As we approach the final week of the regular season of high school football in the Upstate, the playoff picture has started to come into shape. Here’s a peek ahead at potential postseason matchups, and the games this Friday that will shape them.
Make sure to tune in to Victory Formation on Fox Sports Spartanburg 98.3 FM after Spartanburg Viking football on Friday night to be the first to know the brackets as it becomes clear.
3A
TOP HALF
Blue Ridge/Travelers Rest loser (Region 3 #4) @ Daniel (Region 1 #1)
- The undefeated Daniel Lions have claimed a title in Region 1 and will be in position to rest its starters if it wants in this week’s finale against Crescent. They will host the loser of this Friday’s Region 3 contest between Blue Ridge and Travelers Rest.
Woodruff/Emerald/Union (Region 4 #3) @ Wren/BHP loser (Region 2 #2)
- Belton Honea Path hosts Wren for the championship in Region 2 this Friday night, and the loser will still get a home game in this position of the bracket. Woodruff travels to Union County and Emerald hosts Clinton this week in Region 4, and a Wolverines win secures the three seed. A Union upset combined with Emerald beating Clinton (who is locked into its spot in the bracket already and could rest starters) puts the Emerald Vikings in the three spot. Clinton and Union wins create a three way tiebreaker for two seeds in Region 4.
Walhalla/Crescent/Pendleton/Seneca (Region 1 #4) @ Broome/Chapman winner (Region 3 #1)
- The Centurions and Panthers play for the Region 3 title as the last remaining unbeaten teams in the standings, and both will host playoff games regardless of the result. The winner will have to see how Region 1 shakes out at the bottom of the standings between four teams, which could see a three-way tie if the higher in the standings win (Daniel, Pendleton, and Seneca). I’m not even going to try to guess this region, as everything except the top seed is in play. Tune in to Victory Formation on Friday night for answers (hopefully!).
Powdersville/Palmetto winner (Region 2 #3) @ Chester (Region 4 #2)
- Easy enough for the bottom game of the bracket’s top half. Chester is the second seed from Region 4 and will host the winner from Friday’s Powdersville vs. Palmetto game in Williamston.
BOTTOM HALF
Emerald/Union/Woodruff (Region 4 #4) @ Wren/BHP winner (Region 2 #1)
- Back to the three teams fighting for two spots at the bottom of Region 4. A Woodruff win over Union makes Emerald the four seed in this matchup, while a Union win combined with an Emerald win puts the Yellow Jackets here. Union and Clinton wins creates a three-way tie. No matter who the team is coming out of Region 4, they travel to Wren or BHP as the Region 2 champion after this Friday’s game.
Blue Ridge/Travelers Rest winner (Region 3 #3) @ Pendleton/Walhalla/Crescent (Region 1 #2)
- This Friday night’s winner between the Tigers and Devildogs claim the third position in Region 3, and will travel to one of Pendleton, Walhalla, or Crescent for its first playoff game. Pendleton has the easiest track to this spot, as all the Bulldogs would need is a win to lock in the two seed.
Powdersville/Palmetto loser (Region 2 #4) @ Clinton (Region 4 #1)
- With the Clinton’s win over Chester last Friday, it has won Region 4 and will be its top seed with a home game. The loser from Powdersville and Palmetto this week will draw the tough road game to open the playoffs.
Pendleton/Crescent/Walhalla/Seneca (Region 1 #3) @ Broome/Chapman loser (Region 3 #2)
- The loser in Region 3’s championship game still gets to host a first round playoff game, either the Broome Centurions or Chapman Panthers. There is still plenty to sort out for their possible opponents with five teams fighting for four spots in Region 1.
2A
TOP HALF
Columbia/Mid-Carolina/Eau Claire (Region 4 #6) @ Ninety-six/Abbeville winner (Region 1 #1)
- In Region 1, Abbeville hosts Ninety-six for the region championship this week. The winner will host the sixth seed from Region 4, which depends on the result of Mid-Carolina’s game against Eau Claire on Friday. If the Mid-Carolina Rebels can beat the winless Shamrocks, the seed here would go to Columbia. If Eau Claire pulls the upset, it creates a three-way tie.
Pelion/Silver Bluff/Batesburg-Leesville (Region 3 #4) @ Fairfield Central/Newberry loser (Region 4 #3)
- Fairfield Central and Newberry square off for the two seed in Region 4, with both already assured of a home playoff game. The loser of that game will host the four seed from Region 3, likely Silver Bluff or Batesburg-Leesville, but also possibly Pelion if it beats Silver Bluff.
Mid-Carolina/Columbia/Eau Claire (Region 4 #5) @ Batesburg-Leesville/Saluda winner (Region 3 #2)
- With a win over last place Eau Claire, Mid-Carolina secures this spot on the bracket. With a loss, the winner of the three-way tiebreaker including Columbia claims the fifth seed. That team will travel to the winner of this Friday’s Batesburg-Leesville vs. Saluda game.
Liberty/Chesnee winner (Region 1 #3) @ Fairfield Central/Newberry winner (Region 4 #2)
- The Chesnee Eagles are locked in to a playoff spot, and can improve their seeding with a win over Liberty at home this Friday. The winner from that contest will travel to the winner from Fairfield Central and Newberry for the first round of the playoffs.
BOTTOM HALF
Blacksburg/Landrum winner (Region 1 #5) @ Strom Thurmond (Region 3 #1)
- The Landrum Cardinals head back home in a win and in scenario against Blacksburg this week. The reward for a win? A road matchup with the undefeated in-region Strom Thurmond Rebels in the first round.
Keenan (Region 4 #4) @ Ninety-six/Abbeville loser (Region 1 #2)
- With Keenan’s forfeit against Gray Collegiate this week, the Raiders will be the four seed in Region 4 and travel to the loser from Region 1’s championship game between Ninety-six and Abbeville.
Pelion/Silver Bluff loser (Region 3 #5) @ Gray Collegiate (Region 4 #1)
- Pelion and Silver Bluff have both clinched a playoff spot and have the possibility to move higher up the seed list, but the loser will settle for the last seed out of Region 3 and travel to Gray Collegiate in the first round. This could be the first region game that the War Eagles play after a season of forfeits from region opponents and out-of-state games.
Liberty/Chesnee loser (Region 1 #4) @ Saluda/Batesburg-Leesville/Silver Bluff (Region 3 #3)
- The Saluda Tigers can’t finish worse than third in the seed list and land here in half of the scenarios that could play out in Region 3, they are second in the other half of scenarios. The only way Silver Bluff lands here is with a win and a Batesburg-Leesville loss to Saluda, whereas as Silver Bluff AND Batesburg-Leesville loss puts the B-L Panthers in the three spot. That team would host the loser from Liberty and Chesnee’s game.
