Which teams are playing where in the first round of the HS football state playoffs?
Nine local teams made the 2017 high school football state playoffs, with five landing home games in the first round.
It starts Thursday with Northwestern hosting Laurens in the 5A postseason. The Trojans and Rock Hill High earned the top-two seeds from Region 4-5A and since they share a home field, the higher-seeded team picks when it wants to play. Northwestern, winners of three state titles in the last eight seasons, opted for the earlier Thursday game, and Rock Hill will host Mauldin the following night on Friday.
Nation Ford and Fort Mill, which finished three and four in the Region 4-5A seeding, hit the road Friday. Nation Ford takes on nine-time state champion Greenwood, while the Yellow Jackets face Region 2 top seed Hillcrest.
South Pointe enters the 4A state playoffs as the widely viewed favorite to win a fourth state title; the Stallions open their three-peat defense at home against Midland Valley, who the Stallions beat in the 2015 3A state title game. York is another team that could be dangerous in the playoffs. The 8-2 Cougars host Airport.
Chester hosts Powdersville in the first round of the 3A postseason, a rematch of last year’s riveting second round matchup won by the Patriots after several overtimes. Indian Land also slipped into the playoffs despite just two regular season wins; the Warriors head to Emerald in the first round.
And Lewisville begins its challenging path through the 1A Upper State bracket with a road game at eight-win Wagener-Salley.
Check out the brackets below.
Several locals recognized in Palmetto Champions team
The South Carolina Football Coaches Association released its Palmetto Champions All-Star football team Sunday.
Three South Pointe players earned recognition; Derion Kendrick was named the 4A Upper State back of the year, while Eli Adams earned lineman of the year in the same category and B.T. Potter was deemed the 4A kicker/punter of the year.
Lewisville’s Josh Belk was named the 1A Upper State lineman of the year.
Playoff pairings
5A
Upper State
No. 4 Byrnes (7-3) at No. 1 T.L. Hanna (10-0)
No. 3 Nation Ford (5-5) at No. 2 Greenwood (8-2)
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No. 4 Woodmont (2-8) at No. 1 Dorman (8-2)
No. 3 Mauldin (6-4) at No. 2 Rock Hill (4-6)
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No. 4 Laurens (3-7) at No. 1 Northwestern (6-4)
No. 3 Easley (5-5) at No. 2 Gaffney (6-4)
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No. 4 Fort Mill (4-6) at No. 1 Hillcrest (8-2)
No. 3 Spartanburg (5-5) at No. 2 Westside (6-4)
Lower State
No. 6 Stratford (2-8) at No. 1 Dutch Fork (8-1)
No. 3 West Florence (4-6) at No. 3 Ashley Ridge (7-3)
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No. 5 White Knoll (5-5) at No. 2 Sumter (8-2)
No. 4 Irmo (6-4) at No. 2 Summerville (7-2)
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No. 5 Wando (4-6) at No. 1 Conway (9-1)
No. 4 West Ashley (5-4) at No. 2 Spring Valley (9-1)
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No. 6 Socastee (5-5) at No. 1 Fort Dorchester (10-0)
No. 4 Carolina Forest (5-5) at No. 3 Lexington (7-3)
4A
Upper State
No. 4 Blue Ridge (3-7) at No. 1 Greenville (9-1)
No. 3 Airport (3-7) at No. 2 York (8-2)
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No. 4 Daniel (2-8) at No. 1 Greer (9-1)
No. 3 Ridge View (7-3) at No. 2 South Aiken (8-2)
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No. 4 Midland Valley (2-8) at No. 1 South Pointe (10-0)
No. 3 Union County (2-8) at No. 2 Belton-Honea Path (8-2)
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No. 4 Westwood (5-5) at No. 1 North Augusta (10-0)
No. 3 Wren (6-4) at No. 2 Eastside (9-1)
Lower State
No. 4 Darlington (2-8) at No. 1 Lower Richland (5-5)
No. 3 Beaufort (8-2) at No. 2 Myrtle Beach (6-4)
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No. 4 Orangeburg-Wilkinson (3-7) at No. 1 Hartsville (9-1)
No. 3 Wilson (6-4) at No. 2 Cane Bay (8-2)
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No. 4 Colleton County (4-6) at No. 1 North Myrtle Beach (10-0)
No. 3 Crestwood (5-5) at No. 2 Chapin (7-3)
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No. 4 Marlboro County (3-6) at No. 1 Berkeley (9-1)
No. 3 Dreher (7-3) at No. 2 Lugoff-Elgin (6-4)
3A
Upper State
No. 4 Crescent (4-6) at No. 1 Chapman (10-0)
No. 3 Powdersville (6-4) at No. 2 Chester (8-2)
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No. 4 Clinton (4-6) at No. 1 Seneca (7-3)
No. 3 Camden (3-7) at No. 2 Palmetto (7-3)
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No. 4 Southside (5-5) at No. 1 Fairfield Central (7-3)
No. 3 Pendleton (7-3) at No. 2 Newberry (9-1)
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No. 4 Indian Land (2-8) at No. 1 Emerald (7-3)
No. 3 Broome (7-3) at No. 2 Walhalla (8-2)
Lower State
No. 4 Aynor (6-4) at No. 1 Gilbert (10-0)
No. 3 Hanahan (4-6) at No. 2 Bluffton (6-3)
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No. 4 Strom Thurmond (6-4) at No. 1 Dillon (10-0)
No. 3 Battery Creek (4-5) at No. 2 Bishop England (6-3)
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No. 4 Manning (7-3) at No. 1 Wade Hampton (6-4)
No. 3 Loris (4-6) at No. 2 Brookland-Cayce (6-4)
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No. 4 May River (2-7) at No. 1 Timberland (7-3)
No. 3 Swansea (4-6) at No. 2 Georgetown (6-4)
2A
Upper State
No. 4 Liberty (5-5) at No. 1 Blacksburg
No. 3 Cheraw (7-3) at No. 2 Gray Collegiate (7-3)
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No. 4 St. Joseph’s (5-6) at No. 1 Abbeville (9-1)
No. 3 Fox Creek (6-4) at No. 2 Chesterfield (8-2)
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No. 4 Central (7-3) at No. 1 Saluda (9-1)
No. 3 Ninety Six (3-7) at No. 2 Christ Church (6-4)
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No. 4 Keenan (2-8) at No. 1 Lee Central (9-1)
No. 3 Chesnee (5-5) at No. 2 Southside Christian (9-1)
Lower State
No. 5 Kingstree (2-7) at No. 1 Bamberg-Ehrhardt (8-2)
No. 4 Latta (6-4) at No. 3 North Charleston (6-4)
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No. 5 Calhoun County (2-8) at No. 1 Carvers Bay (9-1)
No. 4 Silver Bluff (5-5) at No. 2 Woodland (6-4)
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No. 5 Buford (7-3) at No. 1 Whale Branch (5-4)
No. 3 Batesburg-Leesville (5-5) at No. 3 Mullins (6-4)
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No. 2 Barnwell (9-1) - first round bye
No. 4 Garrett (3-6) at No. 2 Andrews (8-2)
1A
Upper State
No. 3 Lewisville (7-3) at No. 3 Wagener-Salley (8-2)
Winner at No. 1 McCormick (6-4) in Round 2
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Denmark-Olar (2-8) at No. 2 Timmonsville (6-4)
Winner at No. 2 Ridge Spring-Monetta (7-3) in Round 2
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No. 4 Hunter-Kinard-Tyler (4-6) at No. 3 Whitmire (4-6)
Winner at No. 1 Lamar (10-0) in Round 2
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No. 5 Blackville-Hilda (4-6) at No. 2 Dixie (7-3)
Winner at No. 1 Williston-Elko (8-2) in Round 2
Lower State
No. 3 Scotts Branch (5-5) at No. 3 Green Sea-Floyds (5-5)
Winner at No. 1 Baptist Hill (7-1) in Round 2
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East Clarendon (2-8) at No. 2 Cross (5-3)
Winner at No. 2 Lake View (7-2) in Round 2
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No. 4 Hannah-Pamplico (5-5) at No. 3 Military Magnet (2-7)
Winner at No. 1 C.E. Murray (9-1) in Round 2
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Bethune-Bowman (6-4) at No. 2 St. John’s (5-4)
Winner at No. 1 Hemingway (10-0) in Round 2
This story was originally published October 30, 2017 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Which teams are playing where in the first round of the HS football state playoffs?."