2016 SCHSL football playoff brackets finalized
Northwestern and South Pointe begin their state title defenses this Friday - albeit in different classifications - with first round home games.
The Trojans - the No. 1 seed from Region 4-5A - welcome longtime rival Gaffney to District Three Stadium for a rematch of their meeting earlier in the season. No. 2-ranked Northwestern (9-1) left no doubt during that ballgame in Gaffney, handing the Indians a 46-2 loss. Friday’s game will be the two storied programs’ first playoff meeting since the Indians edged Northwestern 37-30 in the 1997 Big 16 title game at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Northwestern won last season’s 4A Division II championship, while South Pointe will go for its third straight state title after winning the last two in the 3A ranks. The Stallions (9-1) will tackle the 4A bracket beginning this week with a home game against Greenville. South Pointe is 20-1 all-time in home playoff contests, its sole defeat coming in the 2012 4A Division II tournament against Greenwood. Strait Herron’s team enters this postseason ranked No. 1 in 4A.
Nation Ford, Rock Hill and Clover also qualified for the 5A bracket. Nation Ford will hosts its first ever home playoff game Friday against Dorman. The two teams never met previously. The Falcons (7-3) have now made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons under coach Michael Allen.
Clover (6-4) is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. The Blue Eagles’ reward for finishing third in their region is a first round trip to Spartanburg for the schools’ third ever meeting. Like Clover, Rock Hill (2-8) slipped into the postseason thanks to tie-breakers in its favor and the Bearcats will travel to Boiling Springs. The Bulldogs, who won Region 3-5A, narrowly edged out Rock Hill in their regular season meeting, 35-32. The two teams have never met in the playoffs.
York and Lancaster join South Pointe in the 4A bracket.
The Cougars (5-5) shrugged off a 1-4 start to go 4-1 in Region 3-4A and claim the league’s second seed and a home playoff game Friday against D.W. Daniel. The two schools have played six times over the years, all in the playoffs, with each team winning three. The Cougars took the last meeting in 2011, 10-7.
Lancaster is in the postseason for the third year running after a narrow win against Richland Northeast just over a week ago clinched the final playoff berth from Region 3-4A. It’s the first time since a span of years from 1988 to 2000 that Lancaster has played in three consecutive postseasons. The Bruins (5-5) make the long trip down to No. 1 seed Belton-Honea Path (9-1) in search of an upset.
Chester (8-2) has a decent draw in the 3A bracket. The Cyclones open up against Clinton on Friday, with the Red Devils winners of each of the last three meetings between the two schools. Victor Floyd’s team is playing its first home playoff game since 2012 - the last year Chester made the postseason - and would like its chances of progressing in the second round against either Powdersville or Walhalla, should Clinton be dispatched Friday.
Indian Land (2-8) is in the postseason for the seventh season in a row, but it’ll be the last for coach Michael Mayer, who announced last week that he will step down after the season is over. The Warriors travel to Newberry, which won its region. Phil Strickland’s team knocked Indian Land out of the playoffs in 2012 and 2014.
Lewisville (8-2) scored a home game by virtue of the funky 1A playoff bracket. The Lions finished third in Region 2-A and will host Wagener-Salley, which also won eight of its 10 regular season games. The winner faces McCormick in the second round; because of Hurricane Matthew-caused extensions and a first round bye, the Chiefs last played a competitive game on Oct. 28.
5A
Upper State
Mauldin at Westside (1); Dorman at Nation Ford
Woodmont at Laurens (1); Clover at Spartanburg
Rock Hill at Boiling Springs (1); Easley at Greenwood
Gaffney at Northwestern (1); Hillcrest at T.L. Hanna
Lower State
Irmo at Fort Dorchester (1); Blythewood at South Florence
Goose Creek at Conway; West Ashley at Spring Valley
Lexington at Sumter (1); White Knoll at Wando
Ashley Ridge at Dutch Fork (1); Carolina Forest at Summerville
4A
Upper State
Lancaster at Belton-Honea Path (1); North Augusta at Greer
Greenville at South Pointe (1); Eastside at Airport
Aiken at Union County (1); Ridge View at Wren
Blue Ridge at South Aiken (1); Daniel at York
Lower State
Wilson at Chapin (1); Beaufort at Lugoff-Elgin
TBA at North Myrtle Beach; Crestwood at Cane Bay
Hilton Head at Hartsville (1); Myrtle Beach at A.C. Flora
Darlington at Berkeley (1); TBA at Marlboro County
3A
Upper State
Woodruff at Fairfield Central (1); Pendleton at Palmetto
Indian Land at Newberry (1); Emerald at Crescent
Walhalla at Powdersville (1); Clinton at Chester
Berea at Seneca (1); Camden at Chapman
Lower State
Swansea at Bluffton (1); Bishop England at Lake City
Battery Creek at Brookland-Cayce (1); Georgetown at Manning
Hanahan at Dillon (1); Strom Thurmond at Wade Hampton
Loris at Timberland (1); May River at Gilbert
2A
Upper State
Keenan at Blacksburg (1); Central at Liberty
Landrum at Saluda (1); Ninety-Six at Andrew Jackson
Lee Central at Abbeville (1); Gray Collegiate at Christ Church
Southside Christian at Cheraw (1); Chesnee at Fox Creek
Lower State
Buford at Carvers Bay (1); Mullins at Whale Branch
Marion at Woodland (1); Garrett Tech at Barnwell
North Charleston at Bamberg-Ehrhardt (1); Latta at Calhoun County
Allendale-Fairfax at Andrews; Batesburg-Leesville at Academic Magnet
1A
Upper State
Wagener-Salley at Lewisville; winner travels to McCormick (1)
Estill at McBee; winner faces Blackville-Hilda
Ridge Spring-Monetta at Dixie; winner travels to Lamar (1)
Hunter-Kinard-Tyler at Whitmire; winne travels to Williston-Elko (1)
Lower State
Hemingway at Scotts Branch; winner travels to St. John’s (1)
East Clarendon at ENTER; winner travels to Hannah-Pamplico
Green Sea-Floyds at Military Magnet; winner travels to C.E. Murray (1)
Bethune-Bowman at Baptist Hill; winner travels to Lake View (1)
This story was originally published November 13, 2016 at 4:59 PM with the headline "2016 SCHSL football playoff brackets finalized."