Photo by Joe L. Hughes IIDorman'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
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
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