Who’s in? Matchups, storylines for Rock Hill-area wrestling teams in SC playoffs
At last, the 2021 South Carolina wrestling playoffs are set to begin.
Seven teams in the state championship hunt are from York County, Chester County or Lancaster County. Four enter the postseason as region champions, while three enter as runners-up.
Here’s who’s in, per area coaches, and everything else you need to know ahead of the first round.
Wrestling playoff storylines
(5A) Rock Hill at Hillcrest: Rock Hill will travel to Hillcrest — the preseason No. 1 team that’s going for its third straight state title this year — on Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. match. The Bearcats went 3-1 in the region, their only loss being to Northwestern, 36-30, on the road. Last year, the Bearcats defeated Dorman in the opening round of the state playoffs before losing to Lugoff-Elgin in the second round.
(5A) Fort Mill at Byrnes: Fort Mill went 3-1 in region play, with its only loss to Clover. The Chris Brock-led team will go on the road to test Byrnes on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The Yellow Jackets are perennial playoff performers, and in last year’s postseason, they defeated Mauldin and JL Mann before losing to eventual state champion Hillcrest in the third round.
(5A) Dorman at Clover: Clover won its region with a 4-0 mark and will host Dorman on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Blue Eagles have been in the playoffs many times in the past, but never as region champions. Last year, they lost to Byrnes in the first round.
(5A) TL Hanna at Northwestern: Northwestern also won its region with a 4-0 mark this year and is advancing for the first time as a region winner. The team will host TL Hanna on Saturday at 11 a.m. Last year, the Trojans topped Laurens in the first round before losing to Byrnes in the second round — but they’ve largely transformed this season, particularly under head coach Leon Boulware and his staff’s leadership.
(4A) Greenwood at Indian Land: Indian Land hosts Greenwood at home on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Warriors turned in a 4-0 region mark this year, which included a narrow win over South Pointe to win the region title. They’re looking for their third straight state championship. (Their previous state titles came in 3A, under coach Boulware, who’s now at Northwestern High.)
(4A) South Pointe at Eastside: The South Pointe wrestling team was second in the region with a 3-1 mark. The team will travel to Eastside on Saturday for a 1 p.m. match. Last year, the Stallions earned a first round bye before defeating Travelers Rest in the second round. They then lost to eventual state champion Eastside in the third round.
(3A) West Oak at Chester: Chester marched through its region slate with a perfect 4-0 mark to earn the title. The Cyclones will host West Oak, which was the preseason second-ranked 3A team in the state. The match is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. They have earned numerous trips to the playoffs in the past, and last year, they defeated Emerald and Liberty before losing to West Oak in the third round of action.
What happens after Round 1?
The winners of the opening round matches will advance to the second round, which is scheduled for Monday per the South Carolina High School League. The Upper State championship is set for next Wednesday, with state championships on the following Saturday.
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 10:43 AM.
.jpeg)