Roundup -- Week 11
REGULAR SEASON
CLASS 4A
Fort Dorchester 40, Ashley Ridge 33
Goose Creek 49, Beaufort 14
Byrnes 38, Boiling Springs 21
Summerville 49, Colleton County 14
Carolina Forest 46, Conway 42
Dorman 47, Woodmont 0
Mauldin 48, Hillcrest 20
Dutch Fork 38, Irmo 35
Clover 31, Lancaster 6
Greenwood 27, Laurens 6
Lugoff-Elgin 41, Sumter 32
North Augusta 43, Orangeburg Wilkinson 30
Northwestern 42, Rock Hill 0
Blythewood 21, Ridge View 2
J L Mann 38, Riverside 7
Aiken 34, South Aiken 21
Gaffney 48, Spartanburg 20
Richland Northeast 27, Spring Valley 22
Stratford 14, Wando 12
James Island 30, West Ashley 13
South Florence 49, West Florence 7
Hanna 40, Westside 15
Lexington 32, White Knoll 22
Easley 30, Wren 21
Playoffs

CLASS 3A
Upper State
South Pointe 49, Eastside 6
Daniel 21, Clinton 14
Greenville 26, Fort Mill 23
Seneca 35, Chapin 14
Union County 42, Pickens 16
Fairfield Central 38, Berea 16
Belton-Honea Path 42, Greer 10
Chester 33, Wade Hampton 28

Lower State
Hartsville 63, Hilton Head Island 9
Airport 42, Socastee 40
Bluffton 24, Lakewood 21
A.C. Flora 52, Wilson 30
Midland Valley 21, St. James 0
Berkeley 36, Camden 28
Myrtle Beach 70, Brookland-Cayce 0
Cane Bay 28, Marlboro County 2

CLASS 2A
Upper State
Palmetto 21, Emerald 14
Columbia 28, Indian Land 21
Woodruff 44, Carolina 10
Cheraw 21, Batesburg-Leesville 7
Strom Thurmond 55, Lee Central 8
Mid-Carolina 14, Pendleton 7
Central 47, Gilbert 0
Chesnee 27, Newberry 20

Lower State
Silver Bluff 38, Stall 13
Manning 55, Mullins 24
Hanahan 48, Barnwell 6
Lake City 28, Loris 17
Timberland 35, Marion 6
Woodland 49, Swansea 21
Dillon 31, Bishop England 17
Wade Hampton 38, Garrett 15

CLASS A DIVISION I
Upper State
Abbeville 56, Blacksburg 7
Calhoun County 42, Landrum 28
Lamar 23, Ninety Six 0
Chesterfield 37, Ware Shoals 9

Lower State
Bamberg-Ehrhardt 38, C.E. Murray 6
Ridgeland 27, Johnsonville 15
Burke 18, Baptist Hill 7
Hemingway 13, Allendale-Fairfax 6

CLASS A DIVISION II
Upper State
Christ Church 49, Ridge Spring Monetta 6
Fox Creek 32, Calhoun Falls 16
Great Falls 55, Southside Christian 8
Williston-Elko 64, McCormick 0

Lower State
Scott’s Branch 58, Bethune-Bowman 8
Lake View 35, Cross 16
Denmark-Olar 15, Blackville-Hilda 14
Hardeeville 33, Whale Branch 12

Northwestern's Worley, Blacksburg's Hames lead list of dazzling Week 10 performances

Photo by Scott Powell/ The Gaffney Ledger

Blacksburg running back Chase Hames became the program's single season leading rusher last Friday night, running for 212 yards in a 26-14 victory qualifying the Wildcats for postseason play. The senior has 2,155 yards this season.

Week 10 was chock full of dazzling performances around the Palmetto State, as players hoped to drive their teams toward region titles and favorable playoff positioning. Here are a few of the noteworthy performances last Friday night:

Kevin Miller, Lexington: The Wildcats' leading rusher had a night to remember last Friday at Wildcat Hollow, running through the Orangeburg-Wilkinson defense to the tune of 407 yards and five touchdowns in Lexington's 69-20 victory. He scored on runs of 12, 64,16, 27, and 6 yards.
And to think, Miller did that much damage in three quarters of play.
Montrece Kennedy, Northwestern: Likely a name Gaffney quarterback DeEdward Burris will not soon forget. The Trojans' safety picked off three passes during Northwestern's 42-28 win, lifting his team to the Region III-AAAA title.
Daiquone Ford, Myrtle Beach: There was little capable of stopping the Seahawks' running back last week, Ford accounting for 199 yards and four scores on the ground as well as an 85-yard kickoff return for a score in Myrtle Beach's rout of rival North Myrtle Beach.
Chase Hames, Blacksburg: Already recognized by MaxPreps as the nation's player of the week earlier this year, Hames added another honor last Friday, becoming the school's single season rushing leader during a 26-14 win over Southside Christian. The senior ran for 212 yards in the contest, upping his total for the 2010 season to 2,155 yards on the ground.
Justin Worley, Northwestern: No matter how much Gaffney tried, there was no stopping the Trojans' Worley last Friday night. The Tennessee prospect was 37 of 48 for 427 yards and five touchdowns, in addition to another score on the ground to help Northwestern claim the Region III-AAAA championship in a 42-28 victory over the Indians.
Rondreas Truesdale, Indian Land: Truesdale scored twice on the ground and passed for a touchdown in Indian Land's 41-13 win over Buford. He wound up with 214 yards on 14 carries on the night for the Warriors.
Quinshad Davis, Gaffney: Northwestern's Jimmy "Moose" Wallace became the latest coach around the state to rave about Gaffney's Davis. The junior wide receiver torched the Trojans' defense last Friday night, catching 13 passes for 258 yards in the Indians' 42-28 loss.
Hunter Townes, Christ Church: Accounting for more than 400 yards passing and seven touchdowns is more than enough to make our list, the Christ Church quarterback leading his team to a Region II-A title and top seed in the Class A playoffs with a 57-26 drubbing of rival Landrum.

S.C. Prep Writers Poll — Nov. 2

NOTE: The polls are compiled by The State with voting by Adam Regan, Anderson Independent Mail; Justin Jarrett, Beaufort Gazette/Island Packet; Bob Castello, Greenville News; Matt Anderson, Greenwood Index-Journal; Shane Bowen, Myrtle Beach Sun News; Barry Byers, Rock Hill Herald and Akilah Nelson, The State.

Class AAAA

1. Dorman (10-0) - at Woodmont

2. Northwestern (10-0) - at Rock Hill

3. Goose Creek (10-0) - vs. Beaufort

4. Greenwood (9-1) - vs. Laurens

5. Beaufort (9-1) - at Goose Creek

6. Irmo (9-1) - at Dutch Fork

7. Gaffney (7-3) - vs. Spartanburg

8. North Augusta (9-1) - at Orangeburg-Wilkinson

9. Summerville (8-2) - vs. Colleton County

10. Byrnes (7-3) - vs. Boiling Springs

Class AAA

1. South Pointe (9-1) - vs. Eastside

2. Myrtle Beach (9-1) - vs. Brookland-Cayce

3. Belton Honea Path (10-0) - vs. Greer

4. Greenville (9-1) - vs. Fort Mill

5. Fairfield Central (9-1)- vs. Berea

6. Bluffton (9-1) - vs. Lakewood

7. Camden (9-1) - vs. Berkeley

8. Wade Hampton (G) (9-1) - vs. Chester

9. Union County (7-3) - vs. Pickens

10. AC Flora (9-1) - at Wilson

Class AA

1. Dillon (10-0) - vs. Bishop England

2. Central (10-0) - vs. Gilbert

3. Timberland (10-0) - vs. Marion

4. Silver Bluff (9-1) - vs. Stall

5. Lake City (8-2) - vs. Loris

6. Strom Thurmond (8-2) - vs. Lee Central

7. Indian Land (9-1) - vs. Columbia

8. Manning (7-3) - at Mullins

9. Woodruff (7-3) - vs. Carolina

10.Mid-Carolina (9-1) - vs. Pendleton

Class A

1. Williston-Elko (9-1) - vs. McCormick

2. Hemingway (10-0) - vs. Allendale-Fairfax

3. Bamberg-Ehrhardt (10-0) - vs. C.E. Murray

4. Abbeville (9-1) - vs. Blacksburg

5. Lamar (9-1) - vs. Ninety Six

6. Calhoun County (8-2) - vs. Landrum

7. Scott's Branch (8-2) - vs. Bethune-Bowman

8. Christ Church (10-0) - vs. Ridge Spring-Monetta

9. Johnsonville (9-1) - at Ridgeland

10. Chesterfield (7-3) - vs. Ware Shoals

Class AAAA Playoffs -- I'm not a big fan of this system

Photo contributed by Larry B. Littlejohn/ The Gaffney Ledger

Gaffney and Byrnes faced off in two highly contested games in 2006, yet neither was for their classification's top prize. The current Class 4A system has been greatly scrutinized, yet remains the one deciding the classification's two champions.

Published: Oct. 23, 2009--The Gaffney Ledger

NOTE: At the time this editorial was written, Region V-AAAA was the only conference which was represented by four teams in the classification's postseason, leaving seven at-large bids. Since realignment took effect this year, Class AAAA's four programs from Region I and Region II qualify for the playoffs, leaving six at-large spots.
In addition, Phil Strickland was preparing Gaffney for another deep run through the postseason instead of taking a Newberry team on the road for the first round of the Class AA playoffs.
Even now, I remain a critic of the classification's method of deciding a champion -- or in its case, two. Now as the Class AAAA postseason prepares to begin, here is my argument for a system that does less crunching numbers, instead settling things out on the field.

Without a doubt, those who constructed the web called the Bowl Championship Series knew exactly what they were doing.
Every year before the football season starts, prognosticators look into their proverbial crystal ball hoping to predict the sport’s next champion. In no sport are the opinions of sports writers, coaches and other pundits (including computers) more important than college football, specifically the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), where their thoughts actually hold weight — in fact, they go a long way toward deciding who’ll raise the trophy at season’s end.
And we all know that anything built or created by man can and often does fail.
The goal of the BCS was to create a true national champion.
Has it lived up to its mission statement? Not at all. True, in some years the BCS has gotten lucky, being bailed out by matchups like Miami (Fla.) - Ohio State in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl, or the Texas-Southern California classic at the Rose Bowl in 2006. But for each accomplishment, the next two years have created more turmoil than doing what the system was supposed to, and that is find the best team in the land.
However, BCS commissioners are likely laughing the controversy right to the bank, knowing despite the way us fans feel that we will still sell out their venues for such high-profile contests.
On a more local level, we have our own problem as the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) does its own job of “crunching numbers.”
Through the years, I’ve been lucky to be on the field for several state championship games; my first at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., in 1996, one in Georgia, and of course, several at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.
Walking onto the field for the contests in Alabama and Georgia, I knew these were the best teams the state had to offer. In each case, the schools beat out dozens of others in their half of the state for the right to play for a championships.
Here in the Palmetto State, you get the sense the best two teams in the state have arrived in Columbia (or sometimes Clemson) for the Class 3A & 2A title tilts, knowing that each of them have won their respective portions of the state — whether it be Upper State or Lower State.
A lot of people in-state, and likely many others outside of South Carolina, do not understand why we have two divisions that crown a champion for Class 4A. Furthermore, I do not understand the need for a points system.
Creating two divisions in Class 4A does little to figure out who the true champion is in what’s supposed to be this state’s elite level of high school football. To me, it’s almost like sharing; and championships are earned by one team, not two.
It doesn’t happen in basketball, baseball or softball, where one team walks away as champion.
Currently, Class 4A schools play 11 weeks of football, with 32 teams being invited to the postseason. Schools are seeded according to a points system devised by the SCHSL, which does reward winning teams, but also the effort of a program to schedule top-level competition.
Region champions and runners-up are awarded with home games the first round of the playoffs, with the third seed in each of Class 4A’s eight regions also earning a postseason berth (with the exception of Region V, which takes four teams due to its size). The final seven slots are decided by the points system.
From there, the schools are divided — the largest 16 to Division I, the smaller 16 to Division II.
Gaffney head coach Phil Strickland should be applauded for scheduling such opponents like Dorman, Greenville, Byrnes and others. Such foresight has enabled the Indians to rack up points whether they win or lose, every one of which come in handy at playoff time.
If you think I’m simply trying to stir the pot a little bit, you’re entitled to your opinion. But I’m simply not a fan of this points system.
As I said earlier, I believe the two best teams from their respective half of the state should clash at the end of season for the championship. In my opinion, that’s what makes regional rivalries like that between Gaffney and Summerville so special; usually playing in the title game, the matchup is one that fans of both teams look forward to and often expect.
But the points system puts matchups between the Upper State’s best against the Lower State’s elite team in danger each year. Scrapping the current playoff system would be a step in the right direction. Here’s what I would do:
— Make the Class 4A schedule 10 games, similar to that of all other classifications. This would allow the SCHSL to continue inviting 32 teams to the playoffs, with the first week of the playoffs beginning week 11, the final week of play for 4A schools.
— Invite the top 4 teams from each region. The top two seeds earn playoff berths, with the Nos. 3 and 4 teams going on the road the first round. From there, home teams will be determined upon their record during the season, or in the case of a tie-breaker, a coin flip.
Yes, at times you would have a team with an awful record fall through the cracks, but for the most part fans are getting what they want — competitive football.
The system has been pretty beneficial to states like Alabama and Georgia, where traditional powers reign supreme. With schools meeting in the playoffs on a yearly basis, rivalries decades long have been built, with fans and players knowing before the season what type of road they will have on the way to a title.
It’s probably wishful thinking on my part, but I’m all for championships being decided on the field. We’re already a society dependent on technology and computers are already necessary in most facets of our lives.
Let’s hope they don’t take football too.