High School Sports

Lewisville up to 2A, York up to 5A in 2018-20 SCHSL realignment plan

Indian Land players and coaches pose with their newly acquired Class 3A Girl's Soccer State Championship trophy.
Indian Land players and coaches pose with their newly acquired Class 3A Girl's Soccer State Championship trophy. online@thestate.com

The South Carolina High School League’s final 2018-20 realignment proposal was emailed to school administrators on Wednesday.

The biggest changes locally include Lewisville leaving the 1A ranks for the first time in the school’s history and York moving up to 5A.

Lewisville athletic director Rusty Pemberton said his school will appeal its move into Region 4-2A. Lewisville and Dixie both moved up to the 2A classification, but neither school was replaced in 1A. That left Dixie and Lewisville’s previous regions with just four football-playing schools and only three region football games.

The SCHSL will meet on Aug. 24 to hear appeals from schools. A memo from the league stipulated that appeals must include an alternative solution ready to present on Aug. 24.

Lewisville was the largest 1A school in the most recent realignment so the Lions’ advancement up the ranks isn’t shocking. If Lewisville’s appeal is denied the school joins Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Chesterfield, Lee Central and North Central in Region 4-2A. The Lions would essentially fill the vacancy left by Cheraw, which was promoted to 3A, and also not replaced (just like Lewisville and Dixie).

“We’re gonna kind of team up with them and put in for a petition,” Pemberton said about his school and Cheraw. “To me it makes sense to leave everything like it was. Why bump somebody up if you’re not gonna move somebody down?”

York joins a new-look Region 3-5A that included Clover, Fort Mill, Nation Ford, Northwestern and Rock Hill, but also Spring Valley and Blythewood.

South Pointe and Lancaster stay put in 4A in a Region 3 with Richland Northeast, Ridge View and Westwood.

Chester and Indian Land remain in 3A with Camden, Fairfield Central and Keenan in Region 4-3A. There was some thinking that Indian Land may move up to 4A but that won’t happen this time around.

Great Falls remains in 1A in a region with Lamar, McBee, Timmonsville and Governor’s School.

Click here to find 2018-20 enrollment numbers that the SCHSL used for its new realignment plan.

5A

Region 1: Easley, Greenwood, J.L. Mann, Laurens, T.L. Hanna, Wade Hampton, Westside, Woodmont

Region 2: Boiling Springs, Byrnes, Dorman, Gaffney, Hillcrest, Mauldin, Riverside, Spartanburg

Region 3: Blythewood, Clover, Fort Mill, Nation Ford, Northwestern, Rock Hill, Spring Valley, York

Region 4: Chapin, Dutch Fork, Irmo, Lexington, Lugoff-Elgin, River Bluff, White Knoll

Region 5: Carolina Forest, Conway, Socastee, South Florence, Sumter, St. James, West Florence

Region 6: Cane Bay, Goose Creek, James Island, Stratford, Wando

Region 7: Ashley Ridge, Colleton County, Fort Dorchester, Summerville, West Ashley

4A

Region 1: Belton-Honea Path, Daniel, Palmetto, Pickens, Walhalla, Wren

Region 2: Berea, Blue Ridge, Eastside, Greenville, Greer, Travelers Rest, Union

Region 3: Lancaster, Richland Northeast, Ridge View, South Pointe, Westwood

Region 4: A.C. Flora, Crestwood, Dreher, Lakewood, Lower Richland, Orangeburg-Wilkinson

Region 5: Aiken, Airport, Brookland-Cayce, Midland Valley, North Augusta, South Aiken

Region 6: Darlington, Hartsville, Marlboro County, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Wilson

Region 7: Beaufort, Berkeley, Bluffton, Hilton Head, Stall

3A

Region 1: Crescent, Liberty, Pendleton, Powdersville, Seneca, West-Oak

Region 2: Broome, Carolina, Chapman, Chesnee, Landrum, Southside

Region 3: Clinton, Emerald, Mid-Carolina, Newberry, Woodruff

Region 4: Camden, Chester, Fairfield Central, Indian Land, Keenan

Region 5: Edisto, Gilbert, Pelion, Strom Thurmond, Swansea

Region 6: Aynor, Cheraw, Dillon, Lake City, Loris, Marion

Region 7: Battery Creek, Lake Marion, May River, Ridgeland-Hardeeville, Wade Hampton

Region 8: Bishop England, Academic Magnet, Georgetown, Hanahan, Manning, Waccamaw

2A

Region 1: Blacksburg, Brashier Middle College, Christ Church, Greenville Tech, Greer Middle College, NEXT, Southside Christian, St. Joseph’s

Region 2: Abbeville, Batesburg-Leesville, Dixie, Fox Creek, Ninety Six, Saluda, Silver Bluff

Region 3: C.A. Johnson, Calhoun County, Columbia, Eau Claire, Gray Collegiate

Region 4: Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Chesterfield, Lee Central, Lewisville, North Central

Region 5: Allendale-Fairfax, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Barnwell, Whale Branch, Woodland

Region 6: Andrews, Burke, Charleston Charter, Garrett, North Charleston, Oceanside Collegiate, Palmetto Scholars, Timberland

Region 7: Carvers Bay, East Clarendon, Hannah-Pamplico, Johnsonville, Kingstree, Latta, Mullins

1A

Region 1: Calhoun Falls, High Point, McCormick, SC School for Deaf and Blind, Ware Shoals, Whitmire

Region 2: Governor’s School, Great Falls, Lamar, McBee, Timmonsville

Region 3: Blackville-Hilda, Denmark-Olar, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, North, Ridge Spring-Monetta, Wagener-Salley, Williston-Elko

Region 4: Baptist Hill, Bridges Prep, Estill, Lowcountry Leadership, Military Magnet, Phillip Simmons, Royal Live Oaks, St. John’s

Region 5: Bethune-Bowman, Branchville, C.E. Murray, Cross, Richland One Middle College, Scott’s Branch

Region 6: Coastal Leadership, Creek Bridge, Green Sea-Floyds, Hemingway, Lake View

- schools that don’t play football are in italics

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Lewisville up to 2A, York up to 5A in 2018-20 SCHSL realignment plan."

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